This article by Ann Gomez of Clear Concept Inc., explains a few benefits of getting organized and gives us some great simple tips to boost productivity without being overwhelmed!
In addition to Ann’s paper filing tips, when you implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you will be more productive, you’ll spend less time searching for files, and you’ll spend even less time filing new documents or re-filing documents you’ve pulled.
Many people are overwhelmed by the thought of getting organized. Managing the avalanche of information can be a bit like drinking from a fire hose. It’s been said that a weekday edition of The New York Times contains more information than the average person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 17th century England. More new information has been produced within the last 30 years than in the last 5,000. Yikes!
Ok – I admit it. I like to be organized. In fact, I sometimes find myself procrastinating by organizing. When I walk past an unorganized office, I need to resist the urge to jump in and start sorting. But enough about me …
Getting organized is one of the easiest ways to boost our productivity. It doesn’t strain the brain, yet it yields some immediate positive results.
Most of us know what we need to do to get organized. The biggest challenge is likely finding the time. So my first tip would be to clear your schedule for 2-3 hours. My second tip would be to recruit some help. An assistant, an eager colleague or a dutiful friend all work. Finally, make it fun! Bring some snacks, turn on some music or even uncork some wine.
As you dust off your piles, consider the following organizing tips:
So there you have it – a low-key, easy project that can boost your productivity.
Ann Gomez is a productivity consultant and the president of Clear Concept Inc, which she founded in 2004. Ann helps her clients effectively manage their products and leverage their time across their many competing priorities. She works with several top law firms as well as large clients across Canada and the U.S. Recent clients include Royal Bank of Canada, Bank of Montreal, AstraZeneca, Yahoo!, Procter & Gamble, Grand & Toy and Queen’s School of Business. To learn more, see Ann’s full blog: www.clearconceptinc.ca/blog/ and follow her on Twitter: @ClearConceptInc.
9251 Yonge Street, Suite 8922
Richmond Hill, ON L4C 9T3
Tel: 905.237.1651
Email: info@clearconceptinc.ca
Web: www.clearconceptinc.ca
During this webinar, Anne demonstrated how to get started with Paper Tiger Online filing system software, such as describing what is a Database, creating a Location, creating Items, printing labels for your items. Anne demonstrated a work-flow example by filing items from her inbox through the life-cycle of document management to help you use Paper Tiger more effectively to get organized, be more productive, and Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, professional organizer and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Q: Do you think its best to have one point person to triage all files in an office or to allow everyone to do their own filings?
A: This depends on your staff, the way your office works, and how your office has access to Paper Tiger. Of course, the more accessible that everyone has to office files, the more productive the office will be. If your office has one point person, then the office will be depending on that person to be available when a file is needed.
Q: How much is your coaching program?
A: Anne is currently offering a special to all Paper Tiger customers for a limited time for $297 (for a 30 day program) and includes 60 minute weekly coaching calls and unlimited quick email questions.
Q: What is the cost for Anne’s book? Incl shipping…
A: The cost for Anne’s book, Lost in Your Own Office, is $12.95 plus $3.95 s&h for a total of $16.90
Q: I am in a housing development office with many files, eg. finance will comprise numerous government financing sources and construction files. It sounds like this system is geared more toward home offices. Speak more toward real offices.
A: Of course, Paper Tiger can be used in any kind of office, home, small business or large corporation. The basic concept of setting up a filing system is the same across all industries no matter how small or large your office is. You will always have Action Files (those files that need action either short-term or ongoing permanent action files) and you will always have reference files in your filing cabinets. That’s why we recommend starting with naming your Locations within Paper Tiger, Action and Reference. Then depending on how your office operates, how your staff wants the paper files organized, and the amount of files you have for specific categories, will depend on other Location names within your database. For instance, larger companies would most likely have a Location specifically for Human Resources or Personnel/Employee Records. Additional Location names could be Invoices, Expenses, Utilities, Insurance, Software, Community Service, etc. The different Locations will depend on how much you want to separate or differentiate your files. Our blog post ‘Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method‘ might be helpful to further explain and give you more ideas.
Q: Are there any presentations that can be made to an office of potential users?
A: We have several videos on our website provided to you for free Paper Tiger filing system software training. In addition, you can contact Anne if you would like her to come into your office to speak to your staff and provide personal training.
Q: I have a very old version. Can I upgrade or do I have to purchase a whole new program, and then transfer the database? How easy is the file transfer?
A: Yes, if you decide to stay with the desktop version of Paper Tiger, you can purchase an upgrade from our website by going to our Pricing page, then choose the platform DESKTOP (on your PC) button, then choose Professional upgrade or Network upgrade and be able to convert your database.
In addition, this would be a great time to switch to Paper Tiger Online. There would be no software to install and you would be able to access Paper Tiger from any computer wherever you are. If you decide to switch, you would simply choose the monthly or yearly subscription for the Pro plan.
It is usually very simple to convert the database to either version, but if you have trouble, our tech support team will be able to assist you.
Q: Evidently the newer versions have features not available on my version… very cool.
A: Thank you! Yes, and we hope to continue to make Paper Tiger Online even better with additional enhancements.
Q: What do you do when a folder becomes too full?
A: You can either simply insert another hanging file folder in front of the one that has become to full and have the same Paper Tiger Item Number on both (to keep it in the same place) or you can decide if you might need to purge some of the paper files in that folder. If some of the paper files in that folder are from a previous year, it might be that you can archive the previous year’s files to an Archive Location. They would still be available if you needed them but not in your more frequent reference files.
Q: How do you file new items in same, existing folder?
A: You would select the Item that you want to insert new items into, then click the Edit button. You’ll then be able to type in additional keywords relating to the new items.
Have you ever been in the situation that you needed to find an important document and you know you had put it in a certain place or filed it in your filing cabinet, but just when you needed it, the file is no where to be found. You’ve searched your filing cabinet under different file names that it could be filed under and you’ve searched through the stacks on your desk and on top of the filing cabinet to no avail.
In this situation, you probably stop and think, if only you had the time to index your paper filing system that your company currently has in place. But just think how much time you would save and how less frustrating you would be if you could find what you need, WHEN you need it!
Having a paper filing system software, like Paper Tiger, is not something that is going to cost a lot of money to set up and maintain. In fact, it can actually help companies save a lot of money, because they are able to save a lot of time since they won’t have to search for files. Often, it can take a lot of time to search for a particular file, especially if the files are not properly organized, and the return on investment will far outweigh the cost and time you initially spend to index your files into Paper Tiger paper filing system software. You will be able to index your paper files and still be able to keep them in hard copy format when you need to, so you will also have almost instant access to each of those files through your computer by simply conducting a Google-like search in the database for whatever keyword you’re thinking of that day to find where your file is located.
Trying to Go Paperless?
If your company is trying to go completely paperless, it is going to be like fighting a losing battle. There are always going to be paper documents in any business. But, you can make a choice to scan each of these documents and put them into a digital filing system, or index them into paper filing software and store the paper files that you want or need to keep in hard copy format. You can go paperless by scanning the documents that you don’t need in hard copy, but you will still have those paper files that is needed in hard copy when and if you need them at a later date.
