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MARCH 23, 2009
ISSN 1947-105X | Vol. 3, No. 12
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OFFICE ORGANIZATION ISSUE
In This Issue:
From the Editor
Part of being stress-free is making sure things flow around you in your
business without obstruction. One of the keys to that is keeping your
office organized. Dawn Olinek is here this week with some great pointers
for doing just that.
PS: Welcome to our newest sponsor, Ruby Receptionists!
Yours in goodness and success!
Danielle Keister
Founder & CVO Virtual Assistance Chamber of Commerce
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FEATURE ARTICLE -
What's Your Organization IQ?
 Which
type below best describes you? (No fudging either.)
Type 1:I consider myself an organization expert. Everything
has a dedicated place. I never have to search or scramble when I need
something. In fact, I can locate exactly what I need from my desk drawers
with my eyes closed.
Type 2: I consider myself middle-of-the-road. I'm not
consistently organized, but my surroundings aren't in complete disarray
either. I wouldn't mind becoming more organized, but it's nothing that's
keeping me up at night.
Type 3: I consider myself an organization nightmare.
A day doesn't go by that I can't find something I'm looking for. Clutter
is scattered about my desk like confetti. What the heck does tidy really
mean, anyway? I admit it, I need help!
If you are a master of organization, then congratulations! Most likely
your work day is sequential in nature and you are rarely frazzled. The
rest of you? Well, I have a few simple fixes up my sleeve that I'm going
to pull out just for you.
- Shelves. Beyond the obvious. Shelves are
practical on several levels. They can house your books, which is the
obvious, but you can also use shelves to organize your magazines and
client files. To minimize the sterility of "just shelves,"
adding visual interests will impart a vibrance that makes you want to
work within your space. A picture, a plant, or a clock adds depth and
dimension and brings your surroundings further to life.
- Storage galore. I firmly believe that
everything must have a place of belonging. Whether you use plastic containers
or wire baskets, invest in several different shapes and sizes and start
filling them up. When you take something out of its place be sure to
put it away as soon as you are finished using it. It's easy to fall
into the trap of taking something from where it belongs, using it, then
laying it down elsewhere. Do that throughout the course of the day and,
well, you have a cluttered mess about you.
- Lists: they're not just for our parents.
There's no shame in keeping a list. Who cares if your parents do it;
once again they have a leg up on you. Lists are a great way to keep
you focused and on course from the start of your day until the end of
it. Tasks that you accomplish, check off. Tasks that you think of on
a whim, jot down. I advise against the sticky note thing. Jotting down
notes and sticking them all over the place isn't going to get you anymore
organized. Centralization is key here.
- Calendaring. I adore my iCal (I'm a Mac
user; it's the equivalent of Outlook for PC users) because it actually
"dings" at me when something is due. I can separate out my
work activities from my personal activities. Each category is color-coded
so I automatically know whether I'm doing something for business versus
pleasure. I can set an alarm or have an E-mail reminder delivered to
my Inbox. A paper calendar seems so archaic to me now and honestly I
need a system that will remind me when I need to do something or be
somewhere.
I can't wait for you to begin implementing these changes, as slight as
they are, into your daily working regime. You will see dramatic improvement
in your systems and efficiencies almost immediately. And lest I forget;
organization = less stress, something we can all benefit from.
RESOURCE: Printable
Checklist. This is a fabulous, truly no-frills, on-the-Web
central listkeeper that anyone can use! You can create your list and print
a copy to keep on your desk or you can add and delete items right from
your computer.
 About
the Author: Dawn Olinek is principal of Egghead
Virtual Assistance. Her passion for business and the environment
led her to create a virtual enterprise with green entrepreneurs in mind.
She authors the blog, sustain-ability:
read it, which features topics like small business, Virtual
Assistance, and green awareness. She also publishes a monthly newsletter,
soGreen Biz, giving her subscribers an angle on growing their business
plus eco-friendly tips.
© Copyright 2009, The
Portable Business™. All U.S. and International rights
reserved. You are granted permission to republish this article only if
used in its entirety with this copyright notice, title, article content,
resource, author's bio and links left intact.
Let's Connect!
Reader Raves
 "Hey,
I love getting your newsletter and I'm not even a VA!"
— Tom Mullooly, 401kExpert.
(Editor: Thanks, Tom! In fact, our ezine is written for business owners
in mind, not other VAs, so your words mean a lot!)
Hey! Send us your feedback. Did you find an article
insightful, helpful and informative? Have topic ideas you'd like to see
covered in future issues? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.
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