Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: SMEAD Poly Translucent Slash Jackets

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Paper Management / by Innovatively Organized

December 5, 2012

Description: SMEAD Poly Translucent Slash Jackets (No: 89505)

You’ll love them for:
• Storing meeting agendas or paper that needs to be easily accessible
• Their pockets on both sides for twice the storage space
• Its availability in two color options: clear and assorted (blue, green, red, yellow and clear)

Just keep in mind:
• This product doesn’t have tabs on it, so they don’t serve well as dividers
• They’re not available (at least we couldn’t find it) in a single tab position

Available at: Find nearby dealers on Smead.com

Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: SMEAD Viewables Filing System

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Files and Labels, Mail and Bills, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Product Spotlight, Time Management and Productivity / by Innovatively Organized

May 30, 2012

Here’s a video we wanted to share that demonstrates how the SMEAD Viewables Filing System works, since it’s one of our favorite products! We love that these tabs are readable from not just the front, but also the back and top views. Plus, labels can be customized by color and font, which helps you create a more organized paper management system. Find your local dealer at Smead.com.

Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: Mesh Inboxes

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Bags and Bins, Business Organizing, Files and Labels, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Product Spotlight / by Innovatively Organized

May 29, 2012

Description:
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: we love these silver mesh filing products! This inbox is great for the surface of your desk. Whether you have just one or you stack a few, it will give quick access to important documents.

Abilities:

Creates incoming and outgoing paper flow
Stackable
Papers lay flat, so they do not distort
Can add labels

Great for: Anyone who needs to create paper flow, a mail center, or inbox system within an existing space but wants it to look nice for a very reasonable price. Anyone can use these, they’re very versatile!

Available at: our Amazon store

Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: SMEAD FastTab Hanging Folders

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Ask the Organizers, Business Organizing, Files and Labels, Paper Management, Product Spotlight / by Innovatively Organized

May 28, 2012

Description: SMEAD FastTab Hanging Folders (No: 64082)

You’ll love it for:

No longer requiring plastic tabs.
Its larger tabs (they’re larger than plastic tabs, which is good for people with vision trouble).
Its 10% recycled content.
Its availability in either a single position (right) or assorted positions.
Creating a fairly simple file structure.

Just keep in mind:

If you ever want to change what the label says, you can’t just take the plastic tab off and reuse the folder. You’re stuck with what you have labeled it.
Although it is available in both single position and assorted positions, we like the customizability of standard plastic tab labels.

Available at: Find nearby dealers on Smead.com

Improve Paper Management by Printing to PDF

this entry has 0 Comments/ in App of the Week, Electronic Organizing, Innovative Idea, Media, Paper Management, Time Management and Productivity / by Innovatively Organized

May 23, 2012

As a small business owner, how much paper and printer ink do you go through in a month? Here’s a suggestion that could help you save money by using less paper and less ink. As an alternative to printing your documents on paper, print to PDF. Printing to PDF creates a PDF of your documents which you can file electronically and easily access and share later. A few options you can use to print to PDF are PrimoPDF, doPDF and CutePDF Writer. If you have to print a web page, try PrintFriendly, which removes ads, navigation, and web page junk, so you save paper and ink when you print. Plus, you save time by not having to navigate around the extra clutter in the document!

Before and After of the Week: Making an “Inviting” Workspace

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Before and After of the Week, Business Organizing, Innovatively Organized, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Seattle / by Innovatively Organized

May 7, 2012

Service: Home Office Organizing

Challenge:
Our client did not feel like she had enough space at her desk, so she dreaded working from her home office. The space was not conducive for working and she needed something tailored to her style and personality.

Solution:
With a splash of color on the walls and new shelving units to put clutter out of sight, we were able transform her desk into a tidy surface.

Result:
With a much more inviting space, our client now loves working from her home office!

View more Before and After photos on our Facebook Fan Page!

Staying Productive When Wearing Multiple Hats

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Mobile and On-the-Go, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Time Management and Productivity, Tools and Apps / by Innovatively Organized

May 2, 2012

As a small business owner, are you constantly in a balancing act juggling activities, tasks, and events each day? Do you ever get to the end of your day and wonder where the time went? Having good time management skills will not only lower your stress level, but also allow you to efficiently and effectively accomplish the tasks associated with the multiple hats you wear as a small business owner.