In addition, Paper Tiger Online will soon be able to connect Digital Tiger to Google Docs which will allow you to search for both your paper files and other physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve scanned, uploaded or created in Google Docs! Yes, we recommend Google Docs for your electronic files because it is the least expensive digital cloud storage that you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
Easy to Use Software
One of the things that prevent a lot of people from using many software programs is that they are afraid to use them because of the level of difficulty involved. Many people feel that they are not going to be able to easily use the software provided for certain applications and that by purchasing it they are just going to be wasting their money. Paper Tiger is really user friendly and easy for anyone to use, no matter what their level of computer experience. Not only is this software easy to use, it is also very powerful, so you can organize all of the paper files in your office, and still have room left over to be able to add many new files in the future.
By indexing the paper files that need to be kept in hard copy, you don’t have to spend hours searching through stacks or boxes or filing cabinets just to find one particular file. It has never been easier to keep track of important company documents, and using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management is one of the best office management tools to come down the line in a long time.
During this webinar, Anne demonstrated how to get started with Paper Tiger Online, such as describing what is a Database, creating a Location, creating Items, printing labels for your items. Anne demonstrated a work-flow example by filing items from her inbox through the life-cycle of document management, and how to organize things other than paper files, to help you use Paper Tiger more effectively to get organized, be more productive, and Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
In addition, she discussed problems that people have getting organized, not only with their paper and other physical items, but also problems with digital filing.
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, professional organizer and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Q: Can more than one database be created and used?
A: Yes, however having different databases is only advantageous if you want to keep different filing systems separate and do not want to search for all files in all databases at one time. For example, if you have an Office database and a Home database, you do not want items to pop up from your Office database when conducting a search for an item in your Home database.
Q: What are the limits for locations and categories?
A: In the Pro and multi-user plans, there are no limits as far as we’ve been able to tell
Q: Can the Paper Tiger Online version be used on an I-Pad?
A: Yes
Q: Can you add more than 1 category within a folder?
A: No, only 1 category per item
Q: If I file in multiple places (file cabinet, box, plastic box) would I label locations as such? Would that affect the word search?
A: You can name your Locations to coincide with the location of the physical files or to coincide with the type of files you are indexing, or a combination of the two. For example, you might have a Location named File Cabinet 1, File Cabinet 2, Box 1, Box 2, Plastic Box Black, Plastic Box Red, and then also have Locations for Action, CDs, DVDs, Books. Within the same database, these different Locations will not affect your word search.
Q: Can you lock a database for specific users with in your group of users?
A: In the multi-user plans, you can lock a database for specific users. You are able to give permissions when inviting a user by selecting whether they will have permissions for View and/or Edit in an entire database or for certain Locations within the database. Below are the knowledge base links to show you how the multi-user plans work and look like in inviting users and setting their permissions:
-Paper Tiger Multi-User Concept
-How Do Permissions Work
-Inviting a User to Your Account
-How to Set User Permissions
-Collision Detection
Q: Is there a master file database for all the sub file databases?
A: If you are understanding a Location to be a sub-file database, yes. A Location is within a database. A Location relates to where you will store your physical items (paper files, books, CDs, DVDs, storage boxes, etc) This can be named anything you want – however you relate to what you are indexing, i.e., Office files, Home files, Action files, Reference files, House, Basement, Garage, etc. Paper Tiger uses Locations to represent these places where you store the items you want to be able to find later. Paper Tiger Locations are made up of Item names, description, capacity and review frequency.
Q: I will have 3 separate businesses, home, etc
A: You will need to decide if you want to search for all of your businesses and home in one database….if you want search results across these….or if you do not want search results across all businesses and your home, then separate databases would be what you need to do.
Q: Can reports be copied to Excel for easier sorting (alpha, numerical, other categorical)?
A: In Paper Tiger Online, reports cannot be copied or exported to an Excel spreadsheet, however your Reports function will allow you to sort alphabetically or numerically by selecting how you want to sort from the advanced options function before generating a report. You can also choose to print only a Category list for each individual Category if you wish
You can also export your database to a .xml file then import it to Excel if you want to do that.
Q: Can the program be used for organizing only virtual files?
A: Our developers are currently working to provide an enhancement that will allow you to search your scanned and other electronic files. We hope to have this available in Paper Tiger Online by this summer.
Q: If not, what do you recommend?
A: The only way to make Paper Tiger work to organize electronic files in it’s current format, is to treat your electronic or scanned documents as if they were paper. You would need to make the decision as to how you want documents filed, including ‘naming system’ (how you want documents named.)
In the Paper Tiger database, Location is a physical Location for storing Folders, such as a file cabinet or a desk drawer that relates to a Location within the Paper Tiger filing software. Item Name is the descriptive name you give a hanging folder or in your case, an electronic folder.
You would decide how to name your ‘Location’ electronic folders, then have the same Location name in the Paper Tiger database. Once your document is scanned and named according to your decided ‘naming system procedure’, then you could input the document name into the Item Name field and as many keywords as possible relating to each document into the Keywords section of the Paper Tiger database.
Whenever you need to find an item then, you would be able to search Paper Tiger, which would direct you back to your electronic file folder location.
Q: Can this system be used for shops and or non paper filing materials?
A: If we understand this question correctly; Yes, Paper Tiger can be used to index other items. It is not just for paper filing. See our Not Just For Paper Filing web page.
Q: Could you review the best uses for Categories?
A: Please see our knowledge base article for What are Categories?
Q: Does the online version of Paper Tiger in any way synch with a locally-installed version?
A: No
Q: I have 20 years of files, reports, binders, etc…any advice on the very first thing that I should do to get started? I have bought the desktop version, think it will be the answer to my prayers….just not sure where the best to start would be.
A: See our blog posts at Customize Your Filing System with Paper Tiger’s Indexing Method and at A Guide to Converting to Paper Tiger.
Q: Can you mark a file that is removed, say to give to a colleague, so that you know that the file is out, so that you don’t forget to get it back?
A: You can make a note in either the Keywords section or the Notes section as to who has taken the file and maybe mark the Action Date for when you should follow up with them to make sure it has been re-filed or to get it back.
Q: I have books all over the house. Can I say for each particular book where to find it?
A: Yes, you can indicate in the Keywords section or the Notes section as to where each individual book is located.
Q: Can you enter more than one category?
A: No, only one Category can be assigned per Item.
Q: I already use my own indexed filing system using folders and subfolders I have created and numbered in Windows Exporer. May I dictate to Paper Tiger my own existing index data so that both systems match?
A: No, when you add an item to Paper Tiger, the database assigns the first available Item number.
Q: I have three categories. 1) Personal Development 2) Professional Development 3) Marriage Development — Subfolder examples are 1.4 Finances. Another example is 2.3 Quarterly Review Notes. — Can Paper Tiger help me file these with the same item number I have already assigned?
A: No, when you add an item to Paper Tiger, the database assigns the first available Item number.
Q: Is it best to set up PT after you’ve already determined what categories/folders/files you are keeping, e.g., after you’ve already pruned?
A: Some people already have files set up in desk drawers and cabinets, and it’s a matter of indexing what you already have and updating as you add new files. You can purge as you go through each file folder indexing in Paper Tiger.
For those that have a mess and no consistent system in place, it is best to separate the stacks into like-files/categories so you can see what you’ve got. Then decide the best way to file and index those stacks.
Q: What version of paper tiger are you using?
A: Paper Tiger Online Pro
Q: Can we ensure that item numbers are generated in increments of 5 example- 100, 105, 110, 120
A: When you add an item to Paper Tiger, the database assigns the first available Item number. Item numbers are in sequential order in increments of 1, i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc.
