Digging Out of Paper Clutter - Part 1
Digging out from under stacks of paper might seem like a daunting and insurmountable task. Let's face it, paper can be intimidating and overwhelming. And all of the chatter about a ?paperless society' is just that ? chatter. In fact, the fax machine, copier, home printer, daily mail delivery, and other paper wielding invaders, just about ensures that we are headed in the exact opposite direction.
Paper comes relentlessly and without warning, and it never stops coming - bills, insurance policies, faxes, to-do lists, invoices, tax information, user manuals, receipts, itineraries...Add the magazines, brochures, drafts, booklets, letters, drafts, etc., and it's easy to see how paper molehills quickly grow into paper mountains.
And, here's the worst part - somewhere in this ever-growing mound of chaos lies your business: important phone numbers, bills that have to be paid, clients that need attention, receivables that need collecting? Before I help you to dig out of the paper clutter, let me assure you of two things:
- You are not alone.
- There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
The first step is sorting, To sort, we'll need some containers (I use laundry baskets or milk crates, but any boxes will do). Label the containers accordingly:
- Take Action ? anything that requires you to do something within the next two weeks. Includes bills, appointments, meetings, etc.
- Read ? includes any paper, newsletter, announcement, magazine, etc. that might contain information you want to read. The secret here is to cut it out the article, and throw away the rest of the publication.
- 30 Days ? includes things that must be done within 30 days, but are not as critical as Take Action items which must be done within two weeks. Includes bills due, appointments, events, to-dos, etc.
- File ? These are archived items that require no action, but must be retained. Includes contracts, bank statements, receipts, warranties, product information, tax information, etc.
- Throw Away ? anything that is six months old and requires you to take no action.
Just glance at it, and quickly put it into the correct container. We will do a more specific sort later. For now, we are doing a general sort, and discarding trash. Of course, the biggest question is what to throw away. The simple answer is to throw away anything you don't need.
You need to ask yourself, "Do I really need this, and what is the worst thing that can happen if I throw this away?" I worked with one person who published a local, specialized newspaper. He wanted to keep one or two copies of each back issue, but when we sorted his paperwork, we found 40-50 copies of each. We also found records of events he was involved in years ago, wedding photos, some of his children's artwork, DVD rental receipts, last year's to-do lists, his son's birth certificate, the title to his SUV, etc. We also found owners manuals and receipts for items he no longer owned, stacks of bank statements from the 1980s, and so on. Remember, this is your workspace.
For you to be most efficient, effective and professional your paperwork has to be in order. By now, you've gone through each stack of paper. You sorted correctly, you have five containers or boxes of papers to be filed, and (most likely) a lot of discarded paper for recycling. Congratulations on your hard work and progress. Stay tuned, and I will discuss how to set up a filing system, and what to do with the papers you sorted.
Marc Rifkin is a Professional Organizer, and owner of OASIS professional organizers, which provides organizing solutions for homes and offices in Seattle, WA. oasisorganizers.cominfo@oasisorganizers.comBakery has gone to the dogs! Health Mutts bakes healthy, gourmet dog cookies.
Health Mutts specializes in baking healthy, gourmet dog cookies, and makes lovely gift baskets for dogs and their people.
Their wholesome dog treats are among the best on the market today.
Each one is hand rolled and hand cut.
With the health of your dog paramount, they contain only fresh ingredients, such as carrots, cheese and peanut butter. Salt, sugar, or preservatives are never used.
Health Mutts has four popular flavors:
Carrot Crunchers, Cheddar Cheesers, P-Nutters and Wheat Free Cheesers.
Dogs love these crunchy treats and their people have been tempted as well!Health Mutts also has beautiful gift baskets for every occasion and will design custom gift baskets.
What sets these great gifts apart from the competition, is that they contain treats and gifts for both dogs and their people.
For difficult times, Health Mutts offers a Pet Loss Sympathy Basket, which is designed to help loved ones cope with the loss...
Baskets > Bakery has gone to the dogs! Health Mutts bakes healthy, gourmet dog cookies.
Easter Scrapbooking Ideas
Easter is a great time to capture family photographs forscrapbooking. Even if you don't scrapbook, planning your picturetaking ahead of time ensures you won't miss any of these greatfamily memories. No family traditions? Then this is a greattime to start!Here are some Easter photograph ideas for scrapbooking:Photograph spring flowers in bloom. Daffodils and tulips willmake a colorful contrast to your other photographs.Have your kids help you make Easter cookies or an Easter cake. Snap a picture of them working in the kitchen and then make sureto take a picture of the finished product.
We made a layer cakeand arranged it on a thick piece of cardboard covered withaluminum foil. It was lemon cake with lemon filling and pinkfrosting. We decorated it with store-bought Easter candy. Around the base of the cake we arranged Easter grass and addedchocolate eggs and peeps for decoration. It made a greatpicture!Gingerbread houses aren't just for Christmas! Make a gingerbreadhouse and decorate...
Easter Scrapbooking Ideas
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Consider It Done - is Open for Business in Orange and L.A. County, California
(ContentDesk) June 9, 2005 -- Everyone in Los Angeles/Orange Counties will be delighted to hear that Consider It Done! Personal/Corporate Errand/Concierge Service is ready to give you the gift of more time to enjoy your own interests, family and friends while we are taking care of all of your errands for you. Sherri Durbin, owner and founder of Consider It Done! is the self-proclaimed Personal Errand Service Extraordinaire of La Habra, CA.Just a few of the wonderful, all encompassing services we offer our valued clients are: - Automobile Renewal/DMV - Mobile notary- House + carpet cleaning/window washing - Jewelry/Shoe Repair Drop off/Pick up - Banking (Deposits, Change, Statements) - Lunch/Dinner Delivery - Bill Paying- Buy/Deliver Flowers- Office/Home Organization - Car Services (car wash, oil change, repairs)- Party/Function Planning - Pay Traffic Citations - Courier/Messenger Services- Pet Sitting/House Sitting/People Sitting - Drop off forgotten homework, lunches, cupcakes, misc....
