Organized Habits » Get Organized

Networking is like a blind date

Natalie Conrad — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:05:26 +0000

I am speaking on the topic of being organized for successful networking this week. I equate networking to going on a blind date. Just like a blind date, there are lots of unknowns at each networking event – who will be there, will I be able to find clients or strategic partners, how will the event flow? It can be pretty scary.

But like a blind date, you do have a few things you can control.

You can do some planning:

Decide how many networking events you will attend in a month.
Plan follow up time on your calendar.
Research the host and venue.

You can also do some preparation. As a woman going on a blind date, you can spend hours in the preparation! What to wear?!?? To prepare to network you can:

Set some intentions, some outcomes you would like from the event.
Have your business cards, flyers and raffle prizes ready to go.
Prepare you commercial and decide on 1 product or service to feature.

And most importantly do the follow up. Networking is not about passing out business cards and scooping up clients. It is about building relationships. Just like it is rare to have a marriage proposal on your blind date, it can be rare to close a sale when first meeting at a networking event. Follow-up can include:

Emails (or better yet video emails*)
Personal Notes
Phone Calls
Invitations to coffee or other events
Giving a referral

Do you have a system for follow-up after your networking events? For each hour of networking, you should plan an hour of time for follow-up. This doesn’t have to be all done by you, get your staff or virtual assistant involved. Be productive in your networking!

p.s. *Video emails are really awesome! And easy to do! I’ve discovered a great product for them. Contact me for more info.

p.p.s. Can blog posts even have a p.s.???

The Dreaded Filing System

Natalie Conrad — Fri, 21 May 2010 23:39:02 +0000

I recommend revamping your filing system, when you have time. Although this is not a high priority activity, revamping your file systems will help you save time in the long run. Many times we do not file things because:
o The drawer is jam packed with files and there’s no room.
o Once filed, you are not sure you can find it again.
o You don’t know what to name the file.
o The file cabinet itself is ancient and the drawers do not operate properly.
The first two bulleted points above are usually due to not purging your information on a regular basis. At least once a year or every six months, it is a good idea to go through your file drawers and eliminate those files that you have not used in the past 12 months. The exception to this would be any files that contain tax or legal information. There are rules for how long to retain that documentation. Ask your CPA or go to www.irs.gov for suggested guidelines. Once you get in the habit purging on a regular basis, the time it takes to purge your files is shortened considerably.
While some files may need to be kept, some of the information it holds can be purged or updated. For example, you do not need to keep all the prospectuses for your investment portfolio, or at work, there may be updated forms that replace some that you have in your file drawers.
As we add files to our file cabinet we oftentimes complicate the system by micromanaging the data. Think in terms of broad categories. In other words, keep it simple. The fewer the categories, the more success you will have in retrieving your information. When making the decision where to file papers, put like with like. Each piece of paper does not need its own file.
Lastly, if you file cabinet does not function properly then you are less likely to use it. If your file drawers stick or do not close well, consider purchasing a new file cabinet. Your time is certainly worth more than the cost of aggravation over some square box that holds your papers! Use hanging file folders whenever possible. They are a big help in moving files forward and backward to access the information therein. They also are a replacement, not in addition to, manila files. More on that later……

Efficient Kitchen Storage – Canisters

Natalie Conrad — Mon, 17 May 2010 19:01:29 +0000

Some may think that the kitchen is the obvious place to start with organization and maybe that’s true. When you move in and first set up a kitchen, you are intentional about where you put things; you organize the pots, pans, dishes, and glasses as you put them in their new home. However, once you begin to prepare meals and cook in the kitchen, there is usually a need to re-vamp your system. It does not matter the size of your kitchen. I have clients with galley kitchens and others with huge center islands and breakfast nooks. The complaint is almost always the same – “There is not enough room” or “My kitchen doesn’t flow well.” Some of what makes a kitchen work better in to have efficient storage containers inside of the drawers and doors. These containers can be drawer organizers, bins, baskets, or canisters.