Q: Will you be providing upgrades to desktop version keeping in with the changes/enhancements being done to online version?
A: Our plans are to continue providing upgrades to the desktop version, however there will be some things that we can do with the online version that will not be possible with the desktop version.
Q: So the labels on folders will be index-style, e.g., 1,2,3,… instead of descriptive?
A: Yes
Q: When we detect multiple files with different Item numbers pertaining to the same subject, how do you merge those item numbers? How do you associate multiple items numbers together?
A: The Pro and multi-user plans have the ‘Find First’ function, which shows when there are similar files. “Find first” is a feature that reduces duplicate items by actively searching while you add a new item and warns you if Paper Tiger finds an item already there that might be related to what you are inputting. You can choose to merge the new item with the one you already have in file, or you can create the new item. When creating an Item, as you begin typing the name, Paper Tiger alerts you of other Items that has similar names or keywords. This way you can tell Items that are related by name, which you may want to merge the information together. A link appears above the Item text box notifying you of the number of Items containing similarities. If you want to merge the Items, pick one of the Items in the list in which you want to merge the new Item.
Q: Can we create a relationship between 2 labels?
A: You can use the Category section to create a relationship between multiple items.
Q: Any plans to have multiple sub-items held within a folder (e.g., several different documents held within Janet’s hanging folder)
A: We currently do not have plans to have the option for sub-items, but will put this on the list of suggestions for consideration. Currently, you can input information relating to any sub-items or folders into the Keywords section.
Q: We have several people who think differently; some think inside the box and some outside the box. How do you find the keyword that will work for all?
A: The key here is to put all keywords that you can think of that relates to the item being indexed. Ask for input or have the other users input additional keywords in relation to how they think about the items being indexed.
Q: Why not use the alphabet instead of numbers for small uses of the paper tiger?
A: You can file alphabetically with Paper Tiger by re-sorting the Item Name header, however to use Paper Tiger as it is intended is the most convenient in how the software works.
Q: I would rather use the alphabet than numbers in filing
A: See our blog posts:
Alphabetic Method for Paper Tiger Desktop Version
Alphabetic Method for Paper Tiger Online
Q: You seem to be using the Keywords field for two different things. 1) Keywords that can be used for searching and 2) notes about what the file is about…I don’t understand using it as a notes field
A: The Keywords field can be used for any information that you need or want to input. The more information, the better for your search later. This is totally up to the user and how the individual thinks and works.
Q: I notice that your demo is on the online version of Paper Tiger. I own the stand alone, does everything you’ve been showing also go well for the stand alone version?
A: Yes, except there are a few differences in the way the 2 versions function.
Q: I already own the Paper Tiger stand alone version. I note that your demo is on the online version. Are there differences I should be aware of?
A: The basic differences between the two versions are:
Paper Tiger desktop version:
- it is a one computer software program, meaning you can only access from one computer since it is a licensed downloadable software
- needs to be installed, is a Windows only software. Can only be used on Macs if installed on a virtual Windows program such as Parallels
- database is housed on that one computer, database secure only if the computer is secure
- customer responsible for backing up their database
-upgrades would need to be purchased when next version is available
Paper Tiger Online version:
Our developers tried to make Paper Tiger Online as close to the desktop version as possible, so that the look and feel wouldn’t be too much of a difference for our current users that wanted an online version.
In addition, the most prevalent features we have added to Paper Tiger Online are:
-accessible from any computer with an Internet connection, including Macs and devices such as iPad, iPhone, etc. (not tied to one computer and no installation)
-Because Paper Tiger Online is accessible from any computer with an Internet access, clients can find or file from anywhere.
-search result highlights the searched word
-ability to choose multiple items to either toss or edit the Action Date
-ability to create a new item in a selected item number
-dashboard shows a running log of changes/activity the user had made to their database
-we will be able to provide enhancements to the online version as they become available that are not possible with the current desktop version
-we automatically backup the databases every night on our secure servers
-does not require installation, so account set up and ready to work in about 60 seconds
or like this? 
Getting your filing system organized will benefit everyone in the office!Have you ever been on the road traveling for business and discovered you needed a file from your office? If you have your own ‘unique’ file system, it could be a challenge to send someone to your office to look for what you need or try to tell your assistant where something is. Or even worse, your assistant is out sick or on vacation and no one else in the office knows where or how things are filed.
If you used an indexing system such as Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you wouldn’t have this problem. You could give your assistant the information needed to quickly and easily find the documents you need, saving you not only time, but money as well.
Worldwide, thousands of businesses, government agencies, non-profits and individuals use The Paper Tiger software to manage their filing. They have discovered a filing system that uses the power of their computer to solve their problems with paper once and for all!
These organizations and individuals have found Paper Tiger software to be an invaluable tool to help them better manage their office and get organized to stay on top of the virtual mountain of paperwork that they must deal with each day. It is simply the best filing system available. You get all the power of the computer without the risks and time commitment of paper scanning!
An indexing system for your document management saves a company money and it saves time every year because you won’t have to waste a lot of time searching for files you need. Just think how productive your staff can be. It’s like having more hours in the day to accomplish necessary tasks.
Some managers want to ensure Paper Tiger document management software and filing system is the right program for their offices, and others want to be sure the money they spend is worth the investment. Let’s alleviate some of these concerns.
One question we’re asked often is what happens if my computer crashes or goes down. What will I do since all of the information is stored on the computer (for the desktop version)? There are a couple of ways to handle this. One suggestion is to print out a File Index report with all of the information that you’ve indexed into the database.
Another option is to do a back up of your entire computer and save it at another location. An external hard drive works well for this, and backing up your computer is always good practice.
For the online version of Paper Tiger, it is best practice to print out a file index report of your database in case your Internet connection is down for any reason. As far as your database is concerned, it is housed on our secure servers hosted by Amazon Web Services and backups are performed nightly.
For some, if not all companies, security and privacy is a huge issue. When your file folders are arranged by contact name, company name, or other pertinent information, it’s easier for someone to look in those files and access confidential information. When you use an indexing system that uses numbers, it isn’t nearly as easy for someone to locate sensitive data.
Training is another big issue for some companies. They need to make the most of their time and money. The Paper Tiger indexing system is easy to learn and it’s easy to train others to use. The more you use the system, the easier it becomes.
We’re also asked how we can say that Paper Tiger saves 150 hours a year when it takes so long to create the index? When you consider using an indexing system, you need to look at the entire picture. Yes, it will take time to create your index, but compared to the time spent searching for files, it takes much less time in the long run. And you’ll really be surprised at how little time it does take to implement Paper Tiger in your office. Start slow and work your way up to larger quantities of files. Before you know it, your entire office will be indexed and neatly filed in the filing cabinets instead of stacks and stacks of files on top of everyone’s desks! And your office will look more organized with less clutter.
An indexing system for document management is worth every second of investment and time spent setting it up. You’ll see the difference almost immediately. Once they get in the habit of indexing new files that come into the office, they won’t mind filing since they will know they will be able to find the file again with a quick search in the database and without a lengthy search through stacks of paper files on their desk.
You won’t have to worry about staff turnover or the one person in the office who does the filing being the only person who knows where everything is. A quick search in the database by anyone in the office will reveal where the file is located no matter who filed it under what item name.
