Archive for Business Organizing

tablet showing an empty email inbox

How to Organize Your Out of Control Email Inbox

Posted by Carolyn on
 January 31, 2025
  ·  2 Comments

tablet showing an empty email inbox

Is your email inbox out of control? Are you trying to stay organized and feeling overwhelmed when the next batch of email arrives? There is no doubt that staying on top of inbox digital clutter is a challenge with the ease that email can be sent and received.  As Brendon Burchard reminds us in The Charge your email inbox is NOT your To Do list. In fact, your email inbox is usually someone else’s to do list and if you have receive their email their to do is done and they think your’s is just begun.

Here is a strategy to organize your email inbox on an ongoing basis as well as getting on top of the out of control inbox.

Control the Email When it Arrives 

As a professional organizer I am frequently asked how I recommend people stay on top of their email.  There are a variety of strategies to organize and email inbox, and manage the email when you first open it. 

  1. Use folders to file by topic or person – there is no right answer it depends on how you think. I think by time frame so I use sender and time for my folders
  2. Flag action items right away. If you can accomplish the action in under 15 minutes then take the time to do it. If it needs to be scheduled into your calendar, right it down and flag the emailing action items for example. 

desk owner is trying to get things done, pink notebook, pink flowers on white desk,When the Email Inbox is Out of Control

When it comes to the emails that have been left in your Inbox too long here is a process I call the 10 percent solution.

  1. Pick a time of day to commit 10 minutes to email management.  Stick to this commitment until that Inbox is under control.
  2. Change the sorting order of the Inbox.  If you normally sort by date, try sorting by sender or subject.  This has the impact of immediately changing the context of the emails.  With a different context sorting is easier.
  3. Check the total number of emails and then identify what 10% would be.  This is your target; the number of emails you are going to file or delete in your designated 10 minutes.  For example, if you have 1000 emails sitting in your Inbox, try and remove 100 at the first sitting.
  4. Quickly scroll through the list and try and delete as many as possible i.e. the easy ones you know are no longer needed.  If you get stuck or bogged down, switch the sort again and keep going.  Try sorting by email topic.  This will sometimes allow you to delete the backlog of emails on one particularly topic and then the last one, with all the accompanying conversation, will be the email to file.You will be surprised how easy it is to remove 100 emails when you have changed the context.

Practice these strategies regularly to organize your email inbox and keep it organized.

Business Organizing Declutter Office Organizing Organizing Strategies Strategy
Tags : , , , , ,
woman biting pencil staring at computer looking worried and frantic.

Top 5 Series – Indicators you’re Disorganized

Posted by Carolyn on
 May 1, 2023
  ·  No Comments

woman biting pencil staring at computer looking worried and frantic.Think your office might be seriously disorganized?

Not sure if you are disorganized enough to need help?

You have your own business which you love.  It does ok.  Clients are happy – most of the time.  But you admit to yourself when no one else is looking that things aren’t as good as you think they should be. You are really afraid someone besides your accountant and CRA, or IRS is you are south of the 49th parallel, will find out your taxes were late last year….again. The assistant you hired reminded you that the last 10 client orders were late.  Meanwhile, you find yourself running from home to office to home to office, always late and always rushing.

You, and your office or business, may be disorganized and not be aware. Here are the top five indicators I find when clients call me for help.

1 Targets are missed.

This is the indicator that keeps you awake at night. As the fiscal year goes by, and performance targets get missed, you are already sweating. You didn’t meet your sales targets for last year and you don’t even know if you are on track for first quarter.  If fact, you are pretty sure your records aren’t up to date. Do you and your employees have a clear, strategic plan to accomplish those targets? Creating a step by step plan for everyone to follow will help keep everyone on the same page and the business on track.

2 Priorities are confused.

You know your ideal client.  You know your business mission and you have an awesome vision.  Should be enough right?  Then why is it you can’t meet performance goals. Employees don’t understand the mission and/or strategic goals.You have the mission memorized. You’ve agonized over your strategic goals. Every word is perfect. You’ve done the retreat and handed out copies. Why is it then, that no one remembers? Why don’t your employees remember what the company is trying to accomplish this year?

