So many people ask, “Really, what do you for business owners?”
Here’s a great video where I share what I do. Thanks to Michael Catlow and 15 Minutes of Fame for asking me to participate!
If this wowed you, please share your insights!
And if YOU are finally ready to start getting stuff done, here’s the fastest, most efficient way to do it: Out of Overwhelm
I had a wonderful experience regarding organization as a leadership skill recently.
Here’s how it went down…
When a successful guy like Andy Dinkin speaks, people listen.
During an early morning networking event, Mr. Andy Dinkin and I were standing around talking with a guy who was saying, “I live in a world of chaos. It’s catalogs and papers and stuff. I just don’t have time to get organized.”
Andy looked directly at him and very calmly said, “I think my ability to be organized is one of my greatest business leadership strengths.”
There you have it – straight from the horse’s mouth. Andy is no regular business guy. His accomplishments are impressive:
And he believes being organized is crucial for business success.
If you won’t believe me about the importance of getting it together, believe Andy.
Believe it so much that you embrace being organized as one of your leadership and business secret weapons! I’m here to show you how with one day of powerful insights and strategies: Out of Overwhelm Once and For All
Sincerely,
Angie
P.S. Getting organized pays off in spades for your business. And it so isn’t about perfect labels, perfect filing and a clean desk. It starts in your head with how you think about time. It’s how information flows in and out of your life. It’s about your ability to be a decision-maker and leader in your business. Out of Overwhelm Once and For All
P.S.S. Don’t forget – I’m offering special pricing for February ONLY. Making quick decisions for success pays off BIG with me.
Part of the work I love doing with clients is finding alternative uses for products they already have that solve a real problem they’re currently dealing with.
This time I got to solve a problem for myself using a product I got from Carolina Pad.
It’s an attache-type file holder that’s really supposed to be used for papers. But I wasn’t having issues with papers. I was having an issue with random “things” floating around in my work bag.
So, I re-purposed the file holder and turned it into a “stuff” holder. Check it out:
The result? I show up looking really organized, having all the items I need for client work, and completely eliminate any stress I might have over “forgetting” important items.
I was working with a client, a construction contractor, to help him get a handle on his disorganization. He described one particular area that was stressing him out. I had the perfect solution for him!
Rather than “tell the story” here, I made a quick video.
His result? More tax deductions, better invoicing and billing clients, more accurate auditing job costs, and significantly less stress! Cool, huh?
Sincerely,
Angie
P.S. Starting in February, my pro organizing associate Gail and I aim to help many more small business owners discover how easy it is to have an organized office, free of piles, and a pleasure to work in. Details coming soon!
Studio C by Carolina Dark Sahara Collection File Jacket
As you approach the end of the year, do you have a plan to get ready for taxes?
Can you easily locate your tax-deductible receipts?
Where will you put your IRS notices and tax planning packet?
How about those W-2′s, 1099′s and other forms?
One of the things my clients love is a system I created to help them get ready for tax time. It isn’t a herculean task because it’s something they (or their assistants) keep up with regularly throughout the year.
There are certain steps involved and certain office supplies that help the process tremendously. Some of the tools include:
With just those simple tools, you can quickly and easily have everything together for tax time, make space for the upcoming year’s files and if you’re really ambitious, eliminate paper files completely.
This is a great example of how my team at Your Organized Guide can help you quickly and easily systematize that portion of your business and get organized at the same time.
Systems and organization, baby. You know you want them!
Sincerely,
Angie
P.S. Don’t forget about my upcoming programs starting in January. You’ll save time, find clients, make more money, and quit worrying if things are actually getting done.
Studio C by Carolina Pad Simply Chic collection Flip-top Notebook
I’m just going to lay out it out there – it sucks being left-handed in a right-handed world.
If you’re not right then you’re wrong, right?
It’s nearly impossible to use right-handed scissors with your left hand and good luck finding left-handed scissors – especially if you’re in kindergarten and there are three left-handed kids in the class. (But hey, I’m not bitter. Nooooo…)
Add to that the fact that many knives and other kitchen gadgets don’t work as well using your left-hand and that softball mitts, oven mitts, and guitars – all made for right-handed people.
And when you’re writing? Jeesh.
It really is all about the details.
Sincerely,
Angie
P.S. Don’t forget about my upcoming programs starting in January. Paying attention to the details in your life – and your business – matters!
There’s a local bank here in town that touts itself as a champion and friend of small business. They go out of their way to serve the small business community.
In fact, they even let small businesses use their conference rooms for free (as long as no one at the bank needs them).
Who decided this?
The bank’s president.
He has made this offer to several small business owners, who in turn have told several other small business owners. And so it goes. Now many small business owners know they can call and reserve a room at the bank.
Great, huh? What a welcoming place!
And it is – except when it’s not.
