Succeed As Your Own Boss

ENDING SMALL BUSINESS FAILURE

  • Home
  • About
  • Book Melinda
  • Consulting
  • SBL Store
    • Books/Workbooks
    • LifePlanningJournal
    • 30 Day Fast Start Program
    • Become Your Own Boss Bundle
    • Fix Your Business Masterclass
    • Write A Business Plan Course
    • Mastermind Group
    • One-on-One VIP Coaching
  • #Smallbizchat
    • Be a #SmallBizChat Guest
  • Subscribe to Podcast
  • FAQ
  • Blog
    • Write For Us
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Fix Your Business / How to Keep Your Workspace Organized

How to Keep Your Workspace Organized

May 30, 2019 By Melinda Emerson Leave a Comment

Feel free to share...Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print

Every week as SmallBizLady, I conduct interviews with experts on my Twitter talk show #SmallBizChat. The show takes place every Wednesday on Twitter from 8-9pm ET.  This is excerpted from my recent interview with Janet M. Taylor, @OrganizerJanet. In 1994 Janet took her natural ability and started Totally Organized. For 3 consecutive years Totally Organized, LLC was recognized as one of the top minority firms by the Philadelphia Business Journal.  Janet appeared on the Rachael Ray Show where she was crowned the Clutter-Free Queen. For more information, visit: www.JanetMTaylor.com

SmallBizLady: Janet, could you please give us some information on your background such as previous work history and where you grew up?

Janet M. Taylor: I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, the city of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection, Cheesesteaks and Rocky.  After college, I worked in retail with a degree in Fashion Merchandising. From there I worked in banking, and my last job before I started my business was in transportation, working in the customer service department.  All of these jobs have helped me in my career as a professional organizer.

SmallBizLady: How did you get into the world of organization?  What drives you to work in this area?

Janet M. Taylor: I started in the business because I was laid off from the last full-time job I worked.  I wanted to have control over my future and finances. Someone mentioned how organized I was, and I started doing research and discovered the National Association of Professional Organizers, and then connected with the local chapter.  I love helping people create space to attract more money, love, and happiness.

SmallBizLady: The National Association of Professional Organizers records at its website that, on average, American executives waste as much as six weeks of time searching for important documents. What keeps executives from being more organized?

Janet M. Taylor: Today executives and other workers are balancing various daily tasks, meetings, voicemail, and emails. Furthermore, some executives don’t have an assistant to help them with day-to-day administrative tasks, like maintaining their files and paperwork. Executives who do have an assistant may have to share their assistant with one or more other managers. I’m often called in to help executives see the top of their desk.  Many clients I work with have spent over 50 percent of the day searching for documents, etc.

SmallBizLady: Outside of money, what key disadvantages do being disorganized cost individuals and businesses every day?

Janet M. Taylor: Being disorganized is a big time waster.  Looking for documents that are buried beneath piles of paperwork wastes time. Disorganization also creates stress, especially when it causes workers to miss deadlines. You could also find yourself buying things you already have, wasting gas, wasting time and wasting more money as you travel to stores and fill up more space with things you don’t need, adding more clutter to your office.

SmallBizLady: Give us a few signs that reveal we’re disorganized.

Janet M. Taylor: The signs to know you are disorganized are:

  1. Missed deadlines
  2. Bills are paid late simply because you misplaced them
  3. You buy additional office supplies ( i.e., batteries, ink) needlessly because you can’t find what you already own

SmallBizLady: Have you seen an increased interest in your services since Marie Kondo’s show about Tidying Up?

Janet M. Taylor: Yes, I have seen an increase in the requests for my services.  Her show is bringing awareness to the benefits organization gives a person in their home and space.

SmallBizLady: To date, what’s the most challenging organizing job you’ve taken on?

Janet M. Taylor: The most challenging job I’ve taken so far was when I worked for a client who showed me to a room that had boxes and boxes of paperwork and documents dumped on the floor.  There were enough boxes of documents to fill an average-size living room. This was before scanners become popular and people could create electronic files. I was given the task of categorizing and organizing the documents but was not given direction as to what was in the files, how to organize the files, etc. When I finished the job nearly two weeks later, six departments at the firm had organized and labeled archive files.

SmallBizLady: My listeners typically work in small offices and cubicles. Do you have any tips for people who occupy small offices in their homes or at work?

Janet M. Taylor: The challenge for some people who work in small offices can be paper piles.  I believe we can do simple things to conquer them, and the following are a few ways to tackle those piles:

  1. Unsubscribe to publications you don’t have time to read.
  2. Create an archive of old financial, contract and client documents—scan them.
  3. Establish a retention schedule to yearly purge documents.
  4. Schedule time weekly to maintain order.
  5. Clear your workspace at the end of the day and week.

SmallBizLady: What solutions do you provide for someone that has an office in their home?

Janet M. Taylor: Establish a designated space in the home, whether it is a room or a corner of a room. The set-up should look and feel like an office with a desk, chair, etc.

SmallBizLady: How do you incorporate equipment and technology into staying organized?

Janet M. Taylor: Use a scanner to reduce the need for filing cabinets or at least the amount you have, and use a shredder to protect your identity.  New mousepads are created to extend the life of the wireless mouse, which means fewer batteries to purchase.

SmallBizLady: How do you stay organized?

Janet M. Taylor: I toss junk mail. I take something out, I put it back.  I establish a time weekly to clear off my desk so that each day and week I start off with a clear desk. Clutter is distracting.

SmallBizLady: In closing is there anything you would like to add?

Janet M. Taylor: 80 percent of the stuff we keep, we never reference again.

