Greetings!
Beautiful Spring weather here in Sydney! Although, have to say I really like Fall in New York, and am missing that a bit.
Some good news...I've been quoted in the Australian "Money" magazine, and have been selected to be an expert on the "Ask the Organizer Panel" at next year's NAPO conference in San Diego. This is something that I've aspired to since my first NAPO conference 5+ years ago.
We've posted a video from the HSW Wardrobe Makeover competition and photos from the Marbig Office Makeover competition, all on Facebook - see the link on the right.
This month...the Zero Inventory Challenge...can you do it? And how long will it take?
Warm regards,
Karen Koedding
A Little Elf
Australia's First Certified Professional Organiser
Live simply, laugh often, love deeply...today!
P.S. Please click on "Update Profile" at the bottom of this newsletter to change your preferences. We have a business newsletter as well.
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Zero Inventory Challenge
| Zero Inventory:"A term used to describe a Just-in-time Inventory system where emphasis is placed on reducing inventory to minimal levels to reduce costs and promote organizational effectiveness. This can result in sizable profit increases."
I spend time in many people's homes and find that people accumulate a lot of the following:
Blank greeting cards
Wrapping paper
Office supplies
Makeup
Freebie samples
These items are often not used, whilst brand new versions are bought. Why are you continuing to spend money on things that you already have? Are you really that rich that you can throw money out? ;-)
Blank greeting cards never go bad, but they also don't increase in value in your cupboard, whilst they get more expensive every day in the stores. I know people that have hundreds of unused greeting cards.
Wrapping paper...use it up, it takes up space and gets rattier looking the longer you have it.
Office supplies are everywhere in people's homes. I for one know how much fun it is to look at and buy office supplies, but think of the money you can save by shopping in your own home!
Makeup...big expenditure, and it goes bad over time. Use it, including those little bits. If you're not going to use it, trade it right away with a friend. I've added up the costs of clients' makeup and often times they will have a few thousand dollars worth of makeup that they are not using and it is going bad.
Freebie samples..all those little samples you take from hotel rooms, that come in gift bags, that come in magazines, etc. Same as the makeup, use them right up!
Here's my challenge (and REWARD) for you:
1. Pick a category from above... or something similarly challenging
2. Gather all of the category items up and put together like on your bed
3. Take a photo of everything
4. Add up the cost, how much you would have spent on acquiring it all. If it's the freebies, calculate their fractional retail cost
5. Record the starting date
6. USE THE STUFF instead of buying more, keeping track of how much you are saving.
7. When you get close to Zero Inventory, take a photo of what is left
8. Send me the photo and your story, including how much money you have saved from not buying more.
REWARD: Each of you will save money. One of you will win a brand new label maker! I'll send a label maker to the best result/story where ever you are in the world.
Good luck and have fun!
(If you send me photos/stories, you are agreeing that it is ok for me to post the same on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, A Little Elf's website, and future newsletters without any claims. Thanks!)
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Ask Rebecca How
| A Little Elf is a proud sponsor of 'Ask Rebecca How...' and their goal setting breakfasts for professional women. If you'd like to connect with like-minded women in Sydney CBD, arrive with a goal and leave with an action plan, then 'Rise then Shine' breakfasts are for you! Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday.
Rebecca will share the tools needed to help you extend your thinking beyond the everyday goals you set at our breakfasts. We'll be spending 20 minutes at the start of 'Rise then Shine' to help you begin to develop your own longer term life and career plan. This is a 5-part series, so that you can build your plan over the next few months, bring the shorter term goals to our breakfasts and make inroads into your overall plan! Each part builds on the last but all 5 can be explored in isolation too, with great effect!
Visit the Ask Rebecca How website to book your ticket. Members from $40 and visitors from $60.
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| About A Little Elf |  | |
It is a well known fact that disorganisation creates stress. And you carry
this stress around with you everywhere you go. We will help you to get
organized, giving you more time and energy to do the things that are important
to you and a new found freedom from chaos and stress.
A Little Elf provides
organising solutions, ideas, information, and teaches you new skills to
keep up the systems we put in place. We will help you create an organised space
that will increase your productivity and allow you to take control of your
belongings, clutter, paperwork - or whatever it may be that is stopping you
from living a full and productive life, as opposed to these things controlling
you. |
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