Our In-Person Events at the UVillage Microsoft Store

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June 28, 2012

For the past few months, we’ve been hosting a series of events at the University Village Microsoft store. Intended to help busy executives, our series teaches how to improve email management, how to use Outlook more efficiently, and how to implement virtual notebooks for project management. Our most recent event was this week, discussing “Virtual Notebooks: How to Use OneNote to Manage Projects and Tasks Efficiently.” Elizabeth Bowman helped introduce everyone to virtual notebooks, as well as their various benefits and applications. Attendees learned how to set up a virtual notebook, how to use different tools within OneNote, how to access them on any device at any time, and how to use them collaboratively within a team. The event is incredibly informative and helpful—not to mention free! Plus you get to meet some of the Innovatively Organize team and ask the organizers any questions you have. If you missed our previous events, check our Events page to find upcoming topics and dates that work for you!

View more photos from our last event on Facebook!

How to Use Outlook 2010 Auto Archive Settings

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April 14, 2012

As productivity consultants, we help our clients clear digital clutter from their email programs often. One of the quick things you can automate to clear your older emails is turning on the archive settings. One of our recommended partners, APEX NW Technology, put together a fabulous video guide with tips for how to use Outlook 2010’s Auto Archive feature. Check out this informative and helpful how-to video so you can start using Auto Archive for your email organizing efforts.

How to Choose a Better Password

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Ask the Organizers, Electronic Organizing, Email Organizing, Media, Mobile and On-the-Go / by Innovatively Organized

April 6, 2012

Most of us know that we need to pick a password that is harder to predict than password or abc123, but how do you choose a password that is both hard to predict yet easy to remember?

We don’t know about you, but our team of Productivity Consultants at Innovatively Organized got into a conversation recently where we realized that we all have a hard time remembering complicated random passwords. Plus, do you really want to type out G&6d4*V#f2z every day to check your email?

An easy trick to improve your passwords is to replace words with random characters like this: Ch@ract3r$.

But let’s do the math: that’s only 10 characters, it’s a common dictionary word, and since we can probably assume that hackers have heard of this trick, it’s possible they’ve written algorithms complex enough to eventually guess this password. And, you’d still have to remember which “a” was substituted with “@.”

Here’s what we suggest:
• String random words together
• Capital the first letter of each word
• Add some numbers (beginning, middle, or end)
• The longer the better, with a variety of numbers, letters, and symbols

Some examples to get you started:
• MyDogEats42?Slugs
• Chased!By86MaroonStaplers

Or try the multiple word method:
• Use a longer phrase that is easy to remember (like a song, poem, or quote)
• Use the first letter from each word to string into a password.

Example: Using the song “I’m A Little Tea Pot Short and Stout. Here Is My Handle, Here Is My Spout.” Creates: IALTPSASHIMHHIMS.

Hard to guess but easy to remember!

Business Spring Cleaning Checklist

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Checklist, Clutter, Electronic Organizing, Email Organizing, Office Organizing, Paper Management / by Innovatively Organized

March 30, 2012

Most people associate spring cleaning with homes, but businesses can also benefit from tidying up. Got any piles of paper that could be filed? Are your digital files hard to navigate? Any old marketing pamphlets laying around with outdated information?

Get a jump start on organizing now with our Business Spring Cleaning Checklist!

Elizabeth Bowman Discusses Home Office Organization on KIRO 97.3!

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January 30, 2012

Elizabeth Bowman, President of Innovatively Organized, recently spoke with Pete and Rob of HomeMatters on KIRO 97.3 radio. They spent the morning discussing tips for keeping your home office organized, an often busy and overwhelmed space. Elizabeth explained how to create a work flow for your piles of paper, how to use an action folder, how to keep clutter clear, and how to organize email inboxes.

You can listen to the podcast version of her morning with Pete and Rob here! A list of her tips shared on the show are also available online here.

Innovatively Organized Featured in New Microsoft Showcase Videos!

