March 2nd, 2010
Most small business owners spend as little money as possible on their office set up. However, working in your office can cause you pain and permanent nerve damage if you do not adjust your working area to your body.
When you are in pain your brain shrinks and cortisol levels rise making it harder for your brain to make any decision at all!
I recommend Chris Sorrells OTR, CHT, CEAS who has developed a fabulous resource site to help you improve your work area which means improving your productivity!
www.ErgonomicsSimplified.com has a free personalized ergonomic evaluation to teach people how to set up their work area to reduce risks for repetitive strain injuries (neck strain, carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain, etc).
There are ErgoTips for laptops, PDAs, driving, & more and pages on specific high risk jobs such as lawyers, etc.
Check it out because if you don’t take care of you first, your business will struggle to prosper in the long run.
For more common sense tips on keeping small business owners ergonomically on top see my current article “Ergonomic Dynamos”
Tags: ergonomic, improve productivity, manage stress, online resources, organize home office, organize small business office, small business owner
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February 24th, 2010
Would you like to stop tons of junk mail and pre-approved credit cards offers that are the fastest, easiest way for your identity to be stolen?
The amount of useless information and “offers” that we get is phenomenal. No where else in the world are people subjected to the corporate and non-profit barrage of stuff we do not want or need, much less did not ask for!
You can streamline your information processing as well as lowering your ID Theft Probability Profile by taking simple free steps like:
Opt Out of ‘Prescreened’ Credit Offers:
Go to www.optoutprescreen.com or call (888) 567-8688) to protect yourself, elderly family members and college-aged kids from solicitations of creditors.
This improves your credit rating as well!
For the complete checklist see: http://www.organizer-extraordinaire.com/Simplify-Your%20Life-Checklist.pdf
Just put the list in with your “bills to pay” and check off one or two every time you take care of business!
Tags: green office, online resources, organize small business office, save time, simplify your life, small business owner
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February 16th, 2010
I have never been an early adopter of software/hardware/webware or anything else technological for that matter. Even I have to admit, there is now a great selection of ways to do your taxes online.
HR Block, TurboTax, and others have simplified and improved the online process for filing taxes. Particularly if you are a ’simple filing’ (that is employed and filing a W-2). Free tax preparation is offered for all simple filings online!
The government will send your filing back to you if they catch errors. Then, you can just file it again…until you get it right.
For small business owners, online filing is still trickier than using their (HR Block or TurboTax, etc.) software. But, both types will lead you line-by-line through the more complicated process of filing with deductions for home office etc.
Fact is, I’ve been able to take advantage of various deductions that I would never have known I qualified for unless I had used TurboTax.
Do not believe for a moment that these methods (online or software) are foolproof. Twice in the fifteen years I’ve been using TurboTax, the IRS has filed an adjustment to my tax filing. I’ve had to pay several hundred dollars each time but, there was no penalty involved.
If you have a complicated filing this year, I recommend preparing your taxes and then have them reviewed by a tax professional before filing. If you have worked with any particular tax preparation business that you like, chances are you’ll be better off sticking to the same company’s software or online product.
That is the most dependable way that I know to take advantage of the technology without depending one hundred percent on someone else to get it right for you and your small business.
April 15th is closer than it appears in your rear view mirror. Good Luck!
Tags: green office, online resources, organize taxes, save time, small business success, time management
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February 8th, 2010
I use this Home file system kit for all my personal, family and home files. 75% of all home and small business filing categories are the same for everyone! All the preprinted tabs and file labels are already color-coded. then, I use the Small Business file system kit for my working and current business files.
Both kits include a MS Word File Index that you can use to add in your special file names for a complete index of all your documents. Use that same MS Word index to tune up your matching computer folders and go green by keeping more items electronically.
More tips on New Year organizing for your business here
Using any of these filing kits is faster and cheaper than hiring an organizer. And, you can use any kit with an organizer to save both time and money!
