How to Conquer Despair
Despair is a horrible thing.
It keeps us from becoming who we really are inside.
In my field of work as a professional organizer, I see a LOT of people who are overcome with despair.
Often it's because the clutter around them is out of control. And they don't think it's win-able.
I've been there too, and I know those feelings first-hand. (Sometimes they're almost too painful to visit again!)
Maybe you know just what I'm talking about. Or perhaps you know someone who is going through the same thing.
My message to you is simple...
DON'T EVER GIVE UP!
Life will get better. And I'm committed to doing my part.
You might think it sounds too simplistic, but that little *Special Report* I've been giving out has done wonders for a lot of people.
Here are just a few stories that readers have sent me so far...
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"Thanks for the 25 Quick Tips. It made me feel that I am on the right track in
many ways. I also had to share a couple of poignant tips with my husband. It is
hard for him to take advice from me, so I hope he listens to you. I will
continue to strive to do the 25 tips on a regular basis. Thanks so much!"
--
Ruth, Sandy, UT
"Your free special report was my motivation to continue
to de-junk my home. The DI is my best friend. And the dumpster. I have hung on
to some things for 20+ years. My house looks a little bare... but bare is far
more attractive than clutter!"
-- Sherry
"Thanks for the organizing
help. I need it! I'm kind of a pack rat. I'm working on #18 right now. I want to
do better with #8. I'll see something out of place and think "I'll take care of
that later" so it gets put off. I don't always take time to look through the
mail as soon as I get it to throw out the junk. Thanks again for the quick tips.
It was very helpful for me and I will share it with others."
-- Molly
"Thanks for the 25 quick tips. I picked up a few more pointers, but
mostly I printed it out for my daughter. She keeps trying to de-clutter but has
a husband that grew up in horrible clutter and I don't think he even sees it, so
is of no help. I just have the urge to go wash her windows, start fixing up and
tossing things. She's trying now to paint the living room and it's so far taken
3 weeks! The place is a scrambled mess! As long as she keeps being encouraged by
people like you and and she keeps trying, maybe it will come together."
--
Name withheld by request
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See what I mean?
When you need help, even the littlest thing can get you started in a positive direction.
Now you know why I want you to get your hands on "25 Quick Tips to Finally Get Control of Your Messy Environment (Without Lighting A Match!)."
It's because this little booklet of ideas just might be the thing to get you or someone you care about moving in the right direction.
Don't despair! There is help available.
But you're the one that needs to take the first step. I wrote these ideas, but I can't read them for you.
Do it for yourself.
Get your free copy of this Special Report called "25 Quick Tips to Finally Get Control of Your Messy Environment (Without Lighting A Match!) right here...
http://www.organizeenterprise.com/25quicktips
Best wishes for becoming your best,
-- Christi
Getting Down to Business!
Keeping your financial documentation for a home based business can be easy. I recommend you use an accounting software such as Quickbooks, or work with a professional bookkeeper or accountant for your accounting needs. As far as organizing the paper documentation is concerned, I recommend you have three types of files; Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, and Administrative.
Accounts Payable
For bills that have not been paid yet I recommend one of two systems. Choose the one you think you are most likely to maintain. The first system is to simply have a “To Be Paid” file where you stash all the bills that still need to be paid. Maintain the habit of paying the bills every Friday. That way you don’t miss any deadlines. The second system is to have some sort of a tickler system such as 31 files numbered 1-31. Keep in the habit of filing all active paperwork into the date (number) you are committed to taking action on that paper. Active paperwork is any piece of paper that comes across your desk that represents a task you need to take care of-including bills. Then each morning you pull out that days file and take action on the papers it contains.
Once bills have been paid, I recommend you file them in a monthly file. Maintain a file for each month of the year. Dated financial paperwork such as sales receipts, debit/credit slips, bills, and financial monthly statements should be filed together in the month it is acquired. Then, when it’s time to reconcile the statements, you have the bank statements together with the receipts, debit/credit slips, and bills for easy reconciliation. Most small businesses reconcile their bank statements and then don’t use them again until tax time. Once you have entered the data into your computer, or had your bookkeeper do it, you can use your monthly balance sheet and profit and loss reports for business planning purposes. For IRS audit purposes you should staple the receipts and bills to the bank account statements or credit card account statements they belong to. It will make things significantly easier on you if the IRS ever audits you.
When it comes to your debit slips, credit card slips, or check duplicates you acquire, you need to ask yourself, “Under what circumstances am I going to use this again?” Oftentimes there is no need for it after you reconcile at the end of the month. If there is a specific circumstance where you will use it again, keep it in your monthly file stapled to the statement it belongs to. If there is no circumstance where you are going to use it again, shred it.
Accounts Receivable
Maintain a file labeled “To Be Deposited.” This can be your collection plate as money comes in that needs to be deposited.
Enter your invoices and payments-received into your computer.
Keep a copy of the invoice with the client’s file if you have one.
Accounts receivable will have cash/check deposits and merchant credit card credits to document. Do the same as you did with your accounts payable. Maintain a file for every month of the year. As you collect payment documentation, file it in the month it was paid. Things such as copies of checks and deposit slips, your credit card payment slips for payments you received, your merchant account statements, your merchant reports for the month etc.
It is a good idea to make a photo copy of checks and deposit slips for each deposit. Make a note of what each check was for. Then if there are questions on where the money came from for each deposit, you will have that breakdown available in your files.