Maybe because words on a page don’t translate into happy customers. A perfect mission, vision and values statement is only helpful if there is an action plan to translate that into the satisfied client. How does you mission statement turn into sales? How does your mission statement become a product or service that removes your client pain point? Turn your attention to providing value to clients and your mission will come alive with sales.

3 Employees are unhappy.

You have a sense that there are just too many good bye lunch parties. Meanwhile you’re soaking up your training and development budget with new hire orientation rather than development of your existing and loyal employees. At the same time, you’ve hearing complaint after complaint from employees about this, that and the other thing. They never bring it up to the team meetings, (do you have them?) they just grumble.

Disorganization in an employer or boss can quickly lead to disgruntled employees. With clear expectations, timely projects and constructive feedback, employees will more likely enjoy making a contribution to your goals.

4 Offices, work spaces are cluttered and disorganized.clutter-free office shows what is possible with organizing support.

Starting with yours; do you, or your staff, keep asking for another copy of (name of latest report on the file share system) because they can’t find it? Do you, or your employees, spend too much time looking for things and not enough time acting on goals? Sure, you know exactly where that proposal is, right? If I said you had 10 seconds to find it, could you? What is under, behind or beside your desk? Your employees desks? Check it out.

Keeping a clutter free work space contribute to higher productivity and happier staff. Try putting aside a Friday afternoon for an office clean up – with everyone responsible for their own work area. Keep common work areas clutter free.

5 Someone is always at the office or online trying to work late – very late.

Someone, or ones, is (are) working longer hours than they should. Is there one person, maybe it’s you, that is always working later than everyone else, comes in on weekends, and probably still is not meeting their performance objectives? That extra work time without the work output to show for it, is a common sign of disorganization. That person may need some help to clarify their priorities and deadlines. Or they may need some support to create a more productive work environment.

My goal is to help you develop an awareness of what some of the indicators of disorganization.  With that awareness, you have the power to make changes. Even small changes can make a big difference.  Become a clutter free role model at your office and to your employees. Keep your work area clutter free. Small changes applied consistently over time amount to big results.

Business Organizing Declutter Office Organizing Productivity Top 5 Series
Tags : , , , ,

Book Review:Two Weeks Notice, Amy Porterfield

Posted by Carolyn on
 January 1, 2023
  ·  No Comments
Book cover of Two Weeks Notice, soon to be published book by Amy Porterfield.

Two Weeks Notice, Amy Porterfield, release date Feb. 25, 2023

When given the chance to provide a book review of Two Weeks Notice, by Amy Porterfield, I jumped at the opportunity. Have you have ever considered leaving a full or part time J-O-B to start your own digitally based business?  Then this book is for you. Amy Porterfield, course creator master and podcaster (Online Marketing Made Easy) has finally put her knowledge, talent and story-telling to paper.

I’ve been following Porterfield for years. The chance to provide a book review of Two Weeks Notice before it is released was an easy yes for me. Porterfield has used her own entrepreneurial journey to guide the reader through the dos, don’ts and “watch our fors” of creating a digitally based business.

Easy to Read

The book is an easy read. It feels like Porterfield is sitting right in your living room talking to you. And she’s giving you the straight goods including her own flops, failures, trials, tribulations and recipe for success. Porterfield has writes like she presents in person and the format is engaging and authentic.

Full of Wisdom and Resources

Don’t be fooled into thinking it isn’t also packed full of wisdom, lists, resources and step by step guidance. Porterfield has a habit of delivering exceptional value to her audience, students and social followers. This book is no different. She has also included reference notes and follow up resources. Each chapter finishes with an action item list.

I only wish I’d had the opportunity to review Two Weeks Notice, and had Porterfield’s recipe for success, when I started my entrepreneurial journey 17 years ago. Would have saved me alot of heartache. If leaving the paid-for-time world to pursue your entrepreneurial dreams is tugging at your heart, get a copy of this book and read it cover to cover.