Here are 8 ways to make sure you make the most of your precious time:

Start your day by spending 15 minutes planning your to-do list. A to-do list serves as a reference that allows you to stay on task, so you spend more time getting things done instead of trying to recall what you need to do.
Organize your business cards and make it easy to reach out and follow-up with your contacts. Implement a CRM tool if you do not have one yet and it will be even easier to keep track of important details and reminders connected to your contacts.
Follow the “2 minute rule.” If you have a task that can be accomplished in 2 minutes or less (like answering an email or paying a bill), do it right away, rather than put it off for later.
Create an efficient workspace to ensure you can find what you need, when you need it. If items you use often are within easy reach, it will cut down on the time you spend walking back and forth to retrieve supplies.
Schedule blocks of time to return phone calls, read and respond to emails, and be available to your employees. Investing the time to respond and interact allows you to be proactive with your time, rather than reactive and constantly interrupted.
Make the most of apps. Think about a challenge or situation that leads to a loss of your productive time. If you spend a great deal of your time on the road, consider a traffic app that will help you avoid back-ups and delays. Does trying to remember passwords take up your time? Use a password manager app. With a little research you’ll find, “there’s an app for that.”
Manage your social media efficiently by using apps like Hootsuite or Tweetdeck to provide an easy dashboard-like view of your social media conversations throughout the day. Tools like these enable quick management of your various accounts from a single source. You will be amazed by how much time you save now that you won’t have to log into six different sites each day to see your messages, news, etc.
When possible, delegate tasks or responsibilities that someone else can handle. We can’t always do it all ourselves, so when you need to, ask for assistance.

Elizabeth’s Favorite Things: Portable Silver Mesh Filing Box

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Bags and Bins, Business Organizing, Files and Labels, Office Organizing, Paper Management, Product Spotlight / by Innovatively Organized

May 1, 2012

Description:
We love these silver mesh filing boxes! Not only are they stackable, but you can also add wheels and a cover. They keep your files organized and portable, should you need to rearrange your office or workspace.

Great for:

Making your files portable or easily moved around
Stacking file boxes to optimize vertical space
Creating an action file for your desktop

Available at: our Amazon store

How to Create a Mobile Desk in Your Car

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Business Organizing, Mobile and On-the-Go, Paper Management, Product Spotlight, Tools and Apps, Travel / by Innovatively Organized

April 25, 2012

Are you one of the thousands of people that is part of the mobile workforce, spending more time in your car than in your office? Are you constantly driving between locations for your job? While sitting in traffic, have you searched for pens and paper to take notes on a new idea? Have you ever needed to capture important information during a phone call on-the-go?

If you want to stay productive from your car to help you function professionally, check out this Auto Express Desk. This product sits next to you on your front passenger seat and can store and organize all of your professional needs while on-the-go, creating an office and desk right inside your car. It is lightweight and comes with handles, so you can carry it into your office. There are compartments for storing your files, office supplies, and laptop. There is a flat surface for writing, as well as a hinged top which opens for additional storage.

You’ll love it for:
• Mobile working while on-the-go
• Storing business items while driving
• Bringing materials for a presentation
• Saving space in your car

Available at: Our Amazon store

It’s National Organize Your Files Week!

this entry has 0 Comments/ in Files and Labels, Paper Management / by Innovatively Organized

April 24, 2012

This week celebrates National Organize Your Files Week, taking place April 23rd through the 27th. We all know if we took a look inside our filing systems that we could find room for improvement, some more than others! So here are some tips for improving your paper file organization this week. Spend just 15 minutes each day to organize one aspect of your paper files:

- Sort through your inbox and tackle actionable items
- Create an Action File
- Purge your file drawers and clear out past projects
- Make sure your file labels are all up-to-date
- Set a schedule for filing maintenance in the future and add it to your calendar

Take advantage of this week and finally gain some control over those files! For more information on how to create an action file, download our Paper Management webinar recording for a step-by-step guide.