Organizing time is easier when you get to know your calendar software. Knowing how to use it eliminates the embarrassment of forgetting a birthday, reduces the stress of being late or missing appointments, minimizes the frustration of scheduling with others. For efficient time management, here are my TOP FIVE reasons to go digital with a calendar app.. 

1. No more lugging around a heavy datebook! My shoulders thank technology for making my calendar portable. It's on my smartphone, computer (or anyone else's since it's on a web/cloud server) and even my electronic tablet! I can search for activities past, present or future without having to flip through pages, and how easy it is to erase or change an appointment. No pen required! 

2. Losing my datebook is no longer an issue. I used to panic at the thought of losing it. "It's my life!!" I hear others say. With my calendar app, a copy is stored on my smartphone, my computer and/or in the cloud and all without wires! Amazing. 

3. Repeating activities is simply checking a box. If you're like me, you've got events in your work and home lives that happen weekly, monthly or annually at the same time, on the same day. Whether it's scheduling time at the gym, a monthly meeting or remembering a birthday, I put it on the calendar once, check a couple of boxes and instantly the time is blocked off repeatedly. No more rewriting birthdays on a paper calendar every January! 

4. Coordinating time with family and co-workers is truly fantastic with the Sharing feature. I used to spend so much time trying to find a mutual time slice to schedule a family outing or time to meet with business partners. We'd sit together and go day by day, week by week and compare calendars. Now? I can peek to find the matching holes in our calendars, and simply ask them to confirm one of the empty time slices! 

5. Alarms never let me forget when it's quitting time! I used to always be late to everything. It got so bad that I would miss appointments and friends stopped asking me to go to lunch. With alarms built into my electronic calendar, I'm reminded of when it's time to LEAVE or stop what I'm doing to get ready for appointments. I'm still late sometimes but my forgiving friends saw such an improvement, I have lunch with them several times a week now! 

If you have been hesitant to move to calendar software and apps, or want to know more about how to make the best use of them, do some research, take a class, start today! I guarantee, you'll be SO GLAD you did!

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by Donna D. McMillan, Island Organizers

Get organized early; beat the Holiday Rush!  It's time to send HOLIDAY GREETINGS to your clients, colleagues, friends and family.  On the horizon are Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanza, and New Years.

So ... do you have an organized system to store all of your important contacts' info?  Whether you use a paper or electronic address book, spreadsheet, CRM (customer relationship management aka contact management) program, or your addresses are in the cloud, be sure to backup/copy these precious records and update often during the year!

Why send THANKSGIVING cards to clients and colleagues instead of other Holiday cards?

• Reinforces your personalized, heartfelt appreciation for their business and referrals, plus helps you to build stronger professional relationships.  I've sent Thanksgiving cards to clients and colleagues for over 20 years.
• Unexpected and unique - something new and different for everyone to remind them of you.
• Arrives early before other greeting cards, is usually on display longer, is not buried in stacks of other Holiday cards and unopened mail, not easily deleted like email.
• There's still time (a full month) in this year for clients to hire your services, buy your products, plus send referrals to you.
• Be sure your "Thank You" cards arrive prior to Thanksgiving, before the Holiday hustle-bustle and piles of mail begin.

Make your list; check it twice! There are many greeting card solutions to choose from.  Our favorite is www.SendOutCards.com where you order card(s) online for the holidays and any other special event. You can add photos and graphics, type personalized messages, and have them sent to one or many recipients.  A Gift Catalog is included.  SOC will print, stuff, stamp and mail these greeting cards for you.  This will save your time, energy and money! Also, there's an App for that ... www.sendoutcards.com/soc_appdemo/

If you're feeling overwhelmed at the thought of your never-ending To-Do List as the Holidays approach, don't procrastinate! Give yourself the GIFT OF ORGANIZATION. Call us, we'll help you organize your time, space, information and priorities.

Warm Thanks and Holiday Greetings to YOU!!

Website ~ E-newsletter ~ Booklets
 

Is your business ready for anything? What will you do if disaster strikes? Preparing for disasters such as fires, earthquakes, tornadoes and tsunamis is the focus of September’s National Preparedness Month (NPM) campaign. To businesses, even theft and computer failure are just as devastating. What should you do to prepare your business before disaster happens?

The most precious part of any business is the information and data. Inventory, equipment, supplies and other hard assets can be replaced, but what about the data? After a fire raged through one of my client’s homes, she was interviewed for a local newspaper and TV station. She was asked, “What is the biggest loss your family will feel?” Her answer was that her entire home-based business’ computer data was gone. She no longer had records of her customers’ contact information, invoicing information, and all business financial records – everything gone within minutes.

We all know that backups protect our data. But where are they kept? If your backup is in the same office or building as your computer, that won’t help if there's a fire, tsunami, or tornado.

How will you continue to do business if you can't access your computer? If you have offsite backup and an inventory of your software, you could simply get another computer (or borrow one) and restore your data from backup. You'll probably be back in operation within a few hours.

What information is vital to YOUR business to keep it running? If you’re like most businesses it's their customers, employees and vendors, accounts receivables (who owes you), bank and insurance account info and numbers. Where is this info kept? Do you have an inventory of it? What format is it stored in? paper? electronic? Is it easily accessible? Is it portable and duplicated somewhere?