Good Reads review

Book Reviews Business Organizing

Organize Taxes – Time Tamer Tuesday

Posted by Carolyn on
 March 16, 2016
  ·  1 Comment
organize taxes ahead of deadline

Three principles will help you organize taxes before the deadline.

It’s that time again.  Time to organize taxes. Yup.  Funny how it comes around every year at the same time.

And since it’s so predictable you’ve anticipated tax season and have everything ready.  Right?

Ok if you answered yes, feel free to leave now and come back next Tuesday or next blog post, whichever comes first.  For the rest of us, stick around and let’s see if we can help you with a couple of strategies to save some time, and maybe some money, on your income tax preparation.

Now, let me be clear – I am NOT an accountant.  I am not offering any advise that might actually impact or have bearing on your tax submission.  You will need someone with a CGA or CA after their name to help with that.  But, with a CPO after my name, I can say i know something about getting things ready to organize taxes each year.

Many of my clients need help with this task.  Some are running a small business and while creative, are not very organized.  But they are clever and have hired me as a professional organizer to help.  To organize taxes we use 3  simple principles.

File When it Arrives

organize taxes

Sort files both paper and electronic as they arrive to organize taxes ahead of the deadline.

As soon as those receipts and invoices show up, get them filed.  Leaving receipts and invoices lying around, whether paper or electronic, is asking for them to start wandering around.  And they do.  Ever noticed how those chiropractor receipts managed to wander from the bag your were carrying when you got your last adjustment to the stack of paper on the table?  The e-receipt from your last product purchase?  Might still be buried in your email. File it as soon as you see the email to help organize taxes ahead of tax season.

File by Expense Type

Simple right? For some people, yes.  They likely aren’t still reading.  For the rest of us, resisting the temptation to drop all files into one folder, paper or electronic, that says “Income Tax”, is a tough job.

You know what your expense categories are unless our are filing income tax for the first time, as a young new employee or new business owner, and therefore have to organize taxes for the first time.  By taking that one extra step to file the material according to the expense type, you will be saving yourself time and effort down the road.  Depending on the role your book keeper and/accountant plays for you, you could also be saving yourself some money.  Their time is precious and usually expensive.  Especially around tax time.

Match Paper and E-Files

organize taxes

Match up your paper files and electronic file categories to reduce the work for organizing taxes.

Although more and more paper files are becoming less and less of our lives and businesses, the reality is we are not yet free of the paper.  So, you are likely to still have some paper and some e-files for your accountant.  An accordion file works well for paper files.  Most office supply stores carry accordion files with anywhere from 6 to 26 (alphabetized) pockets.  Use the one that best matches the number of expense categories you use.  I keep my categories lean so I use the 13 pocket style.

On the electronic side, set up an Income Tax folder with subfolders of the same categories.  The result?  Your brain only has to remember one set of categories and you will get used to using the folders, paper and e-files, the same way.

Can you feel your brain relaxing yet?

We organize taxes every single year.  These three principles will help make it easier for you to be prepared.  And might save you some money in book keeping and accounting fees.  No more running around at the last minute looking for the telephone receipts.

Business Organizing Organizing Challenges Organizing Strategies Time Tamer Tuesday
Tags : , ,
Great things can happen in an organized home office.

The Organized Home Office: 3 Key Ingredients

Posted by Carolyn on
 November 9, 2015
  ·  6 Comments
sign spelling office in white letters on black background

Making sure you maintain an organized home office takes basic ingredients and your own spice.

So you’ve decided to work from home – congratulations!  Chances are you’re going to love working in your jeans and t-shirt, without a commute and with the flexibility that a home office provides.  It takes some work, however, to ensure your work space is functional, productive, has all the tools you need and  is available to you when you need it.  These are important criteria for an organized home office.  Here are some key ingredients that can help your office meet those criteria.

Basic Ingredient: An Organized Home Office is Separate from Home Functions

When setting up a home office, clients frequently start by taking over a small part of an existing space in their home.  This is a great way to see if working at home is feasible.  You know the place: the computer table in the kitchen; the family computer desk in the den; the craft corner in the basement rec room.  These areas are often already multi purpose space.  Its where home work, crafts and family organization and communication are happening.  Adding the additional pressure of a home office is sometimes more multi than these multi purpose spaces can manage.  Professional organizers  are brought in to  help organize the home office when clients find the geography project has exploded over the latest market research report and invoices ready to be mailed.  