Today’s blog will focus on the use of canisters… and how you can win a set of canisters!

Canisters are great because they contain your collections. Now in the kitchen this collection is usually food or related items. Canisters can be used decoratively in the kitchen or behind closed cabinet doors. I like to keep my counters clear so I use the canisters inside of my cabinets. I am attracted to clear canisters but am also a huge fan of labeling.

Use canisters to hold your staples; those items that you always need on hand. The advantage of clear canisters here is that you can see how much you have left.

Group like canisters of food items together. For example, have flour, sugar, and baking mixes in separate canisters stored in the same.together. Have pastas, rices, and other carb side dishes stored in canisters in one location.

Canisters are also known for keeping things like raisins, crackers and cookies fresh long after then package has been opened. (Remember how a stale cracker tastes? yuck!) They are also better than the original packaging at keeping any creepy crawling things at bay! When coming home after shopping, take the time to dump the contents of the cardboard boxes and bagged goods into canisters for safe keeping.

Rubbermaid has just released another fabulous product – modular canisters. Rubbermaid sent me a sample canister set to try out and I really like them! While canisters can be used in the kitchen as I have mentioned, where else can you use these modular canisters? I have an eight piece set to give to someone who posts a comment on my blog. Your comment must contain your name and email address and give us your creative idea for using these canisters!

A winner will be chosen this Friday (5/21/10) at 5:00pm and notified by email.

The lesson learned at a scrap retreat….

Natalie Conrad — Mon, 03 May 2010 23:32:26 +0000

Bradley House in Folsom CA

Just got back from a great weekend, filled with creativity. At least once a year, I enjoy a 3 day binge on my papercrafting and scrapbooking. This weekend I stayed at the Bradley House B& B in Folsom, CA. The innkeeper, Jerry, was great and the rose garden was in full bloom and beautiful. As with anything, there is a lesson to be learned from this scrapbook retreat.

An “organized scrapbooker” is an enigma

There were 9 women at this retreat (including me) and there were 9 tables of chaos – or so it appeared. I brought another table with me to hold my extra supplies, another woman rolled in a caddy of sorts, with drawers (sans labels), and my best friend, brought a shelf organizer so that she had a 2nd tier for her cutting supplies, thereby using less table surface. There were wheeled bags, shoulder bags, plastic totes and cardboard boxes, photo organizers, you name it – it was there!

As we worked away it was amazing to see how the scrapbook pages came together. Each of us had our own system for creating scrapbooks.

One of my favorite scrapbook pages from the retreat

And that’s the key – a system. When organizing,you need a system. Yours can look different than mine but you need to have one.

What looks unorganized to someone can be organized for you. An “organized scrapbook” is an ambiguous term; but most are organized.

You must have a system that you are comfortable with for scrapbooking, and everything else in your life. A trained professional organizer knows how to ask the right questions to assist you in developing your unique system.

What’s a gift closet?

Natalie Conrad — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 16:54:08 +0000

Okay, so it doesn’t have to be a “closet”, it can be a drawer, shelf, or box. In other words, do you have a stock of gifts that you have purchased in advance (or are going to re-gift)? Having some gifts on hand is great for those last minute invites or the times when you forgot someone’s birthday. Shopping for gifts this way can also save you money. My sister-in-law, for example, shops for Christmas all year long, and puts everything into the gift closet with a tag for the intended recipient. She only shops sales and has plenty of time to wait for the perfect gift to be the perfect price.

Many of my friends have gifts that they have purchased in advance or plan to re-gift but the gifts never seem to leave. Why? Because they don’t remember what they have. They purchase a gift, put it away in their gift closet and then add more and more and pretty soon, forget that they purchased the perfect gift for someone and it lays gathering dust in the back of the gift closet!

