The theme of this week’s theme is: “Spark an Idea About Purging”.
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I talked a lot about filtering today.  In a conference call, teleseminar and a talk with a friend.  Purging and filtering go hand in hand.  When I think of purging, the first thing that comes to mind is purging paper files.

Wow, that’s a lotta paper…

Did you know that the average home office has 3,000 pieces of paper?  Are you kidding me?  Uh, no.  That’s a lot of paper!  No wonder people (maybe you) feel overwhelmed by paper in their office!

If your paper is out of control, it might be time to purge, get rid of, sort, go through and get it squared away.  Here’s a few pointers:

Don’t keep what someone else already is keeping.
If you’re keeping your electric bills, don’t.  If you need a copy, guess who has one?  That’s right, your electric company.  Better yet, go paperless and set up an online account and have your payment history at your fingertips.

Seven years is good enough for most paper.
If you’re stuck, seven years is a good benchmark.  There is certain paper you should keep indefinitely, but not much.  Here’s a document that can help (Be sure to check with your accountant or tax preparer in case you have special circumstances.)

Clean out the file cabinet once a year.
Paper can easily get out of control when it’s locked away in a filing cabinet.  So, once a year take some time to archive and purge through your paper files.  The new year is a great time to do this, and start the year off with a clean slate!

Make it easy on yourself and don’t overdo it.
If you can’t stand a 16-hour purging marathon, don’t.  If the thought of purging your entire office filing cabinet makes you dizzy, break it down into smaller times and projects.  Do one drawer at a time, 30 minutes at a time.  Be consistent, and before you know it, your office will be a new place.

Protect yourself.
Did you know that most identity theft comes from paper?  Not the internet, paper.  Be sure to shred important documents so you don’t become a statistic.  A good paper shredder can be purchased for under $100.  That’s an investment well worth making.

Ready to get started?  Go do it!

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P.S.  Do you like what you see here?  Did you know I have an enewsletter with tips, news and other tasty home office organizing ideas?  You can sign up HERE.

This new machine is a power tool for those who do some heavy duty, high speed scanning.  The Neat Desk sits on a desktop, and is not meant to be carried about, like it’s other cousin scanner.

What I liked:

Scan & PDF buttons.  See those two buttons on the front of the machine?  One is for scanning, and the other is for PDF.  So, load your docs into the top, and press one of those, and you are on your way.  Pretty cool stuff.

Three sizes of paper, no problem.  Invoices, receipts and business cards all get their own bay.  They are all lined up separately, making scanning simple.  Once they are scanned, they are deposited in a tray on the bottom.

The layout of the new software.   I was a fan of the older version, and I have to say I was pretty taken with the visual of this new version.  Here’s a few screen shots so you can see what I mean:

I love this new layout, it’s easy to see where things are.  Once you scan in your document, it goes into this “inbox”.  From there, you process them, categorize or whatever else.  And that’s, well, neat.

This screen is how you shore up your receipts.  The list on the lower right shows your other receipts, complete with all the details of each.  The best part is Neatworks (the software that comes with the scanner) stores a visual image of your documents.  Why is that cool?  You can ditch your paper.  LOVE that.

Related to that, a quote from their website:

“Does the IRS accept digital receipts?

Yes. According to ruling Rev. Proc. 97-22, the IRS allows one to prepare, record, transfer, index, store, preserve, retrieve, and reproduce books and records by either electronically imaging hard copy documents to an electronic storage media, or transferring computerized books and records to an electronic storage media that allows them to be viewed or reproduced without using the original program.”

What could be improved:

Slow software install. I had to uninstall my old Neat Co. software, and reinstall the new.  It took, well, it took a loooooong time.  Now, a short disclaimer: my laptop is old…. like dinosaur in laptop years.  So, it could very well have been a hardware issue.  However, once the software was (finally) loaded, it worked like a dream.  It locked up a couple times (ok, crashed, but again, may have been a hardware issue).

Overall Rating:

This machine is would be a great for an accountant, or one who does some heavy-duty scanning (for expense reports, etc.).   The speed of scanning lends itself to higher volume usage.  It’s also great if you need to scan directly to PDF on a pretty regular basis, or need to share a scanner in a small to medium sized office.

Where to get it:

NeatDesk Desktop Scanner

For more information on Neat Co., go to their website.