Find a way to physically separate the business work from anything else that happens at that work station.  If you can’t  fully take over a space, and have to share with other household activity, use a cupboard, box or even just a shelf where your material can be collected and put away before the homework starts up.  Role model to other family members that you put away your material when not actively working at the common space; they are expected to put away their things when leaving the space.  It might take a bit of reminding at first but your material will be secure and the work station can continue to be used by the family while you enjoy the advantages working at home can bring.

House big enough you get your own corner office?  Lucky you. Just make sure that room has a door.  Opening the door is like stepping into a corporate setting.  It says “I’m at work”.  Same with the office-in-a-box approach.  When you empty the box onto the dining room table, you have arrived at work for the day.

Resist the temptation to use a corner of your bedroom for your home office.  The bedroom is a place for rest and relaxation, not work.

Binding Ingredient: An Organized Home Office is Mostly Self-Contained and Holds its own Tools.

Great things can happen in an organized home office.

Great things can happen in an organized home office.

Think of this as permission, resources permitting, to shop for the tools your office will need and to keep them in your office, even if it is just a box.  Often, we identify the space for our office space and then use tools from elsewhere in the house to stock it;  paper from the family computer station, stapler from the kitchen, pens from the junk drawer, hole punch from the craft boxes.  This can be an excellent use of extra tools around the house.  It can also mean, however, that your office is raided when that hole punch is needed for the science project.

You will need holders for those tools.  Use a decorated juice container from your 8 year old, or top of the line from the office supply store.  An organized home office has the tools there when you need them easily accessible.  The more self contained it is, the more likely your organized home office will stay organized.

Spice it Up: Add Your Unique Style

desk with flowers in vase

Add some spice to make your organized home office reflect your taste.

It might be a business office, but one of the advantages of a home office is the freedom to decorate to your own style and taste.  Go to town and have fun.  The more comfortable and personal you make the space, the more likely you are to keep it organized and functional. About to land the company’s next largest order?  Do it in style.  If your office is stored in a box while supper is on the table, add your own taste with a special picture, pencil holder or the coolest file folders you have ever seen.  Using a cupboard?  Try putting your special pictures on the inside of the cupboard and leave it open while you are at work.

A home office can be fun and flexible.  A home based business can be rewarding.  Keep yourself productive with an organized home office that reflects your business needs and your own personality.

 

Business Organizing Home Organizing Office Organizing Organizing Challenges Productivity
Tags : , , , ,
increased organization in your business

Top 5 Series – Organization in your Business

Posted by Carolyn on
 October 17, 2008
  ·  No Comments

increase organization in your businessYou recognize its time to increase organization in your business. You’ve been working diligently to increase your personal organization. As the paper clears and the dust settles, you realize your staff are also working in a cluttered, ineffective environment. It’s time to change the culture in the office from “No one really cares since these aren’t public offices” to “We are proud of the professional environment in which we work“. These strategies will help.

1. Set the Standard Yourself

As head of the organization, directorate or department, your leadership sets the tone. If your office is a pile of disorganized papers, you give your staff the impression you don’t care what the place looks like. Why should they? I know, I know. You can find anything you want in the office right? Are you sure? How long will it take you? And if you don’t show up tomorrow is that the way you want your leadership role remembered? To increase organization in your business requires increased organization for yourself.  Get help if you need it and struggle to manage the space, time or stuff.

2. Walk the Talk

Start talking about professional presentation and image at meetings. Add it to performance appraisals to make staff accountable. In order to increase organization in your business, you will have to set the standard across your business practices.  The top of your desk is only one place.  Staying on time for, during and at meetings speaks volumes about how your expect your staff to perform.

3. Make it easy

Ensure that every staff member has immediate access to a blue box for recycling; right beside their desk in place of a garbage can wouldn’t be tool close.