These are the questions you want to ask yourself during 2013’s National Preparedness Month. Get ready and be ready – prepare your business BEFORE disaster strikes. FEMA’s Ready Business website has extensive resources to help you get started. Need more help? Ask Me How

National Preparedness Month is September. Businesses large and small are getting ready. Fires, floods, windstorms, earthquakes, all disasters are devastating. Emergencies strike with little or no warning. If one were to hit your area, you will be affected physically, financially and emotionally. Is your business prepared with a plan in place, in case an unexpected event happens?

According to Business Wire 9/7/12, Staples and National Safety Council Team Up to Raise Disaster Planning Awareness Among Small Businesses. For the Aloha state, Retail Merchants of Hawaii Partners with Counties for Disaster Preparedness Campaign.

It's vital to be in control, as much as possible, after a catastrophic event. Businesses must get back on track immediately. Your customers and other businesses that rely on you are impacted if your business is not operational. Also, if insurance claims are necessary, specific information will be required.

PREPAREDNESS PLAN FOR BUSINESSES
- Inventory - Passwords & Software, Possessions & Valuables, People: employees & clients
- Communications - keep VIP numbers in cell phone & the cloud for accessibility.
- Safety Procedures - for employees & customers
- Protect - property, business records, contacts
- Insurance - contact your agent for advice & appropriate coverage
- Photos/Video - of current possessions & property, save copies off-site, send to insurance agent
- Supplies - emergency kit including chargers & batteries, food & water
- Resources - suppliers, vendors, etc.

You can protect your business, be informed, have a plan. Visit www.ready.gov/business, www.redcross.org/prepare and www.fema.gov/mobile.

Is your company prepared for disasters?  Share your story ... add a comment.

  What happens when loose papers and small notes are buried in piles? We don't know what's there and can't do what we need to do. My longtime mantra is: "Paperwork that is lying down is sleeping or hiding. When it's standing up, it can communicate with you."

The Decoflex® box by Oxford® and Pendaflex® has been my favorite organizing tool for many years. A desktop file storage box with hanging folders and labeled tabs creates a highly-effective Paperwork Management System. Each tab designates a specific category or task and identifies folders' contents. This handy solution eliminates piles, wasted time and stress related to lost notes and vital documents. Learn more

"HOT ACTION FILES" -- This is the perfect tool to hold "active" documents, unpaid bills and other important To-Do's.  Once they're separated into categories: To Call, To Pay, To Input, Waiting For Reply, etc., the appropriate actions can be taken in a timely manner.  This is a temporary "home" for paperwork; it is not for storage.

PROJECTS --  Create a mailbox for your office staff, manage info for a client's project, store details while planning a move or a party, and save notes for an organization's committee.

FILING SYSTEMS -- In limited space, filing systems can be created using several of these portable containers. Each holds a different category of files and is labeled on the end of box, ie: 2012 Income, Paid Bills, Investments, Medical Records. They fit nicely on a bookcase or on shelves in a closet. 

Other versions are available in acrylic, plastic, mesh, metal & cardboard. Buy online at Office Depot, Office Max and the Container Store.  In Honolulu, visit local stores: Simply Organized and Fisher Hawaii. NOTE: Organizing products don't usually come with instructions!

We'd love your feedback. Comment below!

     Keeping the Email Inbox uncluttered is one of the biggest challenges my clients face. They keep all of their email in the Inbox because they don’t want to forget to do things. But then, it gets out of hand because there’s just too much and it comes too fast! Here’s one method I teach to help them to organize and manage their email to get things done. At Island Organizers, we call it the Hot Action File method.

1)   Create a set of Action Folders with Action Labels. For example: To Call, To Reply, To Buy, To Attend, To Read, To Pay, Waiting for Reply (Hint: putting a “1” in front of each folder name will sort the folders together and at the top of your folder list – e.g. 1Waiting)

2)   Immediately delete unwanted email or spam

3)   As you review each item in your Inbox, put any appointments or events on your calendar. If you need to keep the email with the details, file it in the To Attend folder; otherwise, just delete it. Tickets or receipts for events go in To Attend also (they’ll never be lost again!)

4)   Put any bills into To Pay folder, Email subscriptions go into To Read. Discount Coupons or items to order go in To Buy. Anything requiring a call or response goes into To Call or To Reply.

5)   Orders waiting for items to arrive, email threads waiting for a response from others, keep those items in Waiting for Reply.

     Now you’re ready to work. Psychologists say that completing like-tasks together is much more efficient than hopping from one task to another. Open your To Call folder and make the calls. Open the To Reply folder and do all your replies at once. You’ll be surprised at how much you get done by doing similar tasks together!

     The Hot Action File method helps you to manage your email in smaller time slices, too. You can break up the process by setting aside time just to "Clear the Box."  Later, when you have a bit more time and are ready to tackle the To-do's, you don't have to deal with the Inbox, you can just go straight to your Calls folder or your Reply folder and get those done.