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(Disclosure:  The NeatCo provided me with a review model of this machine, which was loaned to me on a temporary basis.  No compensation was received to write this review.)

Have you ever spent time on your computer trying to find a file you’re looking for?  Did you ever find it?  Maybe it’s time to simplify a bit so you can find stuff.   If you’re not a librarian (and I know I’m not) it makes sense to match up filing + streamline as much as possible.  Here’s a few tips to get you started:

What works best for you?
Do you like filing by numbers?  Names?  Categories?  Look at your current filing cabinet or computer file structure.  Is there one that works better?  Think of migrating the not-so-great one.

Don’t overdo it.
Hey, I get it.  I hate filing too.  So, make it as easy as possible.  Products like this (pictured below) make it a no brainer if you don’t want your head to hurt, or don’t have the resources to hire a Professional Organizer.

A little matching can help.
Remember the last time when you were looking for a file, and couldn’t find it.  Yeah, the one on the computer.  Try matching up your paper and computer files.  Then, when you are trying to remember where to file it, you’ll know right where it goes.  Then, you can find it in under 5 minutes. 

Bonus Tip:  Use a “Projects” file on your computer.
This is a trick I started using recently.  I have a “@Projects” file (nod to Mr. GTD) in the “My Documents” file directory.  Guess what?  I have one on my desktop too.   While I’m working on a project, it goes in here, and then when it’s done, it gets filed away (read: moved to it’s permanent home).  It’s made my life soooo much easier!  Try it out, and see what you think.

How can you simplify your computer & paper files so you can actually find things?

Oh, yeah, I know where that’s at.

I’ve got a new person in my life: an accountant.  Oh yeah, she rules!  On our first meeting, she commented that I was pretty organized.  When she asked me for something, I knew right where it was.  Remember the mantra, “Organized = finding what you need in 5 minutes or less”.  She helped me get things squared around, including a pretty strong recommendation that I move everything to Quickbooks.  (Which I am doing in short order!)

It’s tax time, do you know where your stuff is?

When it’s time to do taxes, do you have a little black storm cloud over your head?  Do you have piles of paper, receipts and unfinished bookkeeping around?  Does your family avoid eye-contact for three months leading up to April 15?  It doesn’t have to be that way!

I’m not an accountant.

You might be, but honey, I’m NOT.  But, I do have two things I use throughout the year that make filing taxes a little less painful.  You can do it too.  Here’s what you need:

Accounting system:  It doesn’t have to be a software, because even a paper ledger bookkeeping book works too.  Whatever you use, stay on top of it, preferrable monthly.  Stay on top of it, and tax time will be just gathering information from….

A place to put the accumulation of important papers. Two words: two folders.  Have two folders for gathering the tax papers throughout the year: “Current Year” and one for “Past Years”.  What to do with them?

In my “Past Years” folder I have an envelope with contains any backup paperwork, tax forms and the like filed away in there, marked with the year.  Why? Because it seems I need to refer to at least last year’s information at least once during the filing process.

The “Current Year” folder is a receptacle for receipts, donations, 1099s and other statements needed to get the tax filing done.  Don’t worry so much about having them perfect: just get them in there.  You’re going to thank me a year from now.  Really.

What’s your Tax Time trick?

• new stuff to read every month (read: variety is the cream in my coffee…)
• useful tips, because you choose which ones you receive
• short stories easily read in one sitting
• beautiful photography (sometimes downright frameable!)
• completely portable

Getting it under control.

You also may have subscriptions to publications you aren’t really crazy about – gifts from someone that meant well but aren’t really your faves.  It could quickly send you into overload if you’ve got too many of the things hanging around your home or office.  Here’s some tips to get them under control:

1. Sort & edit: keep only publications you really like and cancel or donate the rest.  5-10 publications a month is enough for one person to handle.
2. Be creative: Less of anything is easier to manage.  Consider sharing a subscription or swapping with a friend.  You read your edition of “Bird Lover’s Paradise” and swap with your girlfriend for “DIY For Dummies”. Everybody wins!
3. Are you really going to read it? Only keep 1-3 months worth.  When the new editions are darkening your doorstep, it’s time to part with the oldest edition – whether you’ve read it or not.  If you feel badly about it, toss them in a bag and donate them to a local shelter or hospital.
4. Be sure to recycle: It goes without saying to recycle your old magazines, but there are a few ways to do this.  A recycling bin is a great option, but also consider donation to a local school for art projects or if you have children (or grandchildren) at home, encourage them make a collage.