A couple of weeks ago, I called the room reservation guy to make arrangements to use their smallest conference room. “A-OK,” said Preston.”You’re good to go for Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm.”
My client and I arrive, walk upstairs to the assigned room – and see three other people in the conference room. They’ve got papers spread out everywhere.
I head to the nearest associate’s desk and tell her I’m looking for Preston. I explain I had a reservation and that someone is already using the room and I didn’t want to interrupt them or her. I simply wanted to ask Preston if another room might be available.
Nice as pie, I am.
This bank associate huffs, rolls her eyes, and marches over to computer saying, “Preston is in another building. Let me check the reservation calendar. Oh, wait – there’s nothing here with your name on it.”
“Alright,” I say. “Is there another small room we can use? Maybe this room right behind us? It’s empty now and Preston has had me use it in the past.”
The bank associate looks right at me and says to me with a tone bordering on contempt, “You know, we’re not a conference center, Miss.”
And the thing is, I get that. And I hadn’t asked her to help me – all I initially asked for was help locating Preston. I know his job is reserving the rooms. He’s done it for me a dozen times in the past three months and was always pleasant and helpful.
And now I was being treated like a very unwanted interruption. Like a pain in the rear.
As my client and I stood feeling uncomfortable in front of this associate’s desk, I made a decision right then and there to never step foot in that bank again. And that bank’s president’s goodwill? Right out the window.
The moral of this story? The bank’s team was sending me very, very mixed messages and it did not make me feel good. In fact, this one associate made me feel very, very unwanted there.
Studio C by Carolina Pad Park Avenue Laptop Tote
Sometimes being organized is really simple.
“How so?” you ask.
It comes down to the tools you have and how you use them.
Office supplies are tools – and Carolina Pad offers some really quality tools to help get organized.
One tool I particularly like is the laptop tote I reviewed in this video. It’s fun and functional, kicky and stylish, and really well
made.
Metal buckles and accents, heavy duty stitching, a thick shoulder strap, comfortable handles, abundant pockets, and heavy-duty
zippers make this a useful and quality product.
But having all those great features doesn’t mean anything unless you know how you to use the tool to your advantage. So, what are the benefits to using a laptop case like this?
Where you able to come up with as many reasons as I did to carry this laptop tote? No?
It’s my job to come up with creative organizing solutions and uses for things. It’s also my job to list out details, steps, procedures, and out-of-the-box ideas for how things can work.
P.S. Don’t forget to watch the video about the laptop tote . And you can order the product at the Carolina Pad Store Online!
Until this year, I thought I was in the organizing business.
You know – file folders, goofy “How-To” videos, eliminating piles, teaching time management, creating flow charts and documenting processes.
And then the Universe upped the stakes – and I upped my view of the game.
It started innocently enough over lunch…
“So, Jeffery, you’re the sole owner of your company? Who has access to your [bank accounts, keys, passwords, etc]?”
Jeffery got quiet and thoughtful and said, “Well – no one does except me.”
A few more questions from me followed.
We finished our lunch and went our separate ways. When we would see each other at networking events, Jeffery would say, “I really enjoyed our lunch and your questions have gotten me thinking!”
Finally, Jeffery reached out and said he was ready to work together. “I need systems, Angie. My people need to know how to do things, to know where to find things.”
And so we started work on his systems. We included his team. We documented processes, passwords, and other crucial information to run the business.
We made great headway, but we didn’t finish.
This summer, Jeffery was diagnosed with cancer. Hospitalizations, scans, and surgery followed.
And one of the blessings is his business kept running. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.
I’m happy to report that Jeffery is now cancer free. He and his business are thriving. We continue to work on his systems as his business grows and as he delegates more effectively to his team.
When a similar scenario happened again recently with another client, I realized the Universe was showing me that my business isn’t a “game” at all – sometimes it’s really a matter of life and death.
Is your business prepared in the case of life and death? If not, now is the time. And I’ll be honored to help.
Carolina Pad - Striped Green File Folders
I know it and Carolina Pad knows it – beige is boring. And uninspiring. Really, really uninspiring.
Most of the standard beige file folders last a long time – but they don’t look great doing it.
You know how it is – you use a file folder for awhile and the corners start fraying. You put a label on the tab. As the weeks and months wear on, so do the corners of file folder. You set your coffee cup on top of it and *poof* additional decoration that doesn’t look so good. At some point, you jot notes on the inside cover or tape a business card in there.
Let’s be real – all of these actions do not lend themselves to re-use of the beat up beige folder.
Thankfully, Carolina Pad knows there’s a better way. They’ve created file folders that are gorgeous. They’ve turn boring beige on its head and created something fun and functional.
Some of the great details of their file folders include:
I did a quick video review to show you what I’m talking about. Click here to watch.
If you’re ready to purchase, visit Carolina Pad for options!
