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.

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:

• Banker boxes
• File jackets (like this one from Carolina Pad)
• A blank set of file folders
• Sharpies or a label maker
• Accordion file jackets
• Shredder
• Scanner

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.

• Individuals in Business: Get organized, out of overwhelm and back in control of your calendar, email, and To Do list. Focus on the Right Work Group Program

• Small Business Owners: Get organized, increase revenue, and really serve your clients well by documenting those all-important five essential business systems. These are what make your business WORK! Five Essential Business Systems – A Primer for Business Owners

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.

• Most desks are made for right-handed people
• Most pens smear when a lefty uses them
• Most notebook spines and binder rings really interfere with penmanship and make writing very uncomfortable

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!

• For Individuals in Business: Discover how small steps lead to great organization! I’ll show you how. Focus on the Right Work Group Program

• For Small Business Owners: Stop re-inventing the wheel. Never lose a prospect’s information again. Make tax time easier. Share information between team members much more easily and efficiently. Five Essential Business Systems – A Primer for Business Owners

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?

• Protect your laptop and/or your tablet
• Make a great impression carrying it (again, because it’s stylish)
• Show your individuality (Do you know anyone who carries a purple and grey laptop case?)
• You won’t forget your laptop and/or tablet
• Look organized because this tote is sleek and clean
• With the available pockets, never show up without your cord, attachments, or accessories for a presentation — there’s room forit all in this tote
• Use this sleek bag to carry projects, research, or reports
• Fill it with books for vacation – don’t forget the notepad, pens,and highlighters, too.

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!

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.

Your Organized Guide Solutions Session

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:

• Colors – lots of colors and patterns to choose from
• A durable plastic coating that stands up well to daily use
• Tabs that are easy to label but won’t fall apart when you’re ready for a change
• If you’re re-using, you have the option of turning the file inside out for a different look – they’re reversible, so it’s like getting two folders in one!

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!

The phone call or email goes something like this:

“Angie, my disorganization is stressing me OUT. I can’t get a handle on my inbox. My piles are overwhelming. I can’t find stuff and things are slipping between the cracks. I know X and Y are not getting done.”

The underlying issue is deeper than being disorganized. The real message is: you are afraid.

Afraid of missing out – on opportunities, clients, revenue, or information.

• You’re afraid you’re going to mess up
• Miss something important
• Disappoint a client
• Lose something truly important

The interesting thing is you are already doing those things. Some you’re conscious of, some you’re not. It’s impossible to really quantify how many times a day it happens.

This is where the fear starts.

The other interesting thing is the amount of TIME you spend worrying and being afraid without actually taking action to manage and change it.

This is where the fear takes over.

One of my most successful clients, Tom, is crystal clear on what it takes for him to be successful. He has a formula – eight meetings a week turns into eight clients a month.

This is his singular focus. If he feels fear about any part of that process, he acknowledges it, adjusts what he’s doing, and gets back to work. Eight meetings a week turns into eight clients a month.

“How does this work?” you ask. Tom’s schedule and systems are set up to maximize this singular focus. Sure, he makes time throughout his week to work on each of his Five Essential Business Systems, but this one piece is the most important. And all of his systems support that focus.

Are you that singularly focused? No? Then I would wager that your fear is keeping you fuzzy, unfocused, and stuck.

And it doesn’t have to be that way!

Seth Godin, an author I follow and learn from with a nearly religious zeal, is releasing an ebook through his Domino Project called The Flinch. It addresses this subject of fear head-on. For a short time, the Kindle version is free through Amazon. I strongly recommend you get it:

The Flinch

It’s when the number of incoming messages in your inbox grows and grows and grows – just like kudzu (And if you don’t know what kudzu is – well, it’s an invasive vine that grows like a foot a DAY. Kudzu just overtakes everything and strangles the life out of anything it covers).

Kind of like email.

“Enough!” you shout (inside and quietly, so that you don’t scare employees, co-workers or your spouse).

It’s time to wrestle back control of your email!

In a fit of frustration, you decide to tackle it early one morning, when it’s quiet, before the workday starts and before people begin interrupting you with fires, their problems, or other seemingly urgent matters.

Maybe you decide to work late into the night to get it handled. Or (horrors!) you spend an entire Saturday reading, responding, sorting, and filing.

Now…hit the repeat button, right? How often do you go through this exercise? It might be two weeks later. It might be two months later. But it happens, doesn’t it? Again and again…

You betcha!

And how’s that working for you?

Not so good, huh? So what’s a busy professional supposed to do?

First – enough with the over-emphasis on the importance of email. Email is a simply a communication tool. And there are other tools available!

Try the phone – it’s WAY faster and efficient in most cases. Next, go for brevity yourself if you need to respond. Third, have a system for getting those emails OUT of your inbox and into a task, reminder, or To Do process. Finally, DELETE DELETE DELETE DELETE.

Oh, I’m sorry – were you about to take on someone else’s problem?

DELETE.

This goes back to the conversation we had Monday about priorities and boundaries. They work marvelously for email as well.

Just like kudzu, you must control your email or it WILL overtake your life, your sanity and your sense of humor. If you’re not sure how to tame that email beast, I can definitely help you with that…

Your Organized Guide Solutions Session