In Order to Live: 5 Reasons You Should Hire Professional Organizers

home2Professional organizers help clients decrease stress, regain control of time and space, improve the functionality and appearance of their office, enhance efficiency, boost productivity, allow them to channel more energy toward individual talents, and help clients simplify their lives, but you didn’t here it from us. Here are 5 reasons your business should hire professional organizers, written by 5 people who did:

Now, I have a system that easily helps me manage both my business and personal papers. Not only can I find what I need, but paper piles don’t accumulate. Now, I know where to put them. They all have a home! In addition, my computer files follow a similar format, which saves much time and aggravation. My husband is thrilled with our new system of organization! Denise has incredible organizational skills and can apply them to any situation. I can assure anyone, that an investment made in hiring In Order to Succeed® will be paid back to you many times over! DT, Southport CT

We are so grateful to Robin and In Order To Succeed®. In four short hours, using only what we had, she transformed our family room from, (to be frank,) a frumpy, uncomfortable looking room – to a warm & cozy, functional, organized, “pleasure-to-sit-in” space. When my children came home that day, they weren’t sure that they were in the in the right house! My husband was, and still is, amazed at the change. And, we now spend more time in the room than ever before. It was like working with a creative tornado! Robin walks into a room, comes up with a plan and, Presto! The room is transformed, amazingly, using what I already had. And, to top it all off, it looks great! MB, Brooklyn NY

Denise is a phone call away, I have confidence that she is readily able to come in and get a home in order, prior to a photography shoot or showings. I know I can ask top dollar for the properties I represent, because Denise makes the homes shine. I have observed Denise first hand as she and her staff transformed a household from chaos to order with effortless professionalism. Even if you know that becoming more organized could affect you in a positive way, you will be caught off guard by how dramatic a change she can create for you.” LS, Residential Real Estate Broker, NY, NY

My elderly father has a variety of health issues. I work full time, and have a family of my own, and was finding it impossible to optimally attend to his many needs. He needed assistance to keep his home-life comfortable and organized, and his personal affairs in order. Particularly, the timely processing of his insurance claims and other matters were a deep concern for me. I was at a total loss, until a friend told me about In Order To Succeed®. Denise’s kindness, understanding and extensive knowledge of the health care industry was surely a welcome relief. She understood how to coordinate insurance benefits with Medicare and my dad’s other private insurance carriers. She and her staff dealt diligently with all of the complicated paperwork. She communicated on his behalf with the insurers, providers and medical institutions, and looked deeper into his coverage and benefits. My family and I are tremendously grateful for all of the help and compassion In Order To Succeed® has bestowed upon us. Their intervention has allowed our family to offer help my father to achieve the best possible outcome. R.M, Stratford CT

I am a single male, and lived for years in a fully furnished apartment in Manhattan. I realized it was time to have a space that was more suited for my personal needs, and promptly found a place of my own. The trouble was, I had nothing; I had no furniture, no kitchen items, not even towels for my bathroom or a wastebasket for my kitchen. To say my work schedule is hectic is an understatement. There are days at a time that I spend no more than a few hours at my apartment and I hadn’t the time to furnish it with even the bare basics. I met with Denise briefly and told her what I needed. She and her team swiftly constructed a plan of action, making cost-effective suggestions to furnish my apartment and to also make it feel more like a “home”. She unpacked what little belongings I had, and then researched everything I needed, from bed linens, to coffee pots and even artwork for my walls. In addition, she dealt with the utility and cable companies as well as the Super, who would handle necessary installations and repairs. She also set up a beautiful and very well-thought home office. I now am able to do some work from home, rather than spending the majority of my time at my job sites. I actually look forward to coming home now that I have such a gorgeous place, filled with everything I could possibly need. It has changed my life for the better. BC, NY, NY

Contact our professional organizers in Minnesota Lakes, Sarasota, New Tork, New Jersey, or Connecticut to get started today!

Further Reading
20 Reasons Why You Need a Professional Organizer (September 2009)
Learn more about In Order to Succeed’s home organizing services.

15 Tips to Improve Productivity

timeTime is a limited resource for most people. As business owners or professionals, we have so many roles – chief marketing and sales officer, team leader, operations manager, parent, spouse, pet owner, and more. What we accomplish is very dependent on how well we plan and prioritize. You can’t manage time, but you can manage yourself and how you choose to spend your time to improve productivity.

When it comes to self management, consider this. There is a big difference between activity and productivity. There are tasks that keep us busy, and tasks that take us closer to our business and personal goals. Most of us are busy, but are you busy doing the right things? Too often the activities that drive results in business or in life are the ones many people can’t find the time to do.

15 Tips to Improve Productivity!

Set Goals and Write Them Down. It sounds simple, but written goals with specific tasks and deadlines provide focus and are a key to prioritizing our time. Without goals, everything seems like a priority.

Know How You Spend Your Time. Begin to track your tasks for a two-week period and be specific. Make a special note of interruptions. Then identify the role (marketing, sales, planner, admin, operations) associated with each task. Which tasks consume the most time? Are you spending a lot of time on operations and administration or growth and team-building activities? Most people find this time study eye-opening. Once you recognize the time wasters, you can take actions to fix them by eliminating some and delegating or outsourcing others.