If you keep your magazines under control, you’ll enjoy them so much more.  “Everything in moderation” applies here too.  Keep what you love and get rid of the rest.

Now, I have an edition of Real Simple calling my name…

Image via Wikipedia

So, what’s the easiest and most eco-friendly way to manage paper?  Having less of it!

Here are some resources that will help you have less paper to deal with:

1. Catalog Choice: You choose the catalogs you don’t want to receive. No more catalogs you don’t want for stuff you don’t need.
2. Get Off The DMA Mailing List (USA):  Remove yourself from the Direct Marketing Association’s mailing list.  You can choose to submit via online form or snail mail.  (Cost: $1)
3. Green Dimes: The difference with this service is you get “90% less junk mail” and they plant 10 trees on your behalf.  You purchase their Junk Mail Reduction “kit” ($15) which has resources and tools to get off additional lists.
4. Recycling:  Inevitably you’ll get some paper that these programs won’t catch.  Just be sure to recycle in your local service, or visit www.earth911.org for a recycling program near you.

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse!

I recently heard someone say that neatness doesn’t mean organized.  I couldn’t agree more.  When I think of neatness, I think of clear countertops and not a shred of paper anywhere to be seen.  This same person said you can be organized without being neat, and even a little messy as long as the mess doesn’t get in the way.  So true!  Some of the most organized people I have known are not the neatest people I know.    Why?  Because they are different.

Let’s all take a deep breath.

Keeping paper under control is one of the biggest reasons clients have called me.  There is so much of it.  Today I want to give you permission to give yourself a break.

I’ve written about perfection (on my other blog) as it has to do with organization.  They are NOT the same.  Perfection is an impossible dream when it comes to organization, and many people chase after it, with guilt and shame on their shoulders.  What happens?  They don’t get much of anywhere.  Somehow this ideal seeped it’s way into our culture and has refused to budge.  Well, I’m calling out.  Perfection is a motivation killer and a plain impossibility.  Sometimes your system has to be “good enough” and not overdone.  Simplicity can be beautiful, not to mention downright practical.  Here’s some examples:

- Set up a filing system with plain manila folders and a pen
- Have a basket for mail, and go thru it before you retire for the evening
- Keep an envelope in your purse and go thru receipts once a week
- Have one folder for all tax related paperwork.  When it’s time to file, you’ll know right where everything is.

Cut yourself some slack and focus on boundaries.

It’s ok to have a little stack of paper, as long as you have boundaries and you don’t allow it to get out of hand.  If frantically looking for bills or paperwork you need is a constant in your life, it’s probably time to set some systems up.  Systems are really just boundaries.  That’s it.  They are a way to set off a reminder when something is about to get out of hand.  If you hate color coding, by all means don’t do it.  If you must have custom file folders with hand stamped labels , do that.  Organizing your paper isn’t about perfection, it’s about choosing a way that works for you and using it.

(photo by Pink Sherbet Photography on Flickr)

Have you ever stared at a pile of paper on your desk with utter awe and wonder of what you were going to do with it?

Have you ever dealt with a pile of paper, only  to discover it has been replaced by another the following week?

Paper piles are stealing your time.

Paper can be a difficult thing to conquer, and sometimes it can be magnified by small things.  Have you ever thought that your piles of paper are stealing precious time away from you?  In her widely successful book, Time Management From The Inside Out, Julie Morgenstern says that paper clutter is a sign that time management needs improvement.  Can you relate?

A few years ago, I remember looking around my apartment at piles of paper.  I was so frustrated by it all, and wondered why I was unable to get control of the darned stuff!  I also remember feeling very out of control.  I was consistently late to work, social functions and commitments.  Paper accumulating on every vertical surface of my home symbolized a sort of chaos that was swirling around inside my head.   I didn’t take time to deal with it, and so the piles grew.

It might be time for a time management tune-up.

Paper piles can indeed indicate a need for time management improvement – that was certainly the case with me, and for clients I have worked with.  A pile of paper  takes time to deal with.  Not making decisions in the beginning leads to putting it off for “another day”.  This procrastination can make you crazy, until you deal with it.