After just a few days of using Paper Tiger, you’ll feel comfortable with it and you’ll wonder how you survived without it. You’ll feel better about your document management system and you’ll know you made a smart choice. Your employees will be more productive, you’ll spend less time searching for files, and you’ll spend even less time filing new documents or re-filing documents you’ve pulled, simply because you chose to implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management.
This article by Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of International Association of Business Organizing (IABO), gives us some great questions to ask ourselves about how the ‘stuff’ in our lives affect us and others, emotionally, health-wise, financially, and in time (productivity)! How much does your stuff or clutter cost you? Check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps which will give you a JUMP-START on ORGANIZING your office, home and life. She will give you her trade secrets and steps to setting up your organizing systems, including recommending Paper Tiger filing system software for document management, to be organized and manage the information and stuff in your life.
Have you noticed all the fancy new storage facilities that have been going up in your area over the last few years? I sure have and I’m not surprised when I think of all the stuff people have accumulated over the years with quick fixes and disposable gadgets. In fact, storage is a fifteen billion dollar industry and retail stores are carrying more organizing products than ever before. With the state of the economy, people are thinking twice about their purchases, getting back to basics and asking themselves, what’s important in their life? Do they really need all this stuff?
People’s stuff says a lot about them. Their stuff is a reflection of what’s going on inside of them emotionally. I often say a “cluttered mind is a cluttered space.” They have unresolved issues that they’re not dealing with and so things pile up and they say “I’ll get to it someday” or “I’ll deal with it later.” What happens when things are left for later is, things pile up and over time it can become such a big pile that they don’t know where to begin. Now the feeling of overwhelm sets in and they abandon the project all together. I’m sure we’ve all been there.
Emotional Clutter
For some, their identity is wrapped up in their stuff and they tend to live in the past. Their stuff can make them tired, lethargic and a tendency to procrastinate. For others, they haven’t developed good habits and put things randomly wherever or on the first available flat surface. Often times they are late for appointments because they couldn’t find their car keys or meeting notes. And for others, their stuff affects their finances. Simply put, their stuff runs their life!
When people’s stuff affects their quality of life and/or the lives of others, you know their stuff is problematic. Sometimes they value their stuff more than they value their relationships and I’ve seen this. This is a big warning sign to stop what they’re doing and re-evaluate what’s important to them.
Another kind of emotional clutter is unfinished projects. Honestly ask yourself:
Put Pen to Paper
I’d invite you to take out a piece of paper or use your computer to list every single unfinished project that comes to mind. It may take you a couple of days to do this exercise. Also, as you write down your list of unfinished projects, you may feel like the mountain is just too big to tackle and your stress levels may rise? I’ll let you in on a little secret, you’re not alone and there’s help.
Unfinished projects slow a person down and often their life is in stuck mode. When they’re stuck, they tend to live in the past and often miss out on the new opportunities that could come their way if they just created the space to allow it to come to them. Purging the stuff is a necessary step.
Organizing Rules to Live By
After you’ve completed your list of unfinished projects, use your highlighter to highlight only the projects that are in line with your vision for this year and enhance your life in a positive way. Think of quadrant two type activities like relationships, planning and preparation – stuff that’s important and not urgent. Next schedule time to complete these important and not urgent projects. Also take into consideration what your goals are for this year and make sure that these projects are worth your time and effort. As you finish these projects, the heavy weight you may have been feeling will begin to feel lighter and then watch your energy soar! You’ll also feel a renewed peace of mind that things are handled and nothing is slipping through the cracks.
The Real Cost of Your Stuff
When a space is filled with too much stuff it causes the person to be distracted and unfocused. Drilling down to the real reason the piles are there is critical to uncovering why you do what you do. Sometimes it’s just a simple little thing as creating a folder for a new project or jotting a reminder into your calendar or using a Velcro dot on a pen so it is where you need it every time. Really, it can be that simple! Here are a few key questions to ask yourself:
Take a few moments right now to add up the costs of your stuff. Remember to fact in any insurance costs, storing costs, cleaning costs, space allocation costs, and cost to containing your stuff. Then there’s the time you spend maintaining your stuff. Take a moment to access what your stuff is costing you and write that down on a piece of paper or in your computer. “My stuff is costing me this much in wasted time, in storing costs, in maintenance, and so on.”
Too Much Stuff Affects Your Health
Stuff can also affect someone’s health because the piles of stuff collect dust and grime and if it’s not cleaned regularly the room becomes dusty and musty. What’s the next action step you’re going to take to make your office or room more inspiring? Are you going to paint the walls, get rid of all the paper and magazines you rarely refer to, buy a shredder, or hang inspiring artwork? Write down the first action step you are going to take to get rid of the dust and make your space more inspiring?
What’s Cluttering Your Calendar?
What commitments have you made that you said yes to when you really wanted to say no? Do you have a tendency to please everyone and say yes a lot? Learn to set boundaries around your time. Get clear on your values and what’s important to you. Make sure you schedule the important stuff first, like relationships, time for yourself to exercise and getting enough sleep. Then fill in the rest of your life. At the end of the day, for the majority of people, relationships are most important.
What Do You Want to Change?
These questions haven’t been easy, but they are important questions to consider. Now is the perfect time to reflect where you are right now and access what’s working, what’s not working and what do you want to do differently moving forward? The next action step that you take now, could be the most important step you take that leads to a whole new level of productivity and peace of mind. Being organized in your office, home and life is a beautiful thing!
If your stuff has side-tracked you, all there is to do is get back on track. So, take time to answer these questions and then take action. When we leave this place, and we all eventually will, you won’t be taking your stuff with you. All your precious stuff will remain exactly where you left it. So do yourself a favour and those you love and get rid of all the unimportant stuff. It will save your loved ones a lot of time and money down the road! And remember, to enjoy the process…there is hope, life and light at the end of the organizing journey!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sherry Borsheim is the president of International Association of Business Organizing and Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.BizOrganizing.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
Sign up to receive Sherry’s newsletter by clicking here “Send My Kit” and you’ll receive her FREE 7 Ways to Organize Your Workspace kit!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Example of what people are saying about Sherry:
We used to waste a lot of time searching for documents. Now, we can search and retrieve documents quickly. We got rid of the clutter and created a lot of physical space and a more pleasant and positive working space. Having an organized office space is liberating! It has helped us operate more efficiently and save at least an hour a day. The organizing journey was surprisingly easy and fun. Thanks to Sherry for helping us Conquer our Chaos!
Melanie Lam, Administrative Assistant
Administrative and Professional Staff Association
Simon Fraser University
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The mission of the International Association of Business Organizing (IABO) is to inspire people to unclutter their offices, homes and lives for peace of mind.
We believe that when businesses are uncluttered and organizing systems and process are in place, businesses run smoother and they are more profitable.
IABO provides support, education and resources to business owners, professional organizers, managers and administrative staff worldwide. We empower them and teach them how to create effective office organizing systems and behaviours that work for them and/or their team through our teleseminars, videos, online content, webinars and coaching programs.
We help businesses streamline their workflow and empower new behaviours and levels of success professionally and personally. We help you grow your bottom line!
For more information on Sherry Borsheim and her educational products and services for organization and increased productivity, go to http://www.bizorganizing.com/
Trying to maintain organized living when it comes to having a home office can be a tricky task. There can be so much paper work, documents, books and other things that seem to get in the way, get misplaced or get overlooked completely. Having a digital filing system in place, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management, can help take the hassle and clutter out of the home office. Whether you are about to renovate a room and change it into your office or already have one in place, either way you can benefit from starting to use a digital filing system.