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December 21, 2011

Innovatively Organized is featured in two new videos for Microsoft Showcase, the place for all Microsoft media! As organizing and productivity experts, we recommend to certain clients tools like Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Exchange, and Microsoft OneNote. In these videos, President Elizabeth Bowman explains why these tools help some of our clients organize their time more efficiently or work more productively. Check out the videos to learn more!

Get Organized By Using Microsoft Outlook and Exchange

Organize Your Small Business with Microsoft OneNote

Innovative Idea: How to Empty Your Email Inbox in 4 Easy Steps

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December 11, 2011

Are you overwhelmed with the number of emails you receive each day? Is your email inbox now serving as a holding place for all the messages you’ve received this year? Well, there is a better way to handle email and ensure you have an empty inbox each day. Here are four easy steps from productivity expert, Elizabeth Bowman.

1. Remove yourself from mailing lists you don’t need
Be very choosy and start clicking the unsubscribe button at the bottom of emails you receive. If you aren’t finding time to read the messages and they are becoming clutter in your inbox, go ahead and get yourself off the mailing list.

2. Follow the Two Minute Rule and sort emails quickly
The two minute rule is something we use often to help make quick decisions with emails. Here’s what you should do: each time a new email arrives in your inbox, ask yourself “Can I respond to this in two minutes or less?” If so, then respond right away! Don’t click or open another message just to read it. Be diligent and respond to the message you have open quickly before moving on.

3. Create a folder for End of Day and End of Week emails
For email messages you receive that take more concentration to answer or you need to find out more information before responding, move then into a folder labeled “End of Day” of “End of Week.” Using these folders will help you prioritize email messages as they arrive but also ensure that you have a timeline for responding.

4. Move appointments and tasks from emails to your calendar
For many of us, an email that arrives really means that a new task has arrived to our inbox and requires our time to tackle it. When this happens, don’t fret but just go ahead and move the email text directly to your calendar and schedule time to complete the task it has assigned to you. You may also want to add the task to your to-do list.

Product Spotlight: Zoho CRM

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Electronic Organizing, Email Organizing, Office Organizing, Product Spotlight, Tools and Apps / by Innovatively Organized

September 4, 2011

Description:

Zoho CRM is a great, affordable Customer Relationship Management software that allows you to follow the complete client-relationship lifecycle in one place. Zoho CRM is customizable for your business, allowing you to add what you specifically need to keep on top of all your customer relationships. Need to add an extra section on your homepage to track referrals from tradeshows? No problem! Need a quick way to email your staff new tasks you have assigned them? Easy! You can also integrate Zoho CRM with Gmail, Google Docs, Google Apps, Quickbooks, Microsoft Outlook and Office, and various other applications.

You’ll love it for:

Tracking leads, opportunities, and contacts
Sales forecasting
Managing inventory
Sharing information with colleagues
Workflow management
Linking with your email program

Cost: Free for 3 users, pricing plans start at $12/month

Available at: Zoho

Being Organized Also Means Good Ergonomics

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March 4, 2011

Repetitive strain injuries are on the rise with the amount of time we spend in front of computers and using mobile devices. Regardless of what your desk looks like or what type of machine you’re using, there are some universal rules to follow:

Follow the “20/20 rule” - every twenty minutes, look twenty feet away for twenty seconds.
Have sufficient lighting to prevent eye strain.
Reduce clutter. Ensure you have sufficient space on your desk to work and you are not suffering from overcrowding.
Keep the things you use frequently near you, to prevent over reaching.
Have the proper chair to support your lower back and keep your knees at a right angle.
Position the keyboard at or below your elbows.

Remember that a well-organized space can positively attribute to proper ergonomic set-up! Learn more about what you can do for your desk and office.

Shared Access to Google Gmail Means Easier Delegation

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January 13, 2011

Google has recently introduced a feature which allows you to delegate access to your Gmail to another person so they can read, send, and delete messages on your behalf. This means that you can share e-mail with your assistant, partner or even a coworker who can respond to emails for you. Those people will not be able to change any of your account settings and any message sent from your account by another person will have their name identified as the “Delegate.”