Make time to deal with the paper, and don’t just toss it in a pile.  Make a decision about the mail, the homework, the artwork, holiday cards and letters.  The time you waste feeling guilty or doing a “crash and burn” session to deal with the paper could be much better spent somewhere else… like spending time with someone you love.

Ready to deal with your paper?  Check out my paper management crash course series over on Wendy’s blog starting HERE.

My home office desk is a disaster right now. Yeah, you heard right. *sigh* There are a few contributing factors: I was travelling last week to a conference, had a busy schedule this week and wasn’t in the office much. Now when I walk in there, I know it’s time to do something. How do I know that? I don’t want to go in or stay in there!

What am I going to do about it? Get it back under control!  Here’s a little overview and what I will do about it this coming week. Can you relate?

• Package that is WAY overdue to ship. I will ship this box next week. It’s time to go!
• “Action” folder that’s out of control. This file isn’t urgent things, but they are all little nit-picky tasks that need to be done. I will cull and sort it out, and get those tasks done!
• Sort thru conference materials and paper. Notes will be filed, action plans made and receipts entered.
• Business cards to enter into contact management. New friends, contacts and one prospect. This will be a snap with my Neat Receipts scanner!
• Stuff that doesn’t belong in my office. This stuff has migrated while I was away, and it’s time to migrate back to its home. Get along lil’ doggy!
• Those little desktop stragglers. They are wanderers, no home and in limbo. And they are on the desktop, and it’s time for them to GO. I haven’t made a decision, and they are outta there.

The other reason I’m fired up? There are changes afoot for me, and I’m ready to streamline. I know this extra stuff is weighing on my mind and it just needs to be dealt with. I’ve got more important things to do, and creative energies that can be better served elsewhere. What about you?

Ready to take the challenge? Let’s take the next seven days and get our desks under control, by next Friday at noon. I’d love to hear about what you’re doing, so do share what you’re going to work on this week. Need some help? Leave a question. Have an answer to someone else’s question? Leave that too.

Now, let’s get goin’!

by tallchris on Flickr

Ok, I have a pile of receipts in my wallet right now.  It’s not that I don’t have a place for them, because ohhhh I do.  It’s just that it’s time they vacate their home in my handbag and go to where they need to be.

So, how can you handle receipts?  Here’s some ways to manage receipts other than dumping them in the “circular file” or shoving them in your jean pocket (you know who you are).

Know your receipt categories, and treat them accordingly.

There’s really two categories of receipts: Action & Archive:

Action = data entry or review.  These you need to deal with in some way, like entering them in QuickBooks, a good old fashioned spreadsheet or folder for passing onto your friendly neighborhood CPA or accountant.  Put them in a folder marked “Action” and set aside a day of the week to take care of them. (Neat Receipts is also a great way to deal with this category quickly and easily).

Archive = needed for reference (80/20 rule applies here).  You may need them for tax purposes (by the way, scanned images are ok too) or for a client project expense tracking, etc.  Use the simplest form of archiving possible, and one you feel comfortable with.  Remember, you’ve only got a 20% chance of looking at these again (see “Action” above), so keep it simple.  Any of the following will work:  accordion file by month or category (i.e. utilities or business expenses), a file drawer or a file box marked “Archive” (receipts are tossed in after data entry).

Receipts can easily get out of control if you are a busy mobile or home office professional.  So, here’s a bonus tip: have an envelope in your handbag or briefcase to corral them.  Once you get home (or your envelope is full), take them out and separate into one of the categories above.  Simple and easy to do.  Isn’t that how it should be? 

Now, I’ve got some receipts to go deal with …

I like to try out new systems to get stuff done.  It’s what I do, and probably why I love to help clients with their organization challenges.  I love trying out new things, “trying them on” as it were.  Call me a student and experimenter of organization systems.

Lately I’ve been somewhere in the middle of loving my PDA and hating it at the same time.  This year, after using one for about a decade, I switched from a Palm to a Blackberry.  My difference is that I don’t have a data package, and I don’t have my email “tethered” to my Crack… ahem… Blackberry.  I want to be reachable, but not that reachable if you get what I mean. 

Managing tasks.

