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By Elaine, March 9, 2010 1:15 pm

I am thrilled again to be participating in Janet Barclay’s Blog Carnival . This months theme is Financial Organizing. Please take a few minutes to visit the carnival and enjoy all the great tips offered by Professional Organizers.

Are you confused about Organizing Your Finances?

Looking  for the perfect system?

To be honest there is no perfect cookie cutter system…however there are tips that can help YOU to keep on top of this very important task…Now I need to be clear here…I will be suggesting several tips on how to “Organize Your Finances”…not how to “Do your Finances”.

I am a huge believer in hiring experts…it is good for the economy (and our economy needs it right now) and unless you are an expert in this particular area I would leave it to the experts. The carnage of not doing this particular task correctly can be devastating….Ok I will get off my soap box now

After working with over 100 small business owners these are some of the critical financial issues that have been identified during the process of helping them to Get Organized in their office.

• late income tax filing
• important financial documents that have been lost or misplaced
• late sales tax reports
• payroll remittances that are incomplete
• unpaid bills that were filed with other papers
• uncollected receivables…can you imagine

If you are spending valuable time trying to figure out the tax exemption rate of something or a percentage of something related to an expense you are wasting your valuable time that YOU could spend on growing your business and adding to your bottom line….financially that is.

Here are some very simple and creative ways to “Organize Your Finances”

• Have a folder, envelope or ziploc bag for each month of the year for receipts..keeping like items together
• Use the Batching principle for getting the receipts in the folder
• Keep a separate file with invoices to clients and unpaid expenses, check these regularly to keep cash flowing
• Save valuable time by using online banking

I have an awesome Bookkeeper that I meet with quarterly and a very skilled Accountant who I meet with annually. They are both worth every dollar I pay them and I know that they are skilled at helping me to maximize my deductions and increase my income….you can also look for a bookkeeper or accountant who are wiling to barter services. I did that in the first 5 years of my business. It was an awesome way to get a needed service and your accountant could be a great source of referral business.

Moving forward you can create a system that you can manage yourself or you can delegate this necessary task and free up valuable time while keeping the economy moving.

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By Elaine, February 12, 2010 9:12 am

I love it when multiple organizing tips come together.

Here is an enhancement to the 5 Minute File that I mentioned last month…I hope you are all using this one and a recent post on Batching Tasks.

This video gives you a visual on both concepts…..Enjoy!

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By Elaine, February 9, 2010 9:24 am

I have been asked  this month to be a part of Janey Barclay’s Professional Organizer Blog Carnival . This carnival is a collection of Blog Posts written by professional organizers. This is a huge honor to be in such esteemed company and for you this is an awesome collection of resources to help you get and stay organized.

This months theme in “Time Management”.

The Dictionary says that management is…the act or manner of managing; handling, direction, or control.

Let me start by saying that I do not believe that you can control or manage time!

….yes I have said it out loud. Let the controversy begin….What I do believe is that we can manage, direct, handle or control how we use our “Valuable Time” and how we manage, direct, handle or control how to fill the “Valuable Minutes”  in our day.

With this all in perspective now I would like to introduce you to “Batching”.

I am not talking about cookie baking here I am talking “Tasks”….you know the stuff that fills our day and uses up our Valuable Time.

“Batching Tasks “ is quite simple….you take similar tasks that require the same thinking process or have similar activities attached to the tasks and you do them at the same time.

Here are some real life examples of how you can use “Batching Tasks” to increase productivity and save Valuable Time for other activities.

• Checking and replying to e-mail at certain times during the day….not every second of the day.
• Returning phone call from the day at a specified time at the end of the day.
• Combining tasks that take 5 minutes or less to do using your “5 Minute File“.
• Bookkeeping and finances, yes it has to be done, pick a time batch it up and Just Do It…

I am sure that there are many more examples but these are the most common, you will certainly find ways to Batch your own tasks as you maneuver through your activity filled days.

Managing your tasks and not your time!

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By Elaine, February 8, 2010 10:10 am

If it isn’t a chicken perhaps it is a shiny object. Or maybe its the telephone or the sound of the e-mails as they are arriving or the Crackberry that rings non stop or the mess on the desk that is calling you….oh there are so many distractions.

How do you ever expect to accomplish anything today?

Today I speak from experience and I want to help you.

I am highly distractable and I have a very long list of things I want to accomplish in my lifetime.

Knowing that these two things cannot co-exist I had to do something… and I did.

I put the distractions in their place by eliminating some of them and minimizing others, here are some ideas you can implement today to banish the chicken or at least minimize the damage;

• get call display on all your phones and only answer the urgent ones.
• turn the e-mail notification noise off.
• move all the work clutter you are not currently working on out of sight.
• take the crackberry off your hip and turn it off while working on important stuff
• for some more examples of potential distractions visit my previous post on Time Hijackers

I know this is not rocket science it is common sense, sometimes you just need someone to point you in the right direction….or call you on your stuff!

