How does your computer’s desktop look? You’ll feel just as wonderful looking at an uncluttered screen as you do sitting at an uncluttered desk.

• Go through your contacts in your phone(s), email(s), and database(s). Update and delete.
• Create subfolders named 2011 and drag all your completed projects into them. Now that blank space is ready to receive your 2012 work.
• Tackle that email! Delete, file, archive, and back up.

Tomorrow, reconfigure your schedule.

But if you have to be at work, or at least want to feel like you are at work, how about being productive without really doing what you do?

For example, how often have you felt frustrated at losing something important at a critical time this past year? How many times have you wished that thing out of your way?

It’s no surprise that clutter makes us feel anxious and disorganization causes stress. So right now, while the phones are not ringing and your inbox isn’t refreshing constantly, why not take the the time to physically rearrange your space?

• If you haven’t used it in two years, then you don’t need it. This is true of everything from a color scanner to the pens in your cup. Put them in the donate pile.
• Fix your ergonomics by raising your monitor, getting a mouse that fits your hand, and upgrading or modifying your chair. A pillow behind your back or a box under your feet works wonders.
• File your paperwork. Yes, it must be done, and you can make a big dent in it all by doing a big chunk all at once. Take rests as you need and put on some fun music.

If you feel like you can do with a second pair of eyes, please give me a call. You can even send me a picture. I would be happy to send along some suggestions.

You will feel so much better with cleaned surface areas. A comfortable space allows for greater energy and optimism. Hey, 2012 is going to be a great year! Let’s prepare to meet it.

Tomorrow, clean up your tech.

And then one day we turn around… Man! Where did that pile of receipts and statements come from?

And perhaps the more important question is: How long will it take before the whole mess is cleared out?

Wouldn’t you love to drop it off somewhere, and it all comes back organized and in order? And perhaps someone could even put it into your company’s books for you?

Ah, but the dream is at hand. Why not give me a call at the Detour Services office? I am an Intuit certified QuickBooks User. Microsoft Excel is my favorite of the MS Office programs, and I really do enjoy putting things in order. I can help you keep your business resolutions.

This collection consisted of hundreds of photos, and my client wanted to get them organized, researched, and eventually donated to a place where they would be used and appreciated.

Luckily, there was writing on the backs of a fair number of the photos. As for the rest, I researched the patches and insignia on the sleeves of the pictured soldiers to get an idea of the timelines and locations.

After some pretty intensive effort from all parties, the collection is now ordered and in an album. A donation point has been identified with everything ready to go.

Do you have what seems like an overwhelming task sitting in a box somewhere? Why not give me a call and get that weight off of your mind?

Unnecessary expenditures, such as late fees, can really hurt a business’s bottom line these days. A healthy cash flow is even more important since credit remains tough to come by.

For those who keep letting money seep away from them despite the best of intentions, there are a number of ways that a personal assistant or business assistant can help.

Perhaps all you need is one email reminder each week about what’s due and what’s coming up. For the truly sidetracked, outsourcing all accounts payable functions may actually prove cost-effective.

Of course, tasking someone else to stay on hold with the cable or credit card company is an easy one to make. Let your assistant get you a changed rate or another tier of service. Paying a monthly fee for something you don’t use is like paying a full-time employee to surf the internet.

Times are tough. Make sure each cent you spend is out there working hard for you.

Time provides the containers and compartments into which your actions and events must go. For example, you only have so much space on your desk. If you want to put another lamp on it, you’ll have to take something away to make room. The same principle applies to your time. We only have so many hours in our day, and we have to organize accordingly.

Being organized means more than knowing where your possessions are. It also means that you are not late, you are not double-booked, and you are not behind on your responsibilities.

Could you use some help with developing a simplified and and workable system for your life? Why not give Detour Services a call?

Are you ready to face the next twelve months? Detour Services is ready to help. Just let us know if you need to get your finances in order. Or perhaps you want a filing system that actually works. Are you tired of losing your items?

Drop me a note today!

Detour Services can help you prepare for your upcoming appointment with the tax accountant.

The organization of your expenses is a task that is easily outsourced and assigned. A personal assistant will save you hours of sorting and organizing.

The end of the year is hectic for small businesses and for small business owners. There’s a fiscal year to close out and a plan of attack to be made for the next.

Call us today to get this responsibility off your list and off your mind.

If you run a small business, you give out and receive business cards all the time. They go in your pocket. They go in your folder. They end up in a messy pile on your desk.

Here’s a quick and effective way to keep track of them all. When someone hands you a business card, write down the event on it. Do it while this contact is speaking to you. You can even tell him or her what you are doing. This action demonstrates that you are taking their information seriously and that you are interested in working with them in the future. Most likely, they will be impressed.

As you put them in your filing system, whether it be in a rolodex, a card file, or something else entirely, you’ll have a much better chance of remembering this meeting. When you need help in the future, a quick flip through your cards will help you brainstorm. (Note: This is one of the reasons I’m still an advocate for keeping certain types of information in hardcopy format.)

Every so often, as your files get larger, give these business cards to your personal assistant. Ask him or her to go through and take out the cards that are no longer current. Usually, a quick internet search is all that’s needed. New information may be written over the old. No-longer-useful cards can be removed entirely.

This is one of the ways that I deal with all my cards. Do you have any tips for me?