Tags: green office, organize computer, organize home office, organize paper, organize small business office, paper file system
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February 3rd, 2010
There are many small businesses in the U.S. that run quite well with paper documents plus convenient computer programs. If a small business owner is over the age of 35 or so, they learned how to work and uptake information through paper. Research points to a significant increase in retention (your ability to remember what you have read) of up to 40 percent over reading onscreen.
This is the time of year to tune up your small business file systems. After all the only sure things in life are death and taxes. April 15th is closer than you think. Taking a little time now to “out with the old 2009″ and “in with the new 2010″ will payoff in less administrative time and more time to make money.
No matter what kind of small business industry or profession you run, checkout http://www.organizer-extraordinaire.com/Organize-Small-Business-Paper-New-Year.pdf for tips to make it go quicker and easier.
Next, we’ll tackle organizing your computer for the New Year!
Tags: improve productivity, organize small business office, paper file system, save time, small business owner, small business success
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January 11th, 2010
For many small business owners, their Top Ten New Years Resolutions include less smoking and less drinking. You may change your resolutions after seeing these amazing images from Dr. Amen’s new book which show that long-term, heavy use of nicotine and caffeine can be just as (or more) brain damaging as addicted illegal drug use!
I highly recommend his book, “Change Your Brain, Change Your Life.” Dr. Daniel G. Amen is a neuroscientist and professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of California, Irvine, as well as director of the Amen Clinics.
Keep your eyes peeled for Dr. Amen’s expertise on PBS specials!
We only get one brain and cannot grow another one. Remember to concentrate on changing one habit at a time.
Your brain will thank you! And so will your business.
Tags: brain at work, improve productivity, manage stress, small business owner, small business success
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January 1st, 2010
I am grateful to all my friends and former clients who send me the latest info on the new scams that can ruin your holidays or the New Year.
My friend “Z” wrote me to warn me about the experience they had while on vacation back East. She and her husband “A” were at a WALMART. Her husband noticed while he was signing the credit card authorization that $40.00 cash back was listed. He immediately told the cashier that he had not asked for nor did he want any cash back.
The cashier said “oh sorry that machine has been acting up.” Then, she corrected the transaction and reissued the receipt.
Number one fact: machines do not add on anything to your transaction — the cashier does. WALMART said they couldn’t see the cashier pocketing the cash so there was nothing to do.
Solution: Always check your receipts before signing the authorization. Never hesitate to question charges or anything you do not understand, no matter how long the line is waiting behind you.
A cashier can haul in thousands of dollars from hundreds of transactions they process in one shift. There is no way to recover your money because the receipt ’shows’ you asked for the cash back. Then it becomes a “they say VS you say” situation.
It is up to you to protect your self and your money every time you do a transaction.
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December 18th, 2009
I have been surprised to find just how much the different search engines do not show all appropriate results for any one search term. Plug the same word (s) into Google, Yahoo or BING and get mostly the same results plus there are always some obviously ‘missing links’.
Enter www.leapfish.com with a great solution: put in your search terms and just toggle through the link results for all three major search engines (with the duplicates removed). You also get a complete range of video, images and podcast results!
www.LEAPFISH.com is now my favorite search site and I use it everyday. Save Time. Get better, faster search results. Try it, you will like it!
Tags: better search results, information management, online resources, organize small business, save time, small business success
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August 28th, 2008
This lively audio interview includes three segments with Eve Abbott on taking better care of your brain while “Getting It All Done in a 24/7/365 Small Business World”. Your host is Bridget Beck of “Get Wise – Get Organized”.
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Tags: brain at work, organize home office, organize office, organize small business office, time management
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August 28th, 2008
KQED National Public Radio: Mark Trautwein produces the “Perspectives” community service 2-minute audio program. Eve Abbott’s segment is from a special edition of her time-saving Organizer Extraordinaire tips ezine/blog, “Disaster Survival Tips for You, Your Family and Your Business.”
Tags: brain at work, manage stress, organize small business office
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