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Home ArticlesORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS

SELF-EMPLOYED FREELANCERS & HOME-BASED BUSINESSES: ORGANIZE YOUR BUSINESS AND IT WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF

© 2000 Elena Fawkner

Describe the top of your desk.  No, not what's on it.  The desktop itself. What do you mean you can't see it?

If your desk is covered with so many piles you can't remember what's there or where to find it, it's time to get organized. 

Here's a sure-fire way to tame the paper monster and take control of your time.

SPOTLIGHT FREELANCERS / CONSULTANTS FROM OUR CREATIVE PORTFOLIOS SECTION

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Home Office Paper Clutter Organization Tip 1: Label 31 suspension files from "1" to "31", one for every day of the month.

Now label another 12 from "January" to "December". File the daily files at the front of a file cabinet drawer with the monthly files behind.

Home Office Paper Clutter Organization Tip 2: Next, prioritize every single piece of paper on your desk.  Sort them into piles.

The first is for truly urgent stuff.  Be disciplined here.  Only include stuff that MUST be done urgently or dire consequences will follow.  The next is for semi-urgent stuff.  This is work that must be done within the next week or so. The third pile is for stuff that has to be done but can wait until you get around to it.  Anything that doesn't fall within any of these three categories, get rid of. It's a waste of time.

Home Office Paper Clutter Organization Tip 2: Create Cover Sheets and Organize

Now, look at your urgent pile.  Can you realistically accomplish all of it today?  If not, divide it into piles, with as much as you can get done in one day in each pile. Now create a file in your word processor called "Diary" and then make a stack of file cover sheets.  These should have space for the file name at the top, and a two column table immediately below with rows filling the whole page.  Fix a cover sheet to the top of each file.  In the first column write the date you are going to action that file next.  In the second column write what that action is.

Home Office Paper Clutter Organization Tip 3: Separate Papers into Different Urgency Piles.

Next, enter the file in the Diary document in your word processor.  Enter a big capital letter for every letter of the alphabet and bookmark it so you can jump around easily.  Enter the file name as it appears at the top of the diary sheet and the date it is diarised for, then place the file in the suspension folder for that day of the month.  Then do the same thing with all the other files in your urgent piles.  Then go through the whole process again with your semi- urgent files and finally with the non-urgent stuff.  Anything you're not going to work on until a later month file in the suspension folder for the month it is diarised for.  Then when that month arrives place each file in its respective day folder.

Home Office Paper Clutter Organization Tip 4: A system for Scheduling Activities.

Now if you're still waiting on someone else when the file falls due, you can follow them up on that day and then rediarise for further action.  If someone gets back to you before the file falls due, you can find it by looking up the diarised date in your Diary document.  It's also a great system for scheduling all of your marketing activities.  For example, just diarise when your various ads fall due and you will never have to worry about missing a deadline again!

By using this system you will always have a clear desk and won't be tempted to do only what you feel like doing.  Be disciplined about doing your "today" stuff before you do anything else and you'll find your business will just about take care of itself!

_________________________

Elena Fawkner is editor of the award-winning weekly ezine,
A Home-Based Business Online, a down-to-earth publication
containing practical home-based and online business ideas,
telecommuting job listings, original articles, free e-books and
much more. She also runs the A Home-Based Business Online
website at at http://www.fawkner.com. You can subscribe to
her newsletter at the site.



Articles from the ALL FREELANCE ARTICLES & RESOURCES BLOG Add to Technorati Favorites

How to Build a Strong Relationship with Your Customers - A Guide to Customer Relationships for Freelancers & Self EmployedOne of the best ways to run a good business as well as keep the clients which you currently have is to build a strong relationship with your clients. Everyone likes to feel appreciated and this is true for those who have a business relationship. The clients want to feel as if they matter to the business owner as they are part of the reason why the business is still in existence. There are a few ways for business owners to build a strong relationship with their customers as doing so will not only maintain their client base but possibly expand it as well through recommendations.

Mar 31

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Category: Client Relationships - Client Referrals | Trackback | No Comments »

SPOTLIGHT FREELANCERS / CONSULTANTS FROM OUR CREATIVE PORTFOLIOS SECTION

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Freelancer Portfolio Images 5
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Mar 26

Free Online Business Courses, Workshops, and Seminars for Freelancers

If you feel like you are just going through the motions, and that you have no idea whether or not you are running your business properly, then you will be happy to know that there are many free small business courses, workshops, and seminars online. Below you will find a large list of these free educational courses.

