[richywilts]

all i ever seem to do is organise clutter does anyone else feel like this id say i must spend a good 5-6 hours a week clearing n going thru useless paper n chucking it away

i need to organise my filing more efficiently i make an effort n then just get bogged down dealing with everything else things go to pot

any advice from bigger business owners would be appreciated cheers

[Tom White]

any advice from bigger business owners would be appreciated cheers

I'm not a bigger business owner, but I'm a bit of an admin whizz when I wanna be.  I was responsible for the pay, allowances and public funds for an Infantry battalion nearly 500 strong.

Granted, I always had my head up my bottom, and I jumped before they sacked me (or tried to anyway), but I can type at an amazing 50 words per minute without looking at the keyboard, and I know how to file.

What sort of stuff do you need to organise.  Explain?

[northstar161]

I had similar issues a few months back.

The solution for me was a book called Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Read it once and implement the stuff it contains and then read it again six months later. It's a lot of work at the front end but when it is working fine it is like having your own PA.

Good luck.

[Wc Solutions]

i ended up letting a younger family memeber doing it and pay them a fair wage.

she enjoyed doing it for me.

but now we have a pa who works 10 hrs a week and does the basic accounts and dealing with chasing the nationals for payments etc ...

if your gonna pay out for someone then its gotta be someone you trust mate (sure you know that)

[Perfect Windows]

I had similar issues a few months back.

The solution for me was a book called Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Read it once and implement the stuff it contains and then read it again six months later. It's a lot of work at the front end but when it is working fine it is like having your own PA.

Good luck.

There's a tip in that book that made more of a difference to me than anything else I've ever read on time management.  If something will take less than two minutes, just do it.  Don't worry about its priority.  It'll take longer to put it into a system designed to remind you later than it will take to just get it done.

That one revolutionised things for me.  You make a huge amount of progress immediately.

Vin

[Tom White]

There's a tip in that book that made more of a difference to me than anything else I've ever read on time management.  If something will take less than two minutes, just do it.  Don't worry about its priority.  It'll take longer to put it into a system designed to remind you later than it will take to just get it done.

That one revolutionised things for me.  You make a huge amount of progress immediately.

Vin

Vin,

That sounds like this book:
Do it Now: Break the Procrastination Habit
Which I read a few years back, and it was pretty good too.

As for filing, just start some files and keep 'em in date order.  Keep all your payment receipts in one file, in date order.  Keep your accounts up-to-date regularly.  Use a diary (I like a paper one) and a big year planner.  If you have bits of paper you don't know whether to file or chuck out, stick them in a big envelope - one for each month - and just file the envelope at the end of the month; that way you know for sure that you'll never chuck out a bit of paper you may need at some later date.

And the one thing I think is a must, a Things To Do List.  Don't try and remember things, write 'em down. 

And spend five-to-ten minutes at the end of the week to plan your next week, and spend five-to-ten minutes at the start of each day to plan your day.  It saves running round like a headless chicken.

I also know how to be extremely organised, but often I'm not! 

[gordonswindows]

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It says

" I too can type fifty words a minute without looking at the keyboard"

[Helen]

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It says

" I too can type fifty words a minute without looking at the keyboard"

You've been copying my work again

[RO-Sheen]

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It says

" I too can type fifty words a minute without looking at the keyboard"

Thats one word. Is it Welsh?

[Dean Taberner]

I've got around 5000 dockets from retail work saved from the last 3 years and they're building up by the month.

[Richard iSparkle]

I had similar issues a few months back.

The solution for me was a book called Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Read it once and implement the stuff it contains and then read it again six months later. It's a lot of work at the front end but when it is working fine it is like having your own PA.

Good luck.

this is a brilliant book.  it does demand a big change to start with but its an excellent systemn once up and running