Gone are the days when you cannot track that one paper or document you really need. Nothing can be more frustrating than needing an important item at an exact moment and being unable to track it down. You need the data from a sheet of paper, or someone is on the phone and needs some figures right then and there. The only problem is, that particular sheet of paper doesn’t seem to be anywhere to be found.
Ironically, old alphabetical filing systems didn’t really enable you to locate the paper any easier. For instance, if you had a slip of paper for your car expenses it should filed alphabetically under car, right? It also could be under “A” for auto repairs, “F” for Ford repairs or even just “R” for repairs – that is, if it is even in the right spot, at all.
This can especially be true and even more confusing if you have anyone else working with you in your home office. How can you be sure you are both using the same methodology in your filing system? A digital filing system can help do away with all the troubles and stresses that arise from having a disorganized home office.
Using a digital filing system will help you to have organized living and declutter your life, your home office and your home in general. Imagine the time you will save by being able to track papers, documents or books with your filing system. You can index more than paper files, too. Anything that you can put a number onto, you can add to your digital filing software.
So, that includes items such as CDs or even photos. Or maybe your home office is for your business of selling collectibles online. When an item sells, you need to be able to locate it quickly so you can ship it off to your customer. You might be keeping your inventory at home, stored somewhere such as the attic and even in a rented storage somewhere off your property. How can you find that item, aside from just hoping you recall where it is from memory? The answer is to use Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to get organized and maintain organized living in your home office and work space to be more productive.
You will so love the software that you will want to expand its use to many things other than paper, such as books, CDs, DVDs, collections, storage boxes, etc! In addition, Paper Tiger Online will soon be able to connect Digital Tiger to Google Docs which will allow you to search for both your paper files and other physical items that you’ve indexed into Paper Tiger and your digital files that you’ve scanned, uploaded or created in Google Docs! Yes, we recommend Google Docs for your electronic files because it is the least expensive digital cloud storage that you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
Whether it is your home, home office, work space or personal gathering of collectible memorabilia, getting organized will reduce stress in your life and help you be more productive. An effective filing system method, like Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management can help get your life in order, for both personal and professional. The problem often is, once you have a disorganized system, it can be difficult to get out from under it. Many people claim to have a “method to their madness” or that the filing system they have in place, with random papers stacked on every flat surface of a room, “works for them.” Truth be told, though, this probably isn’t true and they waste a lot of time searching to find what they need.
It takes more effort to deal with clutter and spending time trying to find documents and other physical items than it would if you had a system in place. Besides, if someone else had to work with that same system, he or she may not be as able to adjust to the madness. Also consider the stress having this type of home or office causes. Even if it is subconscious, people who live with clutter in their home or office life are reported to feel stressed out, depressed and generally overwhelmed all of the time.
So, let’s take an office filing cabinet system as an example. It’s already obvious the loose paper strewn around the room does not represent what a proper or useful filing system looks like. It is easier to start off organized, but even if you have already started to live in or work in a world of paper chaos, you can still change things and turn it around. Keep in mind, though, if possible, starting off being organized from the beginning will always make your life easier, as well as make it simpler to get an organizational system into place and then maintained.
Even if the office example has a fine set of filing cabinets with all the papers put where they are supposed to be, this can be a non-functional system. If you have filed papers under “auto” records but someone else is looking for “car” records or even “vehicle” records, it almost doesn’t matter how pretty the system in place is. When you use a document management software program, you can use keywords so that any one of these terms could be typed in to search for the location of a document. In a matter of speaking, it keeps everyone who has access to the filing cabinets and the filing system software on the same page.
If it can be numbered or indexed, it can become part of a filing system. This very same program you use to get your papers in your home or office in order can be used in your home to keep your storage shed in order as part of your effort to get organized. Imagine a life free of clutter and finally making sense when it comes to how things are organized. So, you keep tools in the garage, basement, the backyard shed and an offsite storage rental unit. Because of that, how will you have any idea of where to find what? By using a filing system like what is mentioned here, that’s how!
No more lost items! Doesn’t that sound good? All you do is take the time to enter the item names and keywords relating to the items you are organizing; indexing them into Paper Tiger’s database, whether it be paper, books, CDs, DVDs, collectors’ items or tools, or anything else you can put a number onto. Then when you need an item, you can conduct a quick Google-like search in the software database and find any of your belongings at the time you need them instead of having a time-consuming search from room to room. Implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and see for yourself how quickly you can get organized!
In this webinar, Anne McGurty, productivity expert of Strategize and Organize, presented an overview in how to manage your digital and paper filing, giving statistics and showing problems that people have in finding their information, whether it be digital files or paper/physical items. Anne describes how Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, will work and, using just one search to Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed!
We also showed screencasts for connecting Paper Tiger Online to Google Docs thereby activating Digital Tiger, in addition to scanning with the ScanSnap 1500M, how quick and easy it is to scan and upload to Google Docs.
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Q: I am wondering about originals. If I scan a reciept will that be accepted as original or do I need to retain the original also
A: Yes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been accepting digitized or scanned versions of paper documents since 1997 in lieu of paper documents. Please see our knowledge base article at Does the IRS accept digitized or scanned versions of my documents instead of paper documents? for more information.
Q: I want to make sure I can use Paper Tiger Online because I ordered a Fujitsu scanner in order to do so
A: You can use Paper Tiger Online with or without a scanner, whether it be Fujitsu or other brand of scanner, since Paper Tiger is an indexing system in which you type in information regarding your paper files and other physical items. If you have a Paper Tiger Online account you should be able to use Digital Tiger when it is available. Again, at first the Basic and Pro plans will allow you to activate Digital Tiger to your Google Docs account. You can go ahead and put your documents in Google Docs to be ready for when Digital Tiger is available.
Q: If my Paper Tiger account is not registered through my gmail email address, can I still link it to Google Docs?
A: When Digital Tiger is available, you will be able to connect Paper Tiger Online to your Google account, thereby activating Digital Tiger. This will be available in the Basic and Pro plans at first, and we hope to have available for multi users soon thereafter. It does not matter what email address you have on your Paper Tiger Online account, so it can be different than your Gmail or Google account.
Q: What about other Microsoft products? Do I need to convert to Google Docs?
A: We will only be able to connect to Google apps, since Microsoft does not currently allow an API to allow us to work with their software.
Q: Does this work with my Outlook emails or do I need to use Google email to have it work?
A: At first, Digital Tiger will only work with Google Docs. We will be adding Gmail and Gcalendar in the future. I believe Anne will address later in the presentation about syncing Outlook with Gmail. We do not currently have plans to connect Digital Tiger with Outlook.
Q: Which plan is necessary to get Digital Tiger?
A: Basic or Pro plan will have Digital Tiger available as soon as it is out of Beta testing.
Q: Can I backup the digital documents into my computer or portable hard drives for my records?
A: Yes, you can either create or scan your digital documents onto your hard drive first, then upload the files or folders to Google Docs. Or you can create or scan your digital documents directly in Google Docs, then backup your Google Docs to your local or external hard drive.
Q: Please present how to scan directly to Google Docs.