     Be sure to review each folder each day. Open the To Pay and Waiting folders to see what needs attention there. Once tasks have been completed, e.g. bills have been paid, decide whether you need to keep those emails in a Paid Bills folder otherwise, delete them. 

     As you’re working, more email will come in, try not to get distracted by them, finish your task at hand and then address the new arrivals. For more details on this method and how it also works for paperwork, check out our booklet, “Information Overload: from Piles to Actions to Results” at www.IslandOrganizers.com/resources.htm.

     I invite you to give our Hot Action Method a try, then come back and post a comment about how it worked (or didn't work) for you.

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What would you do if yours was lost or stolen?  According to the FBI, “a wallet or purse is the most concentrated place that your personal identification is stored and therefore is the most vulnerable asset that you have.” Read more.  

For most, this is a highly-stressful experience. Don't panic, it’s easier to deal with when you're prepared for any disaster. 

What's in your wallet?

There's cash, checks, driver's license, debit and credit cards, insurance and membership cards, and more. Photocopy front and back or scan all cards. Seniors, protect your identity shown on Medicare cards.

What's in your purse or briefcase? 

You probably have a checkbook, keys, glasses, cell or iPhone, iPod, laptop, flash drives.  Anything else?

To Do Now

• In a secure location, keep copies of the cards and papers you carry around with you daily, along with an up-to-date inventory and photos of all “valued” possessions in your office and home. 
• Keep a current list of credit cards, contact info, account numbers, pin numbers.
• Do NOT ever carry your social security card or number. Protect your identity!
• Label keys and tech tools with your business phone number and address (not home address).
• Back-up all data often. Replacing that valuable information is overwhelming!

If Loss Or Theft Does Happen

Report incident to Lost and Found, Police, DMV, your bank, insurance companies, credit reporting agencies, credit card companies and any other agencies.

Your city’s Police Department website can help.  

Declutter and organize your wallet, purse and briefcase regularly. What's in it?

Have you ever lost these possessions?  Did you do anything we didn't mention?  Please comment below.

by Karen Simon

        Ever wonder who the “smartie” was that said computers were the way to a paperless office? Does it seem that computers have created MORE paper in our lives than less? I say that it should be called "paper-LESS" not "paper- FREE." With a few simple steps, you can have less paper and free up space in your home or office!

In order to convert the paper into electronic documents, you need a scanner, a computer with scan software and a PDF (portable document format) creator program installed. If you have a multi-function printer, you already have the scanner and the scan software. Some scanners come with PDF software, too. Otherwise, there are free or low- cost programs that you can download and install onto your machine.

Scan and Store

Create the electronic version of your paper document by placing it in your scanner. Open the scan software on the computer and hit the scan button. Once scanning is complete, choose to save the document as a PDF and voila! You’ve just turned your paper document into an electronic version of it! (Note: These steps vary depending upon the software used.)

Realize that computers store documents just as we do in our file cabinets and folders. Before you start scanning all of your insurance policies, tax papers, receipts and everything else in sight, be sure to have a plan in place for how you'll RETRIEVE the documents when you need them!

Like any filing system, have folders with names and categories that make sense to you so you can find them later. Label scanned documents as you would if you were labeling a file folder. For example, if you were scanning insurance policies, create computer folders named: auto (or car) insurance, health (or medical) insurance, homeowners insurance, business insurance, etc. Then, when you scan a policy, name it “2007-2008 Auto Policy” and save it in the Auto Insurance folder. Later when you are looking for that document, simply open the Auto Insurance folder and the item is easily found. 

Before You Toss

When deciding which paperwork can be tossed or shredded after it has been scanned, be sure to verify with attorney, accountants, insurance agents, etc about what is safe to dispose. They may advise you that some originals must be kept. However, since they are now digital, they can easily be viewed on the computer. You can now store them somewhere outside of your immediate space. 

by Karen Simon, Island Organizers

     Every business goes through changes. From a financial perspective, knowing when it is appropriate to make changes and learning how to manage those changes can be key to whether the business thrives. Organizing your business' finances is not just about bank deposits and checkbooks, it’s beyond just Profit and Loss reports. 

     If you are a solopreneur or small business owner, you wear many hats when it comes to your business. Being able to "take the temperature of your business" when you're wearing each hat helps you to make key decisions.

     For example, when you're wearing your Marketing Hat you might ask, "Which one of my marketing efforts brings in the biggest bang for the buck? Which strategy is working and which one isn't?" Armed with the right financial report(s), you'll be able to answer these questions in a flash! You can then make decisions about whether to continue with a particular strategy, where it may need tweaking, or choose to do away with it completely.

     While wearing your Sales Manager Hat, can you tell which product or service sells best during a particular season? How do you know when to risk raising prices and which product or service could withstand the increase?

     Most small businesses set up their accounting software to track expenses and income from a tax perspective. Therefore, they can only get information from it that lets them see how much they make and spend. Setting it up to help analyze the business from various viewpoints enables you to make decisions that keep your business thriving and growing. It allows you to adapt to changing trends in your industry and keep your business successful!

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Want some How-To's?

Consider a webinar or session: Beyond Profit & Loss

More info at www.IslandOrganizers.com/speakingtraining.htm