Defining Time & Space News

Along with the long list of stuff to take and have in an emergency are the important records.  This fall into two categories:  the important paper records and our electronic records.

For paper records, certificates of birth, marriage, death, baptism, etc. and house deeds, stock certificates, etc., we should consider a safety deposit box at the bank or a steel fire proof safe at home.  Business vital records should also be handles in a similar manner.

For electronic records it is important that we back this information up in case of accidental lost of system records, theft of computer equipment or software corruption.  Many business records are only kept electronic and would be devastating to any company (large or small) if these records were to be unrecoverable.  Also consider photographs in these important records.  Since most people use digital camera’s now, these pictures/files need to be stored and backed up.

There are many electronic back-up systems available.  The decision falls in the volume and importance of the information.  There is anywhere from a simple flash/thumb drive (very portable but also easy to lose), an external hard drive (such as those made by Maxtor) or using an external server (either that you own on or offsite or that another company provides as a back-up service off site such as Carbonite).   The benefits to an offsite system are that records are protected from fire or theft.  Just be sure to understand how the back-up company backs up their records! 

Take care of those records,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Filing, Home, Office, Planning by organizing atlanta
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We have discussed our calendar and our contacts; the third area is our tasks.  This can be the hardest of all of these to gain real control of.   Much of this has to do with how record this information and how we prioritize what we do.  The task list never ends so we can find ourselves frustrated with what we accomplish or shall I say what we don’t accomplish. 

What we can do to remedy this is to focus on what are goals are and which of these tasks get us to that end.  Now that is easy to say, but how do we do it.  This is where we have to try to match a system to how we think and act or our willing to try to change or behavior to.  This can be a simple as a system you create, a Franklin Covey Planner (which has a great built in system), or a Planner Pad.

Choose a system that allows for:

1.    A list of tasks

2.    A way to review them to be able to choose the highest priorities each week

3.    The ability to schedule those prioritized tasks into our calendar

Then we must be disciplined to review the bigger picture list on a weekly basis and the daily tasks schedule for the week on a daily basis.  Getting into a routine of doing this can make a fantastic difference in what we accomplish each day!

Best wishes,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Office, Time management by organizing atlanta
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This first week we will focus on our calendar.  Whether we use a simple calendar, a planner or a Blackberry/Palm type electronic system, we need to be sure to “keep one set of books”.  When we keep multiple calendars it leaves us open to missing events and not knowing when our time is and is not available.  It is very important that we keep our calendar system current so that we have all the facts included.  Finally it is critical that we look at it routinely.  Looking at our calendar may sound like a “no brainer” but, many of us often start the morning without even knowing what we have planned for the day.

Things to think about in choosing between a paper and electronic system: 

1.     Is the system portable to have with you all the time?

2.     Is the system easy to update?

3.     Is the system easy to share with those who need to know what is on your schedule?

4.     Do you need to be a able to sync it to your computer?

5.    Do you want to be able to back up the information?

Keeping a good calendar will make a big difference in keeping a smooth office running.

Make the best of your time,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Office, Time management by organizing atlanta
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As hard as we try as a society to believe we can “go paperless” we continue to generate more and more paper each year.  Much of the paper we dispose of or “need” to dispose of can be recycled in community recycling centers but now there is an easy way to recycle a lot of paper items even closer to us.

Did you know that many newspaper recycle bins in our communities, schools and businesses can also be used to recycle telephone books, magazines, catalogs, junk mail and shredded paper?  I for one, thought because of the “keep out plastic bags” note on the newspaper recycling bin that I could not recycle bags of shredded paper.   I inquired and found that this note applies to the small bags that newspapers are delivered in because they require too much labor to remove.

Other items to make note of when recycling in the newspaper recycle bins is that we can recycle white paper (but no cardboard or poster board) colored paper (but no construction paper), carbon-less forms, file folders, index cards and envelopes (plain and window envelopes – but no brown envelopes).   Check with other local recycling centers for ways to recycling those things that cannot be put in these newspaper bins. 

If you live in the Gwinnett County area, feel free to call SP RECYCLING  (770) 995-0014, if you have any questions about the green and red newspaper bins in your community or business. 

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Home, Office by organizing atlanta
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Our lives have become more and more consumed with electronic gadgets and we rely more on various sources of power to run those gadgets than ever before.  I thought I would mention a few things that can help us become more “Green” with our electronics as well as with the power that runs them. 

Unfortunately most of the computers and various electronic items we have including our watches have slowly become something that we no longer bother to fix when they no longer work right.   Instead, we just pitch them to attain the latest and greatest.  Most of these items contain materials that are hazardous to our environment and we should be looking for an alternative way to dispose of them rather than the landfill.   It is usually not too hard to check in our communities to see where we can bring computers, printers, batteries and more.  Stores like Home Depot and Best Buy have places that we can deposit rechargeable batteries at any time.  Staples and several other places now collect used computers and equipment to recycle (check stores for fees that may apply).    Some schools and community support groups are also happy to take them. 