A: See our blog post regarding How to Get Started With Digital Tiger for a Paper and Digital Filing Solution. The second video in this article shows how to scan directly to Google Docs. Please note that this video shows the Mac version of the Fujitsu ScanSnap 1500M and the feature that this scanner provides.
It is said that the average American spends over 150 hours per year, just looking for lost information. Some estimates are even higher than this! Based on a 260 day year (not considering holidays, personal days, etc., and let’s say you never look for lost information on the weekends…), that is almost 35 minutes per day, 2.9 hours per week and 12.5 hours per month!
On a personal level, the results are most likely:
On a business level, the consequences and costs can be much greater, including:
There are many ways to calculate an ROI for ‘getting your act together’ and making some changes in getting organized, but we all know that one of the biggest is the satisfaction and reduced stress of being able to put your fingers on what you need, when you need it! This feels so good and you can keep moving on the particular project at hand. But, if you want to put some hard dollars to the investment of time and equipment/software required to change the way you do things and tune up your organizing skills, take a look at this. We are calculating only hard dollar cost here — we won’t deal with the opportunity cost of being disorganized — this means how much money you might lose if you don’t properly service your customers in a timely manner.
“The average worker has 36 hours of work stacked up on his or her desk (and on the floor, on the shelves, on their credenza).” – USA Today
“The average person spends 6 weeks per year searching for misplaced information.” – North Carolina’s Brunswick Beacon
“The average person spends 8 months of his/her lifetime opening junk mail.” – New York Times
Here is a very simple calculation of the cost of looking for lost information and not “being on top of things” in your office. If you spend 35 minutes per day looking for lost information…
Your pay may be higher or lower and you may spend more or less time looking for lost information, but this calculation serves as an example of one way to think about the problem. This simple calculation ignores all the hidden costs of disorganization such as the cost of lost opportunities, added stress in the workplace, the health costs of always feeling behind, etc.
So, in hard dollar terms, you will save over $2,000 per year and get that wasted time back for other much more productive things…including going home earlier from the office. And in soft dollar terms, you will get more of your life back and be able to better service your customers with less effort using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management!
From the average household to a home based business to the person who is part or sole owner in a business outside of the home, we all generate tons of paper every year, building up in piles and stacks on our desks, in our file cabinet drawers and on top of various surfaces throughout the home or office. Things accidentally get thrown away because they just were not where they needed to be. Or, things get moved by one family or staff member while they are searching for their missing item causing someone else to have to go on their own seek and destroy mission when they need something that had originally been in that pile.
The need to manage paper documents is one that is more than just about organization, however. Paper can be a major problem in many households and offices because there are so many questions about it. What papers can be thrown out and which ones must be saved? How long do you have to save these papers? And worst case scenario, what will happen on the day you find out that you absolutely need one of those papers and you just cannot find it at all? Does ‘going paperless’ mean that you will get rid of all the paper in your life?
There are several different ways to manage and organize those paper documents. You can try to work out your own system, praying that you won’t forget your cross referencing system in the meantime. Or you can implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and get organized in every area of your life — not just paper!
Now there are other products that claim they will get you organized fast and easy, eliminating all of that paper mess in the process. Some of them rely on a scanner. But, what do you do with the papers once you scan them? Do you want to throw them away or shred them? They are organized, technically because everything is neatly scanned in and digitally stored on the disc or hard-drive or in the cloud app, but what happens if you need one of those documents for a tax audit or to file an insurance claim? Is your disc or digital storage space searchable? Would you be able to quickly find what you’ve scanned?
There is also a product that has several pockets and files so that you can hold the papers that you generate for a week, but what happens at the end of the month when you move the old out and bring the new in?
Thankfully, there is a better organizing tool that allows you to file all of your papers and other documents in one easy to manage and easy to update paper filing system. Organization in the home, the office or the home office does not mean just papers all of the time – in fact, you can use this same system for other items, items that are just too big or bulky to be included in the other types of systems that require scanning.
The system does not rely on scanning or trying to consolidate all of your items into a small disc. You can keep some paper files and scan what you don’t need to keep in physical format. You know where things are by conducting a Google-like search based on your input and referencing it in the system database. It is important that your paper files that you keep in hard copy format, and other physical items, be indexed into the filing system, so that anything you want to find later can be retrieved quickly with a simple Google-like search in the database. Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management can help you get organized so that you can find what you need, when you need it – quickly!
And even better, Paper Tiger Online will soon be able to connect Digital Tiger to Google Docs which will allow you to search for both your physical paper that you’ve indexed and your digital files that you’ve scanned, uploaded or created in Google Docs! Yes, we recommend Google Docs for your cloud storage because it is the least expensive digital filing storage that you’ll find anywhere. You’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
This article by Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of International Association of Business Organizing (IABO), gives us some great tips on organizing vacation planning and packing so that taking a vacation won’t add even more stress to our busy lives! Check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps which will give you a JUMP-START on ORGANIZING your office, home and life. She will give you her trade secrets and steps to setting up your organizing systems, including recommending Paper Tiger filing system software for document management, to be organized and manage the information and stuff in your life.
I remember my very first client and the day we were planning out her hectic family schedule. The kids were young and involved in a lot of after school programs, there was a birthday party to plan and a million other things to get done prior to the end of school year and before the family vacation. Her anxiety and stress levels were high and she just couldn’t see how she was going to accomplish everything prior to leaving on vacation. At this point she wasn’t even sure she’d be able to make all the vacation arrangements or get everyone packed. Taking a family vacation was just too stressful!
First Things First
Together, we began to plan out on paper everything that was on her mind. Getting it onto paper is the first step to reducing stress. Next, we prioritized projects and began making a list of things that could be delegated. There was a lot of complicated logistics and juggling of schedules that needed to happen prior to even thinking of planning the family vacation.
Batch, Prioritize and Schedule Tasks
Once we had everything that was on her mind on paper, we batched and prioritized her tasks. Then we began scheduling everything into her calendar. This would give her a more realistic time-line of when things needed to get done and how long tasks would take. We even customized her planner based on her lifestyle and how she wanted to use it.
The Family Packing List
After a few hours of planning, we took a short break and she mentioned that the family vacation was really stressing her out. She just didn’t see how she would be able to make all the arrangements and get ready in time. I asked her if she had a packing checklist for the family? The tears began to roll down her face. She said that she dreamed of having a packing list because she knew that it would simplify her life. But she didn’t know where to begin and the thought of creating one was just too stressful.
That was the day I realized that the simplest of things can transform a life and reduce stress and anxiety for a person. What comes natural for me, which is organization, isn’t easy and natural for others. So I made her a promise that I would type up a family packing checklist for every member of the household and I’d help her every step of the way to make this family vacation extra special and stress-free! And that is exactly what happened – an outstanding family vacation!
Organizing is a Learnable Skill
One of the most rewarding moments for me when I’m working with my clients is when a highly creative, outgoing person who says they can never be organized, decides to make different choices. They develop new habits that support them and in turn transform their life. Then the positive impact that has on the rest of the family members because they teach the organizational skills to their kids. For me, that’s beauty and order at it’s best!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Organizing is what you do before you do something,
so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.”
A.A. Milne
“Life is what happens to you while
you’re busy making other plans”
John Lennon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Did you forget something? You know the story…you all pile into the car, you’re trying to beat the rush hour traffic, you’re frantically making a list in your head and hoping you didn’t forget anything, you head out of town and suddenly you remember you forgot something. It’s too late to turn back, so you tell yourself you’ll just pick it up on the way or when you get to your destination. Who wants to be running around buying necessities and spending extra money when you could be having fun on your vacation?