Get Organized. It is easier to perform tasks when everything is where you need it and out of the way. This means clearing off your desk so you have room to work and eliminate distractions. Everything should be in a file or binder (in a drawer, cabinet or bookshelf). If you need help organizing your space, there are books on this topic or professional organizers who can help.

Create a “To Do List” And Use It. When you identify a task that needs to be completed, put it on the list and give it a priority (low, medium high). When you plan your weekly work, pull tasks from the list and always do the high priority tasks first. Don’t forget to continuously evaluate the priority levels you assigned, as time can change some of these.

Plan Your Work. At the end of the week, plan your next week AND at the end of each day, plan the next day. According to Brian Tracy, every minute spent in planning saves as many as 10 minutes in execution. In other words, 10-12 minutes planning can save you 2 hours in wasted time and effort throughout the day. What would you do with an extra 2 hours per day?

Block Off Time To Work On Tasks. The tasks on your To Do List will remain there unless you block off time to work on them. When planning your week, block off chunks of time and assign tasks to them. Don’t work on anything not on your list and don’t try to accomplish everything in one week. Remember to block time for personal activities – hobbies, fitness, family and friends. These are equally important.

Break Down Big Tasks. Big tasks can appear overwhelming so they quickly get put aside. Break them into smaller chunks that are more manageable. Then schedule time to work on them.

Delegate or Outsource. Always look for opportunities to delegate or outsource recurring tasks or low-value activities. Did you know that 50% of time wasted in business is due to lack of trust – the owner doesn’t think others can do it as well or micro-manages the team. Give your team the tools and processes then watch them shine — and see how much time you gain for more valuable activities.

Use a Follow Up System (or Tickler File). Lose the out of sight, out of mind mentality that drives many business owners to keep files visible. Rely on a tickler or reminder system to insure important deadlines are met.

Match Your Work With Your Energy Level. Each of us has times during the day that are high energy and lower energy. For many, early or mid-morning is most productive; but yours may be different. Work on more complex or high value tasks during your ‘most productive’ times.

Hold Calls (Or Send To Voice mail). If you block time to work on important tasks – hold that time sacred and don’t permit interruptions except from a handful of people, such as your spouse or children. Block off time to return calls each day at your convenience. You may also find that when you are not so accessible, others will handle the ‘issues’ and some problems will actually resolve themselves.

Handle Mail or Email Once. When you go through the mail – apply the following formula – Delegate, Action (add to “To Do” list), File or Trash. Do not put aside to handle later or you simply end up with piles and piles and piles.

Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection. Results come from taking action. By striving for perfection, you delay taking action or delegating tasks to other team members. This uses up your time and energy, so settle for excellence and take action.

Learn to Say NO. Those two letters are the best productivity tools there are. Before you say ‘yes’ to events, meetings or other time commitments, ask yourself this question, ‘Will it move me closer to my goals?’ If the answer is no, then say NO.

Stop Procrastinating. When something is important and left undone, it drains your energy. William James says it best, ‘Procrastination is attitude’s natural assassin. There’s nothing so fatiguing as an uncompleted task’.

Time is your most valuable asset so invest it wisely. If you are not sure where to start, pick ONE and conquer it. Then move on to the next one. You too can become productive not just busy!

Joan Nowak, business coach and founder of Hybrid Business Advisors, helps solo and small business owners create the lifestyle that fits their dreams from a business that is simple, fun, and profitable. Through easy, proven systems, a step-by-step approach, collaboration and support, Joan helps clients achieve more sales, profits, control and freedom.

By Joan Nowak, founder of Hybrid Business Advisors

Further Reading

For more information on coaching and consulting services to grow your small business, visit http://www.HybridBizAdvisors.com or call (856) 533-2344.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Joan_Nowak

Do You Need a Professional Organizer?

professional organizers2Professional organizers help clients decrease stress, increase the time they have to spend towards friends and family, regain control of time and space, improve the functionality and appearance of their home and office, enhance efficiency, boost productivity, allow them to channel more energy toward individual talents, and help clients simplify their lives. Here are only a few of the many reasons you may need a professional organizer.

 

  1. Feeling overwhelmed when you open drawers and closets
  2. Stressing out more often than not
  3. Wanting to understand why you accumulate stuff
  4. Wanting to learn how to efficiently sort, purge, and organize the stuff you have
  5. Wanting to design an effective organizing system for your home or business
  6. Wanting that organizing system to be one you, your family, and employees will actually use
  7. Wanting to find space within the space you already have
  8. Moving your home or business and want it to be as stress free as possible
  9. Not seeing the surface of your desk in your office under piles of paperwork
  10. Frequently missing important deadlines
  11. Difficulty keeping track of work and family schedules
  12. Wanting to learn how to work more efficiently
  13. Being embarrassed to invite people to you home due to all the clutter
  14. Wanting to create an efficient and effective organization system for your kitchen
  15. Having trouble completing tasks and feel there is never enough hours in the day
  16. Wanting to learn to work more efficiently
  17. Wanting to save money be being more efficient and productive
  18. Wanting to learn effective time management skills
  19. Having boxes in your closet, basement, or garage you haven’t looked in in three years
  20. Wanting to learn how to simplify your life

Further Reading:
For more information on professional organizers and reasons why you might need one visit:

In Order To Succeed
Organized Home
Tuscon Professional Organizers
Let’s Get Organized
Home Transitions