Tips to Organize your Office

Sometimes all you need for a fresh start, is a clean work space.

Sometimes when things get overwhelming, the best thing you can do is change your work space.

I really loved the idea of the Four-Box Method by Joshua Becker.

You basically get 4 big boxes and label each one.

• Box 1: Keep
• Box 2: Trash
• Box 3: Donate
• Box 4: Relocate

Remove everything

The first thing you need to do is remove everything from your desk and drawers and put it into a big pile. And I’m not exaggerating. Remove everything from your office and put it into a big pile.

If you have a mobile office, same thing.

Get your 4 boxes labeled and let’s get to work.

Keep:

This is everything you use on a daily basis. In this bin, you only want everything you need in arms reach. You don’t want to have to get up to get anything. When you sit down to work, you work; you shouldn’t have to be getting up and looking for things.

While you’re doing this step, you need to file any papers into proper folders/storage.

If you haven’t used something in 4 weeks, I want it to go into the “RELOCATE” box.

Trash

Get rid of everything you can. You need a clean and efficient office space to get some new energy and perspective in your business.

Stop holding onto things that don’t serve you. And for the love of all things holy, stop buying things you don’t need.

Donate

I think this was my biggest pile. There were so many things I had bought that I didn’t want to throw away, but I didn’t need to keep. I posted things on Facebook for people to come get if they wanted and I took boxes full of things to our local team meetings to give away.

What was left over on this box, all went to Goodwill.

Relocate

This is something my friend Tiffany Wellinghoff taught me like 6 years ago. Divide your office into 3 zones:

• Hot
• Warm
• Cold

1. Hot zone is everything you need on a daily basis and within arms reach.
2. Warm zone is everything you need maybe once a month or every couple weeks.
3. Cold zone, you very rarely need it, but it’s important when you do.

Your RELOCATE box, is for your COLD ZONE. Label a box and put it in the basement or a closet so it can be easily located when you do need it.

Now, you have a fresh start and you can get to work! Tell us, on a scale of 1-5, how messy is your desk?

1 is spotless and 5 is a tragic mess.

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Do You Have Business Insurance?

 

So … you know how I have mentioned my business BFF, Melanie Moore, a few times here on the blog? Well, she has been after me to blog about this topic for a long time because she believes it is a resource that every direct seller needs, whether you have been in the business 10 days or 10 years. I will be honest, I kept pushing back on her about writing about this because it is totally out of my norm for this blog, it is something I am not an expert in, and truthfully it is a little depressing talking about insurance and accidents … but here comes a #truthbomb straight from her lips – “sometimes bad stuff happens to good people”! She’s 100% right and I want nothing more than to share an awesome resource that could help you should any of that bad stuff happen to you, something that will protect the well-being of your family & your personal family finances!

So here we are, with her help in writing this blog article, I am going to do it!
We are going to talk about getting BUSINESS INSURANCE for your direct sales business!
YES, such a thing does exist!
YES, you can get it quickly and easily!
YES, you need it!

Why You Need Business Insurance:

Times have changed, my friends, and if you do not have insurance coverage for your business, you should! You are entering people’s private homes, what if you knock over the Hostess’s prize possession with your bag? Or you are carrying-pulling-dragging products, tables, garment racks, and shelving units into vendor events, what if you take out another vendor’s table or worse, hit a child with one of your poles as you blindly walk in carrying more than you should because you are trying to minimize your trips in and out to the car? And with the Spring vendor event season upon us, I have noticed more and more venues requiring “proof of insurance” in order to participate. Do you have proof of insurance for your business? Most home owner’s policies DO NOT cover your business.

I know, I get it, “but that would never happen to me”. But that’s just it, it DOES happen to people like us every day. You need to think proactively for your business and be prepared for the “what if”, just like you do for your home, your health and your cars. Insurance exists to cover the unknown and the accidents.

 

Getting Quotes:

I am sure you can connect with your own local insurance provider and get quotes, but I went with an insurance company that was referred to me by Melanie because she has used this company for years. Just so you know, I do not get any kick backs for this, I just want to provide you with information and a valuable resource that I have found to get you & your family protected!

This insurance company specifically caters to direct sellers and understands our language, that is what I like about them. For only $75 a year, you get $2 million in general liability insurance for your business (including property and bodily injury), plus $3,000 for