One thing I don’t really care for is managing tasks with an electronic device.  It’s not really very well suited to me, as I’m a kinesthetic kinda gal (that means I prefer to touch, feel, smell things instead of watching or listening).  Soooo…. what’s my point?  I’m trying something new: tasks on paper.  I love a good stationery or specialty paper store…. something about that paper and pens scattered around the room in a stylish fashion makes me giddy.  I love paper, writing notes and buying pens.  I could spend hours in the office supply store’s pen section.  Seriously.

Back to the subject at hand: I’m trying out writing my tasks and daily tasks on paper, actual paper.  I’ll still keep my calendar and addresses in my PDA cause I just like it that way.  But, I need to write things down.

Trying out this new system.

In case you’re wondering, I’m trying out this “GSD” system, which is short, sweet and super simple.  Love that!  (FYI, I learned about it from this fabulous blog post.)

A “Tasks On Paper” Contest!

Now, here’s where the fun part comes in for you!  I’m giving away some stuff!  Remember the product review I did on Staples new “M” products?  Well, I have the above items to give away (see pic at the top of this post)!  Here’s what you need to do to enter to win:

1. Share your tips on managing tasks with paper: I’m talking tasks here, like changing a lightbulb, doing an errand or calling the phone company.  How do you do it? (Pictures and a link to your blog post are perfectly acceptable too!)

2. Deadline EXTENDED!:  Friday, July 25 at 5PM PST

3. Be sure to leave your email address so I can contact you when you win.

Ok, now guys, if this isn’t your type of notebook, I get it, so you can give it away if you wish.  Leave a tip and show us what you’ve got!

Some tips on your tips:

They need to be simple, don’t need to reinvent the wheel or purchase a dictionary to implement them.  We’re talking productivity not rocket science here.

So tell us, how do you manage your tasks on paper?

*** Update!  Trisha of IdeasForWomen.com is our winner!  Congratulations!

Neat Receipts is a document scanner. It is so portable, kinda like the size of a long burrito (it will fit in a laptop bag). The description from their website:

“Organize life’s paper trail with NEAT Receipts.

From receipts and expense reports to business documents and business cards, you can now manage your paperwork with ease. You can keep organized, digital files in a database on your PC. Simply send documents through the scanner and our software will automatically handle the rest, ensuring you have ideal image scans.

NEAT Receipts will even read and manage information scanned from receipts including vendor purchases, allowing you to keep track of your expenses.”

If you’ve never heard of this product before, you’re in for a treat! Here’s my experience.

The Delivery & Install

Mine arrived at my door, and I felt like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. Too bad my week was a little out of control, so it sat in my office for five excruciating days before I pulled it out of the box. Once I did, I was pleasantly greeted with a slogan on the side of the box encouraging customers to recycle (*happy dance*).

The packaging was, uh, neatly arranged and it was very simple to get out. Neat Receipts comes with a Quick Start Guide that makes it a snap to get things going. I popped in the installation CD, and was advised that there was a new version of the software. It took about 25 minutes to download (I have DSL). I was then prompted to plug in the scanner and set things up. All of this unpacking and installation took about 40 minutes total, with about 5 minutes of active time from me (the rest was allowing for the download time).

Using Neat Receipts

After installation, I was ready to rock and roll. I decided to hit it hard with one business card after another. Neat Receipts handled them like a dream. I checked each one quickly for accuracy, and a few things needed a little tweaking but overall it was really pretty accurate. Some more “artsy” cards were a bit of a challenge to read for the software, but honestly I had one that was a little challenging for me to read.

Scanning each document was very simple, just put it in the front face down, press “Scan”. The software stores an image of the card, both front and back (you have to scan them separately, which just takes a few seconds). That way, I don’t have to have a hard copy clogging up my desktop and filing cabinet (Yippee!). Less paper to manage, more time for me. This feature is also great for visual people. (I like to look at cards for various reasons, so this was a bonus for me too.)

