Getting Organized For The New Year - Part 1
The following procedures will insure an organized and well run
office.
1. Have a daily To Do sheet. This is made up at the end of the
day. You might have items left over from the previous day, put
those items first and work from there. If you make deposits on a
daily basis, add them to the list. Plan to file at the end of
the day or before/after lunch breaks. Doing this daily will
avoid the "pile syndrome". This list should also include any
marketing strategies you employ. This will insure you set time
aside to implement them.
2. Have a weekly goal sheet that you review at the end of the
work week and finish off any projects hanging, check supplies,
make deposits, do invoicing, review the goals you set up in your
business plan. This sheet will also include phone calls left to
make, marketing or mailings you need to finish.
3. Your monthly goals and routines should include: making
deposits, invoicing, bank statement reconciliation, mileage
costs, copier costs, postage costs, and income and expenses for
the month. Check your supplies and order, if necessary.
Comparison of your income and expenses for the month will
indicate whether or not you need to make any changes or
adjustments to your marketing plan for the following month.
Calendar any upcoming events. Make up new income and expense
envelopes. Pull your tickle for the following month and place
materials in the appropriate day. Make up your chron file for
the month.
4. At six month intervals check on your competition. Are they
increasing their prices? What kind of marketing are they
employing? Are they offering new services?
5. Do one of the following things with each piece of paper that
crosses your desk: act on it, read it, file it or toss it. Be
sure you need it, before you file it.
6. Set up a mail system. Use different colored folders to
categorize the mail you receive. For example, Red - you need to
act on (write a letter, make a telephone call, etc.); Gray - for
your information; Yellow - meetings, upcoming events; Green -
minutes of other meetings, newsletters, reports, etc.; Black -
flyers, advertising materials. Remember stamp the date received
on all mail, and follow up as quickly as possible, if necessary.
This system can be modified for those companies that do not
receive a large volume of mail. This system will help staff
members set up work priorities.
7. Make up a reading folder. Read or browse this material during
lunch, breaks, during slow or off hours. Make up files with
specific categories for those articles you want to keep as a
reference. Check on these periodically (every 3 months) to see
if the information is still up to date.
8. To cut down on filing and paper costs. Set up a chron filing
system. A chron file contains any correspondence you have
generated for a specific period of time. They are usually made
up on a monthly basis. For example, label a file January Chron,
and place any correspondence you generated for that month in the
file. For most offices, this system avoids having to make up
client files with one piece of paper in them. However, some
offices keep an additional copy in the client file. Do this only
if you have to.
Part 2 of this article will discuss what you will need to
implement this system.
Copyright 2000, DeFiore Enterprises.