If you enjoyed this interview, please join us live on Twitter every Wednesday from 8-9 pm ET. Just follow the hashtag #Smallbizchat, and don’t forget to follow @SmallBizChat on Twitter.

Feel free to share...Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Share on Reddit
Reddit
Email this to someone
email
Print this page
Print

Filed Under: Fix Your Business, SmallBizChat Tagged With: how to be organized at work, Keep Your Workspace Organized, organization, organize, organized workspace, workspace

Fix Your Business Now!

Order SmallBizLady's new book Fix Your Business, 90-Day plan to Get Back Your Life and Reduce Chaos in Your Business. It includes the 12 Ps of Running a Successful Business and readers will finish the book with a new strategic plan to take their business to the next level.

About Melinda Emerson

Melinda F. Emerson, known to many as SmallBizLady is one of America's leading small business experts. As a seasoned entrepreneur, professional speaker, and small business coach, she develops audio, video and written content to fulfill her mission to end small business failure. As CEO of Quintessence Multimedia, Melinda educates entrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies on subjects including small business start-up, business development and social media marketing. Forbes Magazine named her #1 woman for entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter. She hosts #SmallBizChat Wednesdays on Twitter 8-9pm ET for emerging entrepreneurs. She also publishes a resource blog http://www.succeedasyourownboss.com Melinda is also bestseller author of Become Your Own Boss in 12 months; A Month-by-Month Guide to a Business That Works. Her latest ebook, How To Become a Social Media Ninja; 101 Ways to Dominate Your Competition Online was released in 2012.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Let me send my best blog posts to your inbox each week.

Click Here to Sign Up!

Get 2 FREE Chapters of SmallBizLady’s Book,
"Become Your Own Boss"!

Become Your Own Boss Download Two FREE Chapters

Most Popular Posts

>Seven Ways to be More Profitable in Your Small Business
> 7 Ways to Attract Customers to Your Small Business
> 6 Tips for Managing Small Business Finances
> How to Run a Successful Multilevel Marketing Business
> 10 Ways to Grow Your Small Business With Instagram
> How to Sell on Facebook
> How to Get Over the Fear of Starting a New Business

Featured Videos

#SmallBizChat LIVE from NYC
May 2017

MSNBC Interview
Top Tip: Never Let a Customer Down

National Speakers Association
Winter Conference 2016

Tune in to Exhale, Wednesdays at 9 pm EST, only on ASPiRE. Join the conversation at #EXHALETV

Fox Business
Five Steps to Becoming a ‘Social Media Ninja

MSNBC
The importance of job mentoring for women

#SmallBizChat Live
National Small Business Week: Q&A

Good Day Philadelphia
Expert Shares Tips on How to Become Your Own Boss

Google
Best Practice for Social Media

Testimonials

Become Your Own Boss is a must read if you’re thinking of launching a business of your own.
Jean Chatzky, Bestselling Author of Money 911 and Financial Editor of NBC’s Today Show
Great step-by-step advice for anyone looking to start their own business.
Andrew C. Taylor, Chairman, Enterprise Rent-A-Car
Melinda Emerson has written a remarkable book. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to make the transition from working girl to successfully working it, as an entrepreneur.
Cynthia McClain-Hill, Past President, National Association of Women Business Owners
The perfect companion for those planning to go out on their own. Melinda delivers firsthand practical advice on how to be the successful entrepreneur. Read it if you want to get it right the first time.
Kenneth L. Shropshire, Professor at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
If you are looking for a versatile speaker who can talk about how to grow small businesses or get started with social media, look no further.
Heather Van Sickle Executive Director, National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE)
Her wit and depth of subject knowledge were entertaining and empowering. Melinda is definitely on our short list of seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders we look to invite back in the near future.
Tennille M. Robinson Senior content & Event producer for Inc. magazine
Melinda Emerson, “SmallBizLady,” is an engaging and witty speaker and a great addition to any conference. Her terrific presentation and compelling delivery give people the information they need and want to become their own bosses and grow success…
Laurie Dalton White Conference Director, Pennsylvania Conference for Women
Melinda Emerson has been a fantastic small business and social media resource for the Pitney Bowes team. Not only is she personable and easy to work with, but she also has an innate understanding of the small business audience. My marketing programs …
Justin Amendola, Former VP, Global SMB Digital Strategy, Pitney Bowes

SmallBizChat

  • Twitter

Latest #SmallBizChat

How to Have a Healthy Lifestyle While Running a Small Business Featured Image

How to Have a Healthy Lifestyle While Running a Small Business

Ranique McFarlane @Iamranique is an online health and fitness coach. He helps lady bosses feel comfortable in your body, have more energy, and build confidence outside of work. He helps his clients have better eating habits, even with no time. His strategies help women with being successful in business and feeling secure with their body image. For […]

Recent Comments

  • Stephanie Chandler on Top 10 Small Business Experts to Follow Online
  • Jack on How to Beat the Odds As a Small Business
  • Jack on 7 Hard Questions to Ask Yourself When Your Business is Struggling
  • Callum Palmer on 5 Things to Consider When Selecting Accounting Software for Your Small Business
  • Eric Ainsworth on The Secret to a Successful Retail Business

#SmallBizChat

  • SmallBizChat Archive
  • @SmallBizLady

Business Advice

  • How to Start

SmallBizLady Store

  • Products
  • Free Chapter

Get In Touch

  • Write For Us
  • FAQ
  • Be a #SmallBizChat Guest
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2019
Quintessence Group
PO Box 280
Drexel Hill, PA 19026
(610) 352-0680
Privacy Policy · Refund Policy

Copyright © 2019 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in