If your business processes credit cards, it is a good idea to keep a monthly report of all payments you received via credit card. Be sure to include documentation of what the payment was for. If you have your copy of the credit card slips to file, I recommend you staple them to the merchant account statement they belong to when you reconcile the statement.
Depending on the volume and nature of your business, you could combine the payable records with the receivable records into one set of monthly files as long as you keep all the little slips stapled to the appropriate statements. You are going to need them all combined at the end of the year for your accountant anyway. If you process a large number of transactions, this isn’t a good idea for you. You’ll want to keep them separate.
Administrative
You’ll want a file labeled “Financial Reports” where you keep all your month end reports, profit and loss reports, balance sheets, etc. This information will be used from time to time to track your business and to make effective business plans for the future. You’ll want these reports at your fingertips on a number of different occasions so don’t combine them with your monthly files.
If you have acquired a loan for your business, you’ll want a file for the particulars of your loan. Your monthly payment documentation can go in the monthly files with the rest of your accounts payable. Your original loan agreement would go in its own file.
I know this is not the traditional method for managing your accounts payable and accounts receivable documentation. This method minimizes the motions in filing away your documentation, retrieving your documentation, and preparing your documentation for your accountant. Before you balk at the suggestions, think carefully through the operations and the processes that your financial documentation goes through. Decide for yourself if this way makes more sense than the way people have done it for generations.
I hope you find success in implementing these quick ideas. You'll be amazed at the amount of time and effort you'll save!
Organizing Your CDs
Okay, I want you to be truthful. Do you have a stack of CDs somewhere that have not been properly returned to their cases?
For years I had a neat row of CD cases lining the shelf. I even had the shelves labeled of where the different categories of CDs belonged. In front of the neatly placed empty cases was a stack of CDs four inches high. The CDs were out of their cases and piled on top of each other. They were waiting for someone to match them up with their cases and put them on the shelf where they really belonged.
Does that sound familiar?
Here is a suggestion that will eliminate that problem entirely. Get rid of the cases they came in. Throw them away. Buy slim jewel cases with clear fronts. Buy them in bulk. Put every CD in a clear slim jewel case. The top of each CD is usually labeled, and when inserted properly the label is displayed in the front cover of the clear jewel case. If they are not labeled, use a marker to identify the CD by writing on the top of the CD.
Buy CD organizers that organize the CDs so they are front facing. The CD organizers look like an empty box with no dividers of any kind. You simply set your CDs in them so the front of the jewel case is facing you. You put 20+ CDs in front of each other.
You need to watch the measurements of these CD organizers. Make sure they will be a proper fit with the shelves you are going to put them on. Get enough of these CD organizers that you have one for each type or category of CDs. For example you may have a different organizer for rock and roll, country, jazz, books on CD, talk tapes, etc. Label the organizers according to the category of CDs they hold. Get one extra organizer to hold empty slim jewel cases. Label the empty jewel case organizer "Empty Cases."
Insert all of the CDs into the clear jewel cases so the label on the top of the CD is displayed in the front of the jewel case. Put all your country western music CDs in the organizer labeled "Country." Put them in so they are all facing the front. Put all the rock and roll music CDs in the organizer labeled "Rock & Roll." Continue this process until all of your CDs have a home in one of the organizers. Keep 10-20 empty cases in the "Empty Cases" organizer.
It is important that each CD organizer is only about 80% full. You need to leave enough space in each organizer that you can flip each individual CD forward and see the label of the CD behind it. If your organizers are too full you have two options. Get rid of enough of the CDs until you obtain a proper fit or get another organizer for that category.
Give the organizers a home on a shelf or space that is below eye level. You need to be able to look down at them in order to get a full view of the labels. They should be located within arms reach of the CD player. Label the organizers. Place matching labels on the shelves where each organizer is to be stored. That way the same organizer gets put back in the exact same place every time. Now every member of the family can go on automatic pilot. They can know where the different categories can be found without looking for them.
Here is the "Putting Away" Process...
You eject a CD from the CD player. You no longer need to find the correct case to put it away properly. All cases are exactly the same. You pull an empty jewel case out of the "Empty Cases" organizer and insert your CD into the jewel case. You set the jewel case which now has the CD in it into the organizer holding its category. If it's country music you put it in the front of the "Country" organizer. If it's rock you put it in the front of the "Rock & Roll" organizer. You do not put the CDs in any order. You just set them in the front of the organizer its category belongs in. Be sure they are facing the front.
Here is the "Getting Them Out" Process...
You approach your CD organizers. You go to the organizer holding the category of music you want to listen to. You start at the front and flip through the CDs flipping each jewel case forward as you go. All the cases are facing the front so you can easily read the labels of each CD. You find the CD you want. You take it out of the jewel case. You put the empty jewel case in the front of the "Empty Cases" organizer. You insert the CD into the CD player. You enjoy your music.
This system insists on a proper fit, stores items at the place they are first used, makes it easier to put it away than it is to get it out, eliminates extra motions in the putting away process, and uses labels properly. It will minimize the clutter and the maintenance.
You can use this method with computer CDs, DVDs, audio CDs and more. If you treasure the inserts that came with your CDs, file them in your reference file.
When you obtain new CDs simply transfer the CD to one of the empty cases that is in your "Empty Cases" organizer. Drop it into the correct category organizer. Throw out the old CD case and the insert. If you must keep the insert, file it in your reference file.