So Many Options

There are so many ways to use Neat Receipts, and I am just figuring it all out. I know I’m going to have fun with all the things it can do! Here’s a few:

• business cards
• receipts (for bookkeeping, taxes, expense tracking, etc.)
• documents
• articles & resources you want/need to keep
• tax forms
• your idea here _____________________

Neat Receipts might be for you if:

• You have mountains of business cards you aren’t sure what to do with
• You carry a ball of receipts in your pocket
• You hate data entry and procrastinate doing “bookwork”
• You want a solution to will help you downsize your paper
• You want a simple, easy solution for around $200

Where To Get It

Neat Receipts has two versions, PC and the new MAC version. Check them out here:

NEAT Receipts for PC

Neat Receipts for MAC

Visit the Neat Receipts Website

Overall rating (1-5): 5

*Update: Check out the video of the Neat Receipts MAC version HERE. I love the design!

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Additional Resources:

IRS Publication 583: Starting a Business And Keeping Records (pdf)

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*Disclosure:  I own a Neat Receipts scanner, which I paid for.  I was not compensated or paid to write this review.

Input the info into contact database and then recycle the actual card. Simple enough, enter into Outlook or your favorite address book and then recycle the card. Information is handy, and one less piece of paper to keep track of.

Use a notebook. If you are more of a tactile person and like to have the cards around so you can physically look at it, this option may work better for you. Most office supply stores have business card binder pages. Get a fun notebook (I like russell+hazel) and fill up your pages. Separate them into categories that make sense to you, i.e. service providers, colleagues, retailers and referral network. (One caveat: you’ll have to rearrange periodically to keep them in order.)

Input and then sort out the “keepers”. This is the method I use, and if you’re tactile and on the tech savvy side this may work for you too. Input the card’s information into your database and then sort out the “keepers”. You might be a marketing enthusiast and a card’s design inspires you, you have a photographer or graphic artist’s card that shows their work particularly well or there is an offer on the card. Keep the ones you like and recycle the rest.

Now, for the project. This works well if you like the idea of keeping a select few business cards, and they don’t need to be in any particular order.

First, find a box you like. I happened to pick this one up at Storables (it was around $7), or use a cigar box from an antique shop or garage sale.

Then, get out a stamp kit, calligraphy pen or your best penmanship…

And some ink…

And you have yourself a fun little box to put your cards in. This would also work for office supplies like pens, paper clips, post-its or whatever your little heart desires.

Enjoy! If you do this project, I’d love to see pictures and hear about how you use it. (Post a comment or link to your blog post about it, too!) Let your imagination run wild, have fun making something useful and get organized at the same time.

(Bonus resource: For more creative organizing ideas, check out Aby Garvy’s blog. I am always inspired by her tips and LOVE LOVE LOVE her labeling ideas!)

** Update: Jeri Dansky posted about this product called a Card Cubby. If you have cards you like to give out for referrals to other providers, this is a great looking, portable and functional product.

1. Your wallet is not a trash can: before you mindlessly shove another scrap of paper in there, is it really worth keeping?
2. Have a system for keeping those papers in check: Use a small file that tucks into your briefcase or bag, and label, label, label!
3. Use a tickler file: you don’t need to pack around tickets for that concert in two months, tuck them into a tickler file so you have them on the day you need them!
4. Organize your car: Use a second accordion file for the car essentials: insurance card, parking pass, maps, money for the meter or parking prepaid card, registration, etc.
5. Action files: What will you do with the papers you collect? Do they need to be filed? Acted on? Do you need to read them? Do some data entry? Put a note on it, or use files to note what action it will need when you get it home or to the office.

Bright color filing: Like bright colors? Check out these striped and spring inspired folders, both at Storables.com.

Travel inspired filing: If you have a case of wanderlust and want to bring that feeling into your home office, try these Vintage Map File Folders from Anthropologie. (I have these in my office, LOVE THEM.)

Creative labelling: Sure, you could go with the standard labeler, but use your creativity and do something a little different. Raid the kids’ craft supplies, or go get your own at a craft store. The scrapbooking section is a fabulous alternative for labeling. Markers, calligraphy, stamps and rub-off labels, oh my! Take a lunch break, go in and let your imagination run wild.

You can take it with you: Have files, will travel! Now, how about something to carry those fabulous files in? Check out russell+hazel’s Audrey expanding file tote collection. They come in patent leather-like finishes and a clear Slicker Tote. For a little less “girly” file tote, check out this cascading file tote at containerstore.com.

Nothing can substitute for a really good filing system, but what you put it in doesn’t have to be boring. Get creative, get organized and have some fun!