Along with the electronics themselves, there is also something we can do to help with the electricity that runs them.  Most of us have many pieces of expensive electronic equipment in our homes and offices but don’t often think about the number of surges and spikes this equipment experiences.  We also don’t think about the amount of electronic noise that is generated also reducing life expectancy of our equipment and maybe ourselves.   I recently learned about a product that provides an energy management system for a home or office to both protect the appliances and equipment, as well as saves energy and therefore directly saves money in utility costs. The system is called EcoPower4.  It is technology that has been used for years in commercial application but has more recently become cost effective to some of us when electricity prices surged as well as the cost of the equipment it protects.  You can find out more details about EcoPower4 by contacting Debbie Aurand with DAMA Healthy Green Solutions at 770.967.2069 or emailing her at aurandd@bellsouth.net.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Home, Office, Saving $$ by organizing atlanta
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Recycling Printer Ink Cartridges is a great way to keep cartridges out of the landfill while allowing us to save and/or make money.  Many places now provide this service but the one that I have used for years is Cartridge World.  By refilling ink cartridges I save 40-50% off of what it would cost to purchase new ink cartridges plus they pay for used ink cartridges that are no longer needed.  Over the last several years our local elementary school has profited over $1000 each year on laser and ink jet cartridges brought it by students, families and businesses.

Cell phones can also be recycled to both keep them out of the landfills and gain cash in the process.  They can be collected and sent to companies like Ecophones for a cash payment.  Ecophones information can be located at www.ecophones.com.

Aluminum Cans are one of the most lucrative of our every day trash.  Coordinating a collection of cans used each day can add up to not only great benefits to our environment but cash in your pocket.   To see an amazing clip from a local earth day project with soda cans, see you tube video link below:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gC4DiTckf0.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Green, Office by organizing atlanta
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Have you ever wanted to create a document in collaboration with someone else and did want to send it back and forth via email between you and others?   The process of emailing back and forth can result in many copies and versions of documents and create a lot of confusion and unnecessary work. 

A solution to this is to use Google Docs.  It allows anyone to create a calendar, list, document, schedule, and most anything we want and share.  It is stored on-line and can be accessed by any one we choose to invite to either view and/or edit the document.  This is a great tool within a small company to communicate or collaborate on information or at home for planning events or coordinating any activities.  This is another free software package available through Google!

Questions, contact me.

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Office, Planning by organizing atlanta
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Have you ever spent a lot more time than you wanted trying to find a file or email message on your computer?  One solution is to use Google Desktop.  Google Desktop allows anyone to create a search engine, like the search engines we use on line, for our very own desk top of data.

After downloading the “free” software from Google, we can search our computer files for an email, filed document, web history and other areas by just typing in the key word we are looking for and pressing the “search button”.  All the places the key word is stored will appear and we can then search a much smaller data base of information.  Questions, contact me.

Happy Searching

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Filing, Office, Time management by organizing atlanta
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Bills and receipts are with us and here to stay.  They come at us in both electronic and paper form and can pile up quickly.  The trick is to have a system and make a habit of using it. 

First thing is if we use an on-line bill pay system and purchase things on line, try to keep as much as you can in an electronic form.

Create electronic files that mirror the paper files so that they can be easily found and make sure they are backed-up.  

Have a system for purging.  The amount of time is not as important as having a plan and using it.  Decide on keeping the last month, last 6 months, last year or whatever you are required for tax or legal reasons.

Besides those receipts that are necessary for tax records, we sometimes keep receipts for warranty or other record of purchase.  For these create a “Receipts to Keep” file.

Happy filing,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: E-mail, Filing, Home, Office by organizing atlanta
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Periodicals are those items that come into our office or home repeatedly such as product supply catalogs and magazines on topics in the areas we work or enjoy reading in.  We have to have control of these or they can become an endless “flow in” without much of a “flow out”.  Like a sink, if water flows in and cannot flow our very well, we will end up with an overflow situation that is often not pleasant.  The way to control that is to have a system that works for the outgoing process.   Here are steps we can take to have the necessary controls in place:

1. Start by determining which of the incoming documents are necessary.  Can we find the information on line and record the link on our computer or keep just the front cover in a file? 
2. If we need to keep the document, is the latest version sufficient?  If so always purge the old immediately as the new one is filed. 
3. If we need more than the latest periodical received, we need to set the quantity necessary so that we still have an acceptable purging mechanism, i.e. the last 6 months, one year, ones that include a certain topic, etc.
4. Finally determine if we need the entire periodical.  Are we keeping it because of one or two articles of interest that can be removed and filed as appropriately?  This not only helps keep the filing under control but also allows us to find that information much easier when we need it. Remember in this case to record the title and date of the periodical with the information that is removed and filed.

Happy Filing

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

Tags: Filing, Office by organizing atlanta
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