A shout out to  James at Men with Pens who inspired today’s post, thanks James for sharing and being real.

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By Elaine, February 2, 2010 9:15 am

If you ask anyone that knows me really well… TODAY they will say that I am a Ready, Fire, Aim kinda gal….Well it has not always been that way. They will probably say that I have no fear and really do Take Charge! in my life….

It was not always so…and how does someone go from having a difficult time with decisions, becoming stuck at every turn and letting great things pass you by because you were waiting for the PERFECT time to do something….to someone who jumps at opportunities and loves challenges.

Life happens….and I am sure it happens to everyone at some point or another…mine happened one day when I could not live the life I had and wanted something different…but I did not know that yet.

I had to put the need for perfection into perspective, I had to stop being afraid and lastly I had to stop procrastinating. Procrastination is essentially postponed decisions…the last step in my evolution was to start making decisions, decisions that are right for me…and not being afraid of mistakes….

For more information on Procrastination please read this awesome article by Monica Ricci.

Finally be honest with yourself today….what decisions are you postponing and if you took a stand and made the decision where would that road lead to?

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By Elaine, February 1, 2010 10:27 am

Over 5 years ago I learned one of the most valuable KICKASS Business Tips ever… No really I am not kidding.

I learned it from Cameron Herold who read it somewhere….and used the concept for himself with some…OK lots of success…check out his bio…and, at that very small conference that he happened to be at 5 years ago…actually he was not supposed to be there at all, he was the stand in speaker…he shared a very simple yet profound concept that not only changed my life but all the people I share it with.  Just in case I never said it personally…Thanks Cameron for that nugget.

That nugget is The Top 6 things I must do Tomorrow . It is a story about Ivy Lee and Charles Schwab.

Around 100 years ago, Charles Schwab, president of Bethlehem Steel, wanted to increase his own efficiency, and of the management team at the steel company. Ivy Lee, a well-known efficiency expert of the time, approached Mr. Schwab, and made a proposition Charles Schwab could not refuse:

Ivy Lee: “I can increase your people’s efficiency – and your sales – if you will allow me to spend 15 minutes with each of your executives.” ….read the rest of the story

Over the years I have modified Ivy’s method and have come up with my own version, it goes like this.

• At the end of the work week take 15 minutes and think about your annual goals.
• Take a simple recipe card and write down 5 things you want to accomplish that feed into your annual goals.
• Any paper or files that are related to the 5 goals needs to be gathered together.
• Take those 5 things and put the most important on the top and organize the rest in descending importance.
• E-mail a copy of this list to yourself and mark it important.

What you have now is your game plan for the next week. Wow…you can actually relax this weekend knowing that you have a game plan. It is out of your head and on paper…what a stress reliever.

Oh and did I mention that they are the goals for the WHOLE week…not for a single day. So by the end of the week if you accomplish only the first 2 items you have tackled 2 very important tasks that add to your bottom line.

Now I have to ask…”Is that the most awesome KICKASS Business Tip Ever?”

As a side note here is my Top 5 for this week.

-Mail Organizing Connection Home Organizing Videos to Costco Head Office Buyer.
-Add Clutter to Clarity Lunch and Learn page to website and promote to 10 local companies, get testimonial from past clients for the page.
-Send E-Mail out to Professional Organizer Biz 101 participants regarding the schedule, payments and what we are doing each week.
-Add 6 Blog posts this week
-Finish reading “Made to Stick” and do a book review live on Ustream .

Please note that all these goals feed into my annual goals. This is not everything I will do this week as urgent things come up and to be honest you need to address some urgent stuff when it happens. If I accomplish one of these items every week for the next year I will have completed 52 strategic steps towards my goals. I would say that is better than nothing!

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By Elaine, January 27, 2010 10:58 am

As we near the end of January it is time to dust off those Resolutions…now don’t tell me they aren’t dusty…resolutions typically lose their steam long before now…yes I am a realist…that is why I don’t make them…well not in January but that is for another post.

Was getting organized one of your Resolutions?

If so hold on to your hat because you are going to be blown away by ” The Great Organizing Giveaway” , yes I am talking free organizing resources. This is such an exciting opportunity for me and you.  This year, organizing professionals from the USA and Canada, 127 to be exact, are working together to deliver the GREAT ORGANIZING GIVEAWAY.  I’m honored that Organizing Connection was asked to be a part of this first ever event.

Sign up now to get your FREE giveaways

Here is a small sample of the 127 FREE Organizing Giveaways…

Need help with e-mail?