Make your next vacation more enjoyable and relaxing so those obstacles don’t get in the way of you having fun! Here are a few simple vacation planning tips:
Create a Trip File
Keep all your trip related papers together in a file and when you return from the trip recycle or toss papers you don’t need and file receipts and travel expenses in your financial files. Move towards being paperless and create a document on your computer for each place you visit. List your favorite restaurants, accommodations, and points of interest. Years ago I created a “New York” document and it’s been updated and passed onto many friends over the years and I’ve completely eliminated all my travel reference files!
Create a Pre-Travel Action List
Make a list of all the tasks you want to accomplish prior to the trip either on paper or electronic. Every time you think of something capture it and get it out of your head otherwise it will keep coming up for you as a reminder to do something and increase your stress levels. Look at your list each day and schedule time to accomplish these tasks.
Packing Checklists Reduce Stress
For the past 10 years we vacation at this wonderful place with my family, and every year we pack the same things. Some years forgetting crucial items, while other years packing way too much. So, one day I sat down and wrote out everything we needed to take with us, clothing, food, sporting equipment, games and other necessities. I even made a simple meal plan with healthy meals with minimum effort to prepare. What a huge time-saver and stress reliever this has been over the past 15 years. A little pre-planning can go a long way towards a fun-filled vacation instead of disappointment and disaster.
Create different packing checklists for different types of trips or regular activities. You could have a packing checklist for summer and one for winter vacations. We have a family vacation that we take every summer and all I do is open up that file on my computer, print a copy and begin packing. I even have a small checklist in my gym bag so I don’t forget to pack a key piece of clothing! I’m sure you can relate!
Here are a couple of great resources I recommend for packing checklists if you don’t already have one. Frommer’s travel planner and Frommer’s Activity Planner are available for you to print and fill in your own packing items. Independent Traveler has a fun interactive packing checklist that you can customize for different types of trips.
Avoid Last Minute Packing
Whenever possible, pack 3-7 days prior to the trip to reduce last minute stress and a late night with little sleep. This is not a relaxing way to start a vacation. Get out your suite case and review your packing checklist and begin packing what you can. This is especially helpful if you have several family members to pack for plus yourself. You may also want to pack a separate overnight bag to carry on the plane for long flights just in case the airline misplaces your luggage you’ll have a change of clothes. Or if you spend a night at a hotel on the way to your destination you don’t have to haul in your entire luggage for one or two nights.
Savvy Travelers Packing Tips
Check the weather forecast at your destination before you begin to pack. Also, store all your travel items in a container, drawer or one location in your home. Passports, other currencies, shoe bags, luggage tags and any other travel items you use from time-to-time. This makes it easy to pack when all the items are together. Keep travel size items stocked and on-hand to avoid last minute trips to the store. Here are some other savvy packing tips:
Have fun and enjoy the peace of mind a little pre-planning and preparation gives you when you are organized!
Travel Supplies Tip for the Frequest Traveller:
If you are a frequent traveller, then it pays to buy a second set of travel cords and accessories. Keep them in a small compact carry case so it’s easy to grab and carry on the plane with you, your purse or in the car.
Check out these cool noice reduction headphones and these space-saving packing cubes for your suitcase at Magellans travel store.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sherry Borsheim is the president of International Association of Business Organizing and Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.BizOrganizing.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
Not getting our newsletter? Sign up by clicking here “Send My Kit” and you’ll receive our FREE 7 Ways to Organize Your Workspace kit!
Mention the word “filing system” and most people picture an office with filing cabinets. The thing is, with an organizational system for filing, cataloging or managing your life, you can file or index anything that can be cataloged or that you can put a number onto. Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management allows indexing of items to help you get organized, clear the clutter problem and know exactly what you have and where each item is located with a quick search in the filing system database.
Of course, that can still include an office either at home or in the professional world. Things such as hanging files and binders can now be located with greater ease than even alphabetizing. That’s because, though alphabetizing method was as close to an effective filing system as possible before this indexing method, it has its problems. Is someone filing things under “vehicle” or “automobile”? Or, even if it is someone’s name, it is under “Erwin” or “Irwin.” By being able to include keywords in your filing search, you broaden the possibilities for finding what you need using filing system software.
There are many items a person may keep in the home that can be a great collection to have, but a little frustrating to keep organized and be able to find quickly when needed. In fact, it may be downright disorganized. You may have an extensive library of books, but if you can never find the one you are looking for, it starts to lose the enjoyment factor. Maybe you want to find a medical book to reference but aren’t sure where it is. You could want to reread a classic work of fiction before seeing the new theatrical adaptation of it, but can’t even recall if you have it at home, put it in the attic or lent it to someone.
The point is, having an organizational system for all your filing and document management needs will help keep your things in order. The same holds true for keeping track of items like CDs, DVDs, video games and even old vinyl records, just to name a few of the possibilities. Whatever you have a good number of, you can catalog or index with this system.
Those plastic storage bins may be a handy and useful system to keep your belongings safe and dry, but they can be a real bother when it comes to trying to recall what items are in which bins. Indexing the items that are in the bins into the database of the filing system software and number them to match the assigned item number from the software, and you now know from your list or from searching by a keyword that you’ve input previously into the database, exactly what’s inside and where certain items are. Looking for the bin that may have extra camera lenses could be an all day task, while looking for bin #3 takes just minutes.
The same thing goes for moving boxes. While you may have in the past, managed to have time to scrawl the word kitchen on the side of a moving box, that was about the extent of organization when it came to knowing what was inside the boxes until unpacking. This made it difficult when, in a rush during the first morning at a new place, you need to find the toaster to get the kids breakfast before school. Having a filing system software that allows you the ability to index items input into each moving box, will help you to have a more organized move especially on the unpacking side. You can also use the information that you’ve indexed for each household or office item to indicate where they are placed in the new location.
It is estimated that the average person wastes 150 hours per year looking for lost information. Instead of wasting time searching, implement Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management and get organized. You’ll be surprised how much time you will save when you can find what you need, when you need it!
In this webinar, Anne McGurty, productivity expert of Strategize and Organize, presented an overview in how to manage your digital and paper worlds, giving statistics and showing problems that people have in finding their information, whether it be digital or paper/physical items. Anne demonstrates how to upload files to Google Docs, and how Digital Tiger, powered by Google Docs, will work and, using just one search to Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! (Digital Tiger Beta testing to begin soon)
As information, Anne is a professional speaker, productivity expert, and author. If you want to learn more about Anne and her services, please visit her website at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com. She may be in Colorado, but she’s nationally recognized as an expert and works with people throughout the US in person and virtually.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
Digital Tiger is not quite ready, however you can sign up for Beta now at http://thepapertiger.com/contest and we will email you when you are to be included in the next Beta testing phase. Digital Tiger will be free to Beta testers with a paid Paper Tiger Online account. (Paper Tiger Online FREE account is not included.) Digital Tiger is not a standalone product and must be used with Paper Tiger Online.
The way it will work is described on our web page at http://thepapertiger.com/contest under Announcing Digital Tiger, where you can also sign up to join the Beta testing, and at http://thepapertiger.com/digital_tiger
Q: Need info about scanning receipts and business cards and being able to retrieve them by various categories.