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Category: Lists - Freelance Resources - Education & Online Courses & Seminars | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 25

MARKETING PLANS : List of Marketing Plan Tools, Utilities, Samples, Kits, and Software

A freelancer developing an effective marketing plan must have the right tools to foster success in business. The following list contains several links of marketing plan tools to produce a successful business.

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Category: Working From Home - Getting Started - Self Promotion - Freelancing & Self Employment - Lists - Freelance Resources - Marketing | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 20

MARKETING PLANS : A Collection of Articles for How to Outline and Write a Marketing Plan for Freelancers Starting a Home Business or a Small Business

A solid, well-prepared marketing strategy is the foundation of success in business. The freelancer or any type of business owner must become informed on the development of an effective marketing plan. The following links will focus on marketing plan articles for the freelancer to have a successful business.

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Category: Getting Started - Self Promotion - Marketing | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 18

BUSINESS PLANS: Business Plan Examples, Samples, Templates, Software and Tools

In any type of the business including those people that perform freelance work, the proper tools are necessary to become a success. The following links consist of selected online tools for the freelancer to develop an effective business plan.

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Category: Getting Started - Freelancing & Self Employment - Lists - Freelance Resources | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 16

BUSINESS PLANS : A Collection of Articles for How to Outline and Write a Business Plan for Freelancers Starting a Small Business

Business plans are necessary in all types of businesses … and this also includes freelancers. Writing an effective business plan will help you plan out the success of your future business. Factors such as customer base, profit potential, as well as many other factors will be placed in this document. The business plan will help you, the freelancer, think through every aspect of your future successful business. We found the following business plan articles to be very helpful and we hope that you will find them to be useful too.

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Category: Getting Started - Lists | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 11

Online Tools and Software for Task Lists and To Do Lists - Perfect for Freelancers & Self Employed Business Owners

A freelancer’s time is precious and he/she must follow precise tasks to maintain productive performance and income. The following link list will examine useful online tools that will keep the freelancer in a productive manner. The following list is a list of To-Do Lists and Task Management Lists tools and software.

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Category: Freelance Projects - Staying Organized - Time Management - Freelance Resources | Trackback | 1 Comment »

Mar 9

How to Invoice Your Customers Properly : A List of Online Guides on Invoicing for Freelancers

In a previous list, the freelancer was presented with a list of tools for creating invoices. The following links will present the manner and methods in which to develop a proper invoice for the freelancer of any business type. With the following helpful guides and tutorials, you as a consultant will understand the steps that you will need to take in order to invoice your customers properly.

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Category: Freelance Finances | Trackback | No Comments »

Mar 4

Invoicing & Billing Tools / Software for Freelancers Needing Help with Invoices

The Invoice is an important part of any type of business out there, including for the freelancer as well. The basic definition of an invoice is a detailed list of goods shipped or services rendered with an accounting of all costs included in the document. As a freelancer, we might not feel comfortable dealing with invoices or money in general. The links below offer a vast variety of online invoicing and billing tools for the freelancer in all business types.

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Category: Taxes - Freelance Finances - Staying Organized - Lists - Freelance Resources | Trackback | 1 Comment »

Feb 25

How to Defeat Writer’s Block - Tips & Hints to Overcome Writer’s Block

Helpful hints and tips to overcome the dreaded White Page Syndrome - There is probably nothing more dreadful and problematic for a writer than not being able to get going, being stuck on a menacingly white page. Many a time, one or more writing assignment make us feel like Jack Nicholson in “The Shining”; one step shy of freezing to death in a haunted hedge maze. Once the choke has started its nefarious effect, it becomes quicksand, drowning us further and further into an inability to come up with something to properly put down on paper.

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Category: Lists - Freelance Writing Tips | Trackback | 1 Comment »

Feb 19

Ways to Get More Customer Referrals for Your Freelance Business

In the world of freelance, customer referrals are everything. The amount of customer referrals will often determine how successful one’s business can really be. As word spreads quickly, having customers refer others to you and your services is a wonderful way of gaining new business and making more money. There are a few distinct ways to get more customer referrals for your business.

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Category: Client Relationships - Self Promotion - Client Referrals | Trackback | 3 Comments »


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