Provided by Paul Burton of Quiet Spacing or on Twitter  @quietspacing — Power Processing Your E-mail is one of the five one-hour programs in the QuietSpacing(tm) Seminar Series created by Paul Burton. Thousands have benefitted from this program by learning how to better manage the dozens of e-mails we receive every day….Get it Now it is FREE

Need help with your Time?

Provided by Susan Lannis of ORGANIZATION Plus! Inc.( Same Company name as my home organizing company…how cool!) or on Twitter @timeliberator — Though we use the words, time cannot be saved or made because we don’t control it – like a river, it just keeps moving along – but it can be liberated. In this report, learn 10 easy ways to rethink time that will help you liberate it to use in a new way – whether that is kicking back or tackling something you’ve always wanted to try…get it now its free

Need help going GREEN while organizing?

Provided by Julie Seibert of Healing through Organization, LLC – Would you like to know where to start organizing and still stay “green”?  This audio program offers eco organizing tips for the home and office…download it now

Need help Organizing Medical Records?

Provided by Janet Barclay(Good Friend and Fellow Canuck) of Organized Assistant or on Twitter @janetbarclay — The Personal Medical Organizer comes with printable forms for you to fill out and place in your own binder. Taking the binder with you to medical appointments can help you make the most of your time with the doctor, since all the information and any paperwork you may need is right at your finger tips…Get your Organizer now

And Last but not Least…Elaine and Kim of Organizing Connection…yeah

Provided by Elaine Shannon of Organizing Connection or on Twitter @orgconnection – The Clutter Code 6 Step Organizing System takes all the mystery out of getting organized.  This set of easy to follow worksheets and the detailed e-book will help you to demystify your next organizing project… get yours now!

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By Elaine, January 26, 2010 8:29 am

Organizing Philosophy…

“Organizing is not about how it looks but about how it functions and feels”

Yesterday I had the pleasure of presenting my “Clutter to Clarity” workshop at a Lunch & Learn to 7  amazing women. They love what they do, they love the company they work for and they admire their leader….to be honest so do I , she is quite amazing. That being said we got on the topic of look vs feel in regards to organizing.

As someone who is always talking, thinking, researching organizing I sometimes forget that there are 2 sides to this argument.

As the gals pointed out yesterday there are days that the “Boss” goes through the place like a tornado(not reallya tornado, but this is a great visual) because it looks awful and there are other days when it really doesn’t matter. Someone else also said that it feels so good when they can find what they need when they need it…..hmmmmm.

So it is looks or function and feel…or is it both?

I know that at certain times of the month(if you get my drift) I am crazy when I have clutter on my kitchen countertops and other times I could not care less.

What are your thoughts…looks or feel…or both? Please share…what do you think?

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By Elaine, January 25, 2010 6:59 am

Today while catching up on several blogs and cleaning out my in-box I was struck by a very simple message from a hard working guy,Gary Vaynerchuk , a guy who says what he means and means what he says…and these 9 words he said hit me like an ICEBERG…”HARD WORK is never not part of the formula”.

I got a visual on this very simple message right away and it was an ICEBERG. Typically only one-tenth of the volume of an iceberg is above water…that means that the 9/10 that is unseen is holding up that 1/10 that you do see…now lets compare this to the amount of work that goes into an “Overnight SUCCESS”.

Investigate any of the so called overnight successes and you will find the story behind the story;

Lady Gaga started playing piano at 4, writing songs at 13, playing in bars at 16, was rejected more times than she can count and never gave up. At 23 she is an Overnight Success!

Adam Lambert has been a stage actor since 10, at age 20 he was acting in musicals and in 2005 started his music career. In 2009 at age 27 he was runner up for American Idol…another overnight SUCCESS!

In 1990 Jack Canfield shared his vision for the Chicken Soup Series with Mark Victor Hansen, which he had been contemplating for years. After 3 years of compiling stories the first book was published and October of 1993 hit the best seller list. Was this another instance of overnight SUCCESS?

Do I need to continue..I think you get what I am saying!

Next time the little green monster shows up when discussing someone else in regards to their Overnight SUCCESSs..think about that Iceberg and that fact that you have only seen 1/10 of what that person did to get to where they are and then ask yourself if you are willing to do the HARD WORK necessary to be an Overnight SUCCESS.

Again, I would like to thank Gary Vee who’s latest post  inspired me on this post…OH, by the way you are seeing 1/10 th of the work that was put into what you are reading…

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By Elaine, January 19, 2010 10:48 am

This very cute video is courtesy of  fellow Professional Organiser Wendy Davie (spelled with an s because she is from the land down under).  Wendy has found her inner Speilberg  and created this very cute Wall-E type video about “What a “Professional Organizer” does for a living”. I could not have said it better myself.

Enjoy….