The solution: (you knew I had one)

As you purchase gifts, log them on a gift list. This can be done on a handwritten page or on a spreadsheet in your computer. Here’s an example:

Quantity	Item	Gift for:
1	Nerf football	boy birthday
2	Candle holders	mother in law
1	picture frame	Valerie
1	flashlight kit	Joe

Add things to the gift list as you add them to the gift closet. If you purchase an item that does not have an intended recipient (yet) then just note what gender or age range it is for. As you give these gifts be sure to cross them off the gift list. Update your list annually after Christmas so you can start fresh. If you begin to have things in the gift closet that never get given away, then consider using these items for hostess gifts or white elephant/secret santa gift exchanges.

And remember, shop in the gift closet before you leave home to shop!

New drawer organizers from Rubbermaid

Natalie Conrad — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:11:32 +0000

Recently, I received some fabulous products made by Rubbermaid. this set of drawer organizers come in many shapes and sizes. There are many ways to configure them to fit virtually any drawer in your home. They have an interlocking “lip” on one side to hold onto the next organizer, so no more separations where things are likely to disappear in the cracks! They are black with a tan bottom. Some of their components are featured in this photo. I used four different size organizers in my desk drawer and it fit perfectly. Really a well made product with great flexibility. I highly recommend them.

Using these organizers I was motivated to clean out my junk drawer…. See my next post for a blow by blow of that project.

How’s your follow through?

Natalie Conrad — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 02:14:33 +0000

Today I was frustrated with the time it is taking to get a refund from PacSun for something I ordered online for Christmas. I have been following up on this issue for over 30 days! So I’m turning the energy of the frustration into a constructive blog post…..

How is your follow through? Whether you have to follow up on projects, employees, homework, or refunds – do you have a system in place to remind you? My all time favorite tool for this purpose is the tickler file! I know you were expecting me to talk about some iPhone app but the tickler is a tried and true method, so I use it. Even the GTD expert, David Allen, uses a tickler file. Here’s a photo of his product:

In my example of following up with PacSun for a refund, here’s how I used the tickler:

Jan 15th – called phone number on packing slip and was told it takes 2 weeks for refund.
Put packing slip in the tickler under “27″
Jan 27 – called customer service again and was promised an email in 48 hours
Put packing slip in the tickler under “2″
Feb 2nd – no email, called PacSun to find out refund was being processed
Put packing slip back in the tickler under “5″
Feb 5th – Called PacSun and demanded to speak to the President of the company (oh, yes I did!)
Feb 5th – Received a personal phone call telling me the refund was processed and gave me a confirmation number.
Puting packing slip in tickler under “9′ and on that day I will check my bank account for the credit to my account.

This was very easy to follow up because the packing slip was moved each time to the “next action” date and I just made a call every time I saw the packing slip. Of course, you have to look in your tickler file once a day. It’s called an organized habit!

It’s Get Organized Month

Natalie Conrad — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:20:48 +0000

Getting organized is usually at the top of everyone’s

New Year’s resolution list in January.

…and goes by the wayside in February.

You cannot get organized if you do not have a plan. In conjunction with your personal planner, I have just released Organize for 2010 . This planner is for your organization projects!

Cool, I know… This planner lays out your organizing projects by month and and by theme. It gives you a place to make notes and set due dates. Best of all it’s simple to use and encourages rewarding yourself when you have accomplished the monthly projects!

You can order your electronic copy now for only $10.00.

The first 20 people who order will also receive an instructional video that I have recorded to show you how to use the Organize for 2010 planner.

Fantastic Fridays

Natalie Conrad — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 15:48:00 +0000

January is National GO (get Organized) Month. I have declared each Friday in January to be Fantastic Fridays! We all need to be encouraged with our New Year resolutions. If one of your goals for the New Year is to simplify, pare down, or get more organized then this is the blog for you. For the 5 Fantastic Fridays of January, I will post an article here with a video for you.

This Friday’s topic is planning… get the year off to a great start!

Come back on January 2nd and check it out!