4. Give staff the Tools

Ensure that every staff has the tools they need to be organized in their work space. Do they have reasonable access to appropriate filing space? Do they have a desk that works? Is there a book shelf or alternative for holding company policy manuals or obligatory preventative maintenance reports? If you aren’t sure what is missing or why an employee is so disorganized, consider having a professional organizer conduct an assessment of the work space in question. There may be more complex organizational issues that the employee is struggling with.

5. Make Organizing a Habit

Schedule a semi-annual clear out day. The rules for the time are simple. Everyone participates in a clear out of their work space on this day. No other meetings or activities are booked. Order lunch for the gang. To increase organization in your business requires routine and practice.

Business Organizing Organizing Strategies Top 5 Series
Tags : , , , , , ,

Top 5 Series – Reasons that Companies are Disorganized

Posted by Carolyn on
 November 8, 2007
  ·  No Comments

Why does the disorganization occur? Remember, good leadership always includes accountability.

1. Disorganization by Senior Executives
These individuals are easy to spot. They frequently ask for documents a second time. “Send me another copy, it’s probably in my email backlog.” The last thing they need is another copy of anything. Their offices are often an array of piles and may not leave you a spot to sit down. They are often late for meetings. If these individuals chair a meeting, you may be late for your next one as they likely won’t finish on time. Meanwhile direction is unclear and accomplishment is minimal. On the other hand, action – without accomplishment – is plentiful, often at the expense of others because other people work harder to keep these folks organized.

2. Insufficient Action Regarding Strategic Objectives
Once the mission, vision, strategic goals and target are set, who does the follow up? Where is the accountability and how often is progress tracked. You may have used balance scorecards, dashboards, quality management strategies or a host of other tools and still found your company falling short of its goals. Look and see what structure, systems and processes were put into place to support the accomplishment of those goals. Are they visible? Does everyone know what they are and how the company will attain them?

3. Lack of Documentation Retention Policies
I am constantly surprised the number of times I enter an individual’s office and find they have paper they have never looked at, boxes they have never opened and don’t know what to do with material that they don’t want or need any longer. Do your employees know how often your expect them to purge their files, paper or digital, and what to do with the result?

4. Failure to Understand Space Requirements of Employees/Programs
Too often when programs or employees ask for more space, they are merely moving clutter they don’t need in the first place. Unfortunately, their bosses don’t understand enough about their position, role or program to understand that before anything is moved, an new filing cabinet is purchased or a new lease is signed, a good clear out is required.

5. Unwillingness/Inability to Manage/Address Individual Disorganization
Unfortunately for employee and manager alike, too many managers are ill prepared to assess and address disorganization in an employee. Their tardiness on projects, lateness for meetings, failure to respond to email and excessive piles of paper and overtime hours are disappointing at best and very expensive for a company to support. Tackling it requires diligent performance management and all too often, managers just don’t have the skill.

Tomorrow the Top 5 continues with Actions to Make a Difference.

Business Organizing Top 5 Series
Tags : , ,

Leadership is something we do, not something we study.

Posted by Carolyn on
 November 5, 2007
  ·  No Comments

This blog is the result of turning dreaming into action. Many years ago, I had the privilege of reporting to a man who, when he learned of my ambition to someday pursue a PhD in the study of leadership, motivation and education, responded that leadership is something we do, not something we study. My path since that moment has taken an interesting turn. The journey has included formation of my company, Wellrich Organizers, almost three years ago and a sojourn through more academia as I pursue certification in chronic disorganization with the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. A focusing of the education, experience and knowledge gained thus far, professional organizing has proven to be the melding of three knowledge arenas which have long held my interest, study and passion namely education, management and psychology. So here goes….I invite you to join me.

Business Organizing Office Organizing
Tags : , , , , ,
Carolyn Caldwell photo, Instagram logo and link to follow.

Banish those Gremlins!

Conquer Procrastination Cheat Sheet

Struggling with procrastination gremlins? Grab your free copy of Conquering Procrastination Cheat Sheet: 4 Procrastination Gremlins and the Tricks to Beat Them.

Name(Required)
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Caldwell Evolution | Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Website by Janet Barclay