Consider It Done - is Open for Business in Orange and L.A. County, California
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How To Get The Most Out Of Your Trekking Poles
How to get the most out of your trekking poles is one of the biggest concerns while considering buying a new pair or using your existing trekking poles. To get most out of your trekking poles, you need to consider two things: First, various "types of trekking poles" to suit your preference, style, ease of use and of course budget! Second, to know about various features of your trekking poles and how to use them effectively to get most out of them!Before discussing the above mentioned points, let's see what exactly these trekking poles are. Trekking poles, hiking poles or hiking staff are much similar to ski poles. Trekking poles are nothing but balancing sticks used for balancing the weight distribution and shock over four limbs (2 legs and 2 hands), instead of two (2 legs). Those who are experienced hiker or trekker already know that while trekking our two legs are not enough to maintain good stability on the uncertain tracks and we need extra balancing support to offset the load on...
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Trekking Poles
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SendChocolates.com Celebrates Valentine?s Day with Sweet Gifts She?ll Remember
Princeton, NJ (ContentDesk) February 5, 2004--With the Holiday of Love quickly approaching and Cupid on his way, many are looking to the internet to find the perfect gift for that special someone. SendChocolates.com offers many sweet gift ideas, guaranteed to satisfy. Capturing all the latest trends in Valentine's Day gift-giving, SendChocolates.com presents a wide selection of chocolate products. "SendChocolates.com has a delicious and creative collection of chocolate gifts, "explains Ranjan Wijesinghe, CEO of Send.com, "And no matter what the relationship, we've got it covered. From simple and casual to sophisticated and romantic, shoppers can order gifts for parents, siblings, business clients, friends, and significant others at SendChocolates.com." Chocolate by the pound, gift baskets & boxes, sugar-free treats, truffles, platters, and molded designs, are a mere sampling of the gift ideas available from some of the world's leading cholatiers.
Shoppers can choose from French,...
SendChocolates.com Celebrates Valentine?s Day with Sweet Gifts She?ll Remember
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How to Boost Your Online Business by Interacting with Visitors?
Running an online business means depending on website visitors and online sales.
Online businesses usually try to replace every possible interaction among the seller and the buyer with automated functions. They try to provide customers with functionalities to search through products, change their attributes, inform themselves of features, add products to virtual shopping baskets and at the end ? automatically check out and pay.
The whole process is dependent upon the credibility of your company in your customers' eyes, their ability to find the desired product and make the purchase decision using the available information. According to this, the most important variable is your ability to anticipate their needs, provide the required information and reinforce credibility through the buying process.
Why not take things into your own hands?
Why not help your visitors and interact with them while buying and making decisions?
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Baby Shower Gifts
A baby shower is a party for the mother-to-be usually held a month or two her due date. It's a wonderful way for family and friends to congratulate the soon to be mommy and celebrate the imminent arrival of her baby.
Usually a family member or friend hosts the baby shower (this is a great gift in and of itself). The shower is held in someone's home or rented hall, and decorations are all baby related. Although the guest of honor may know about the shower, often times they are held as a "surprise".
An expectant mother usually registers for baby gifts she would like to receive either online or in local baby shops.
There is a wide variety of gifts available to suit every budget.
A wonderful gift that one could give is a baby book where mom can record the baby shower events, pictures, guests, gifts and thoughts about the day. Typical gifts range from useful to playful and include clothes, diapers, bath-time needs, strollers, high...
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Locating Flower Delivery Services in Los Angeles
Just a quick thumbing through the yellow pages or by browsing on Yellow Pages will give you a good idea of the number of florists in an area.
Los Angeles in no exception. It can be time consuming to locate a reputable florist in such a large city. You can always consider the amount of time they have been in business and some florists will even give referrals if you should ask.
One popular florist is Flowers Unique.
This company offers Los Angeles flower delivery and has a host of discounts and specials that can be found by calling or visiting their website. You can get information on their specials and the products they offer. You can also specify the date of delivery and any accessories to be included with the order. Flowers Unique specializes in funeral arrangements and offers imported flowers. You can also order balloons through this company.
The Flower Patch, a local Los Angeles flower delivery business, is also popular. They...
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Spectrum Direct Exhibits at e-Com Xpo
Mission Viejo, CA (ContentDesk) April 3, 2006 -- Spectrum Direct, parent company for the www.AmericanLifeDirect.com website will be sponsoring a booth at the original virtual trade show for Internet marketers, e-Com Xpo (www.ecomexpo.com) April 4th through the 6th. We wanted to kick off our second quarter in a big way ...
Spectrum Direct Exhibits at e-Com Xpo insurance Baskets
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Michael Walas Former President of Sisley-Paris Cosmetics USA Joins Juviderm
San Francisco, CA (ContentDesk) November 7, 2004 -- Kosmedix, Inc. announced today that Michael Walas has joined their company as the National Sales Manager for the Juviderm skin care collection.????Most recently Walas was the president and CEO of Sisley-Paris Cosmetics USA working with prestigious accounts including: Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Canyon Ranch, and The Cosbar. Prior to working for Sisley, Walas was a senior-level buyer for fourteen years with Neiman Marcus....
Michael Walas Former President of Sisley-Paris Cosmetics USA Joins Juviderm Baskets
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