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The Organizing Corner
Jody Adams, CPO�        724.850.7282       [email protected]
 

APRIL 2009

In This Issue. . .
:: Are You Going With The Flow?
:: Earth-Friendly Organizing
:: What Do I Do With. . . ?
:: Do You Know These People In Your Neighborhood?
:: What's Happenin'?
Greetings!
 
Happy Spring from The Organizing Corner! 
 
We hope that the information and resources below will inspire you to go beyond "spring cleaning" and help you to get and stay organized in your home and office.
  
Enjoy!
Jody Adams, Certified Professional Organizer�
Owner of In Its Place
 
Are You Going With The Flow?
How can organizing your office space improve your work flow?  
 
If you find yourself putting files "there" because "that's where there was an empty spot," you are doing yourself and your business a huge disservice.  Wasting time searching for folders, losing track of contact information, and misplacing important paperwork all add up to lost productivity, lost revenue, and lost opportunities.
 
Suppose you spend 5 minutes a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks out of the year searching for a piece of paper or piece of information.  That's over 20 "wasted" hours.  Multiply that times what you (and your employees) make per hour and, well. . . it makes for some interesting math.
 
And lost revenue is just one area where your business can "leak" as a result of disorganization.  Missed appointments, inability to do follow-up in a timely fashion (or at all), late fees, and strained relationships with clients, vendors, and employees can add to the stress of running a business.
 
Whether you are trying to grow your business, improve customer service, and/or implement a new plan, organizing your office and improving work flow can help you reach those goals.  How can you make this happen?
 
1)  First, be clear about your goals and the results you want to achieve.  Look at what you are currently doing and identify any problems you are experiencing with your filing system or storage that keep your office from running effectively. 
 
2) In each work space, designate a clear home for all paperwork, files, projects, and supplies based on how they come into the space, where and how they are used, and how frequently they are accessed.
  
3) Review how and when work is completed and make sure that what you and your employees are doing supports the goals you originally established. 
 
 
Need help organizing your business or improving the workflow in your office?  Call 724.850.7282 or email In Its Place.
 
Earth-Friendly Organizing
"Green" Events
 
Organize responsibly and Celebrate Earth Day with these events near you. . .
 
April 4, 2009 - Norwin Shopping Center
May 2, 2009 - Westmoreland Fairgrounds
Take your tires, appliances, and more for free or a small fee, depending on the item.
 
April 18, 2009
A wide variety of items are being taken at this collection event.
 
Free on-site destruction of your confidential papers and media as well as seminars on how to protect yourself against identity theft are available.
April 18, 2009
Safely dispose of your personal information - papers and digital media accepted for on-site destruction!
 
April 25 - May 9, 2009
Register your event or find an event near you as part of the Great American Cleanup of PA.
 
May 2, 2009
Residents here can take advantage of this only-once-in-2009 collection.
 
May 2, 2009
Safely dispose of your common household chemicals at the North Park Swimming Pool Parking Lot - just $2.00/gallon.
 
 
Click here for more recycling and donation resources. 
 
Check Out In Its Place In The Media. . .
 
Tribune Review article on bedroom organizing.
 
Interview with Kathy Yandura on organizing tips. (2nd of 3 interviews on their WCNS Talk Block show) 
What Do I Do With. . . ? 
In Its Place answers your questions about organizing the garage.

Q:  I've been avoiding dealing with my garage since last spring, but I finally am ready to tackle it.  Where do I start? 
 
A: 1)  Set up a box for donations, a box for items to be recycled (including a separate box for household hazardous waste), and a bag for trash.   Then start in one corner of the garage and do one section at a time so you don't get overwhelmed. . .
 
2) For each item, decide if you're keeping it or if you're putting it in one of the labeled containers mentioned above.  Hopefully it's a sunny day so you can put the items you decide to keep in categorized piles in the driveway. 
 
3)  Once you've gone through all the items, take care of the trash, donation, and recycling items.  Then, put your "keep" items in the most appropriate storage spots - on shelves, in containers and drawers, and/or hanging on hooks - to maximize the available space in your garage and make it easy to maintain your new-found organization.
 
Click here to send us a question about your organizing challenge. 
Do You Know These People In Your Neighborhood?
 
The folks at these companies offer products and services that can come in handy as you're getting organized.
 
If one of your goals this spring is to grow your business, the CHI guys can help with signs, apparel, and promotional items to fit your - and your customers' - needs!
 
If your company's web site could use some reorganizing and updating, this husband-and-wife team can have your online presence looking good and functioning well in search engines.
 
You might know the Aflac duck, but you should really get to know the wide range of benefits that this supplemental insurance has to offer you and your employees.
 
You're careful about shredding all the personal documents you're purging while you get organized, but if your identity is stolen, Pre-Paid Legal's Identity Theft Shield can save you time and money restoring it. 
 
If you've sorted and purged the contents of your garage, reward yourself with built-in storage so all those items will have a designated (and great looking) home! (Bonus: they're environmentally friendly!)
 
What's Happenin'?
 
One of the many benefits of being organized is having more time to do the things you love.  Here are a few community "happenings"  that you may want to check out this month. . .
 
April 4, 2009  
 
Central Westmoreland Habitat for Humanity Re-Store Sale (1st of the season!)
April 4, 2009 
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM, 17th St. and Penn Avenue, Jeannette
April 15, 2009 
 
Women's Expo*
April 18, 2009 
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Four Points by Sheraton, Greensburg 
 
April 18, 2009  
 
   
Email In Its Place if you would like to receive complimentary tickets. 
Thank you for spending some time with us.  Have fun using the information in this issue as you put everything in its place!
 
Happy Organizing!

Jody
Buy 9 hours, get the 10th
free!
Purchase a 90-minute initial consultation for your home and get TEN hours of hands-on organizing services for the price of NINE.  
You save $55.00! 

   Offer good through May 5, 2009.  Not valid with any other offer.  Not redeemable for cash.