A: When you scan your receipts and business cards to Google Docs, your documents are OCR’d. See our knowledge base article regarding What is OCR?
Q: Will there be an efficient way to import file names from existing file structures to facilitate including them in Paper Tiger?
A: You can upload existing folders to Google Docs. See our knowledge base article entitled, “Uploading Files to Google Docs”
Q: All of our electronic files are stored on our network. We have HIPPA considerations for our files. I’m concerned about security of files in a cloud environment. How secure are these files?
A: Google Docs is secure, but I haven’t seen HIPPA information in their security information. Your digital data would be housed at Google Docs not at Digital Tiger. Digital Tiger will only search your Google Docs along with your physical items that you’ve indexed in Paper Tiger.
Digital Tiger will only connect to Google Docs, so Digital Tiger does not actually store your data. All data will be housed on Google’s secure servers. Below is additional information from Google’s website regarding security and privacy:
“Information security is a top priority at Google, and we employ dedicated teams with experts in their fields to handle these important areas. Your files are, by default, set to private, but you can choose to publish them to the Web or invite collaborators or viewers. Your files will not appear in Google Web Search results, but published files may appear in other search engines.
If you are working in a Google Apps domain, your files are, by default, set to your domain’s default setting. This setting might not be private, but you can make your docs private when you create or upload a doc or file. Additionally, to help keep your data private, it’s important to have a strong password, to not share that password with others, and to understand the sharing options in Google Docs.”
Below is a concluding statement issued by Google in their Google Apps security whitepaper which is found at http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=60762 in case you need more information:
“Google is committed to keeping the information stored on its computer systems safe and secure. Each of the ten components of Google’s multi-layered security strategy is endorsed and defended throughout the organization. Google Apps provides controls at each level of data storage, access, and transfer. Millions of organizations, including Google, run their businesses on Google Apps, and Google invests in that
trust every day. With Google Apps, users can rest assured that Google values the privacy, confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their data.”
We also have information on our support portal regarding Security
Q: Is the keyword searched for in the digital and paper files or do you have to search each separately?
A: When you have the digital search turned on in Paper Tiger, you will be able to search both digital and paper/physical items with one search.
Q: I’m having trouble understanding the difference between PT online and Digital paper tiger.
A: Paper Tiger Online is our software in which you can index paper files and other physical items to help you get organized with everything physical. Digital Tiger is what happens when you connect Paper Tiger Online to Google Docs. This will give you one place to search for both your physical items and your digital files that you’ve uploaded and/or converted to Google Docs. We plan to add Gmail and Google Calendar to the search function in the future to have one place to search paper/physical, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Calendar.
Q: On Digital Tiger, do you have “key words” to help find the document
A: With Paper Tiger Online, you would type in keywords to be able to search on those keywords to find the paper file or physical item in the future. With Digital Tiger, for any digital file that you convert to Google Docs, Digital Tiger will find based on the searched word in the file name or within the contents of the document. For any digital file that you have uploaded to Google Docs, but have NOT converted to Google Docs, Digital Tiger will find based on the searched word in the file name only.
Q: How does the Paper Tiger work with the physical docs in an archive?
A: When you have your paper files indexed in Paper Tiger, you can conduct a Transfer – Move function to move the files from their original Location in the database to another Location, such as Archives. Then you can move the physical files and place the new tab with new Item Number assigned by Paper Tiger Archives Location on the Archives hanging file folder tabs. Your Paper Tiger Archives Location will then match your physical Archives files.
Q: Which documents do I need (for legal reasons) to keep physical copies? I’d like to be able to just scan everything else and keep it all online (on hard drive, Google Docs, and Carbonite backup). I work from home in a small office area, and I’m drowning in paper.
A: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has been accepting digitized or scanned versions of paper documents since 1997 in lieu of paper documents. See additional information in our knowledge base article entitled “Does the IRS accept digitized or scanned versions of my documents instead of paper documents?” For other types of legal reasons, you would need to contact your lawyer or accountant.
Q: Will this work with ScanSnap system?
A: We recommend the Fujitsu Scanner 1500 (or 1500M for Mac users). We have tested several scanners and this is by far the best scanner that we have encountered.
Buy PC version – Fujitsu Scanner 1500
Buy Mac version – Fujitsu Scanner 1500M
It seems that pretty much everyone has stepped into the computer age, and there is not a business in the world that does not rely on computers for a lot of their work. Even organizations that are steeped in thousands of years of tradition, such as churches, are not immune to this, and you will find that most churches are finding ways to use computers to their advantage. Churches are using Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to set up their filing systems so that everyone on the church staff can find the files they need quickly.
You would probably be quite surprised to see just how much paperwork an average church has, and how many filing cabinets are filled to overflowing. The church is a business like any other, and it is necessary to be as efficient as possible so that time and money is not wasted. Most people don’t think of churches as businesses, but church staff must manage the money received just like any other business to be able to maintain the buildings and pay staff.
Church fundraisers are not the only way that churches acquire money, and everything they do must be accounted for. This means that they have to record information from all business transactions, which means a lot of paperwork. Don’t forget about all of the paperwork for weddings, funerals and other special services performed at churches. All of this information must be saved for future reference if needed, so again, there are more papers to be filed.
Then think about all the sermons and other service notes, and books that are referenced, and CD or DVD recordings. How are these maintained to be able to retrieve again when needed?
When church administrators make the switch from paper filing or document management software, they are doing their secretaries a huge favor. No longer will they have rely on memory or guess how someone else filed something or search through mounds of papers to find a particular file. After indexing everything into the software database, all it takes is a few clicks to conduct a Google-like search in the database and you’ll know exactly where the needed item is located. Not only does this make finding things easier, it also makes it so one can declutter the office.
If you work in a church office that is overflowing with paperwork, implement document management software to help you get organized. Even if your church is considering going to a paperless filing system, there are some things that can’t be scanned, as mentioned previously, i.e., books, CD and DVD recordings. In addition, things such as drama team props and costumes, children’s church items, youth group projects — basically anything that you can put a number onto, you can index so that your staff can find what is needed quickly.
It will make everyone’s work a lot easier, and if you are the person who usually takes care of keeping track of where everything is, it will definitely make your life easier, saving you time and energy.
See other information at Organizing Church Documents The Easy Way for tips on labeling and categorizing.
If your church is planning on scanning even some of the paper that flows through the church, try Google Docs. Unlike many digital filing systems, Google Docs is more cost effective in digital storage, and with Paper Tiger-Digital Tiger Filing System Software for document management, you’ll be able to search for both physical items and scanned or digital files from one search. This will make your time management and productivity even easier to maintain!
Followers
26090“The Paper Tiger Software Daily is out! http://t.co/wEW9wZ4F ▸ Top stories today via @GetPhyAssisJobs @manifestfuture @organizes” on May 21st 2:39 am
“The Paper Tiger Software Daily is out! http://t.co/wEWe4z5z ▸ Top stories today via @rpreibold @weblancer_ @dickerone” on May 20th 2:39 am
“@dinaj thanks! you too!” on May 18th 10:20 pm
“#FF @stratorg @sherryborsheim @megginmcintosh @stephcalahan @GiftGive1 @timetrainer @natalieconrad Hope everyone has a great/fun wkend!” on May 18th 9:41 pm
@papertigersoft
