Get Organized!

I asked Chris Hall of Bluegrass Go2Girl to share some organizational tips for your office.  She is the queen of helping people de-clutter, create a system and stay organized.  Here's the great advice she had to offer:

There has been quite the clamor this first month of 2012 of customers looking to get organized. They are specifically looking to get their office/work space streamlined. These clients understand the importance of getting on “top” of their clutter at the beginning of the New Year. This one task will help them with productivity and stress reduction for the entire year.

The first step and probably the most important one is to get everything OUT of the office space that is not necessary to your daily work tasks. This can often be problematic due to space constraints. Lack of space is quite often the reason for the clutter to begin with. If lack of square footage is your problem it becomes even more important to have a clean, orderly system to work from. Once you determine what needs to be out of your office separating into shred, toss and store piles is the next step. Containers for your “store pile” are often determined by where the information is being stored. I am and have always been a huge fan of the banker box. They are inexpensive easily stacked and labeled. However if moister is potentially an issue you may want to consider plastic containers which you can find at most office supply and discount stores.

Once you have cleared your work space out the next step is to create a system to help you maintain a clean space. Each business is different as far as what information they need to keep for their own daily operational functions and tax purposes. I like to keep it as simple as possible for referencing and for end of the year collection. This is where color coding can be helpful. In my business the personal and business information never co-mingle but if space is of a premium different colored hanging file folders help to separate business from personal. For further simplicity I have sub-folders within my hanging folders, i.e. expenses hanging file folder, sub-folders gas, meals, printing etc. If the system is set up at the beginning of the year it makes it simple to follow and nearly effortless at the end of the year. If your business does a lot of credit card sales you may need 12 folders for each month so it is easy to reference a receipt and again a much easier process at the end of the year.

The biggest problem most people have is not having a plan for success. If you can implement a system now at the beginning of the year and take ownership you will be amazed at the lack of clutter and the inevitable end of the year scramble to put together your information for tax purposes. You and your CPA will be grateful for the early planning to streamline your business and your life.

Chris Hall can be reached through http://bluegrassgo2girl.com/default.htm or by phone at 859.230.2298

A tisket, a tasket...

..I’m obsessed with baskets!  As a child my mom called me “the bag lady”.  I collected purses and totes and even grocery bags.  I would stash them in my closet and every bag would have at least one thing in it.  While I am less of a pack-rat today, I still love great storage!  Baskets and bins are my favorites when it comes to office and home organization.  I use them to hold magazines on my bookshelf, spare blankets near the sofa, and extra knick knacks in the office. Here are a few of my favorite pieces right now:

Wire Baskets, Ballard Designs

A little rustic in feel and very functional!  Mount as many as you would like to the wall to keep clutter off your desktop.  Another great use is a mudroom.  Children’s folders or homework can be neatly stowed until the next school day.

Napa Valley CD Crates

The fact that these are now considered vintage is disturbing to me.  Nevertheless, they make great catch-alls for a bookcase. 

Fabric Lined Baskets

These baskets can serve as a collection bin for spare hangers.  Just place on top of the dryer and you will always have hangers awaiting your fresh clothes.  For bathrooms short on storage, place one of these on the floor to house extra toilet paper rolls.  It will add a bit of fancy flair to your restroom. 

Whether wood, metal or woven, baskets are our friend when it comes to de-cluttering a space.  If you are looking for a deal on your baskets, check out your local Home Goods store. 

Happy basket shopping!

February Guest Blogger: Chris Hall, Organizational Maven

 Enjoy this great piece on organization, by Chris Hall:

"Liz asked me to talk about organization for her February BlogSpot. It is a bit funny because if you asked my mother she would tell you I have not always been neat or organized. During my teenage years she would just close the door to my room. Being organized is truly a skill I have obtained over the years. Is there a difference between being neat and being organized and if so what does it cost you NOT to be organized?

Most people can pull off being neat but being organized is a different animal all together. Admittedly at this point in my life I would consider myself to be fairly OCD but find this “skill”/affliction to be reassuring not to mention time and money saving for my clients and myself. I plan ahead and I know where everything is, saving both time and money. How much time and money does it cost you to not be organized? Most people would be shocked if they sat down and added up the amount of time and money that is lost per year in not being organized. Remember when you couldn’t find your car keys? How about the time you needed to reference a bill or receipt but couldn’t find it? Where did the scotch tape go?

Being organized is about systems and routine. I know it is not sexy or spontaneous but it saves running around in circles. When I talk to clients about the space we are organizing I like to ask questions that pertain to them in particular. How do you use this space? How do you want to use this space? What are the things you need access to regularly? 

Storage is often times an issue which perpetuates the problem. I try not to use large containers as smaller boxes are easier to pack and stack, especially for those papers or objects that you don’t need to get your hands on regularly. Banker boxes are great for this purpose as they don’t get too heavy and can be labeled. Making use of the inexpensive variety of stylish containers you can now get at Target, Office Depot and The Container Store help to organize all your “things”. If you want to find your keys every day then put them in the same place when you come in the door. It is the same thing for your office or space which is to say that everything has a place and a place that makes sense to you so you will continue to replace, put back or file after each use.

The biggest problem most people have is that they either don’t have a system or follow through regularly with the “system”. They put one thing down expecting to get back to it later. The next thing goes on top of that and so on and so on until the pile appears insurmountable. This is when it is helpful to have a third party come in. I find my clients are more likely to let go of papers/objects when I am physically there asking the question “Do you need to keep this?” This also tends to speed up the process as most individuals take weeks, on their own, to accomplish what should take a few hours. 

Once given a system most if not all of my clients are proud to say months later that the space is still as pristine as when I left. At the end of the day being organized saves time, money and stress. The extra time you have by being organized helps you to be more productive in your life, work and family. Take a deep breath and take back your life and GET ORGANIZED!"

Chris Hall owns and operates Bluegrass Go2Girl.  Beyond organizing, BGG2G offers a myriad of other tasks to help people get back their time.  Check out the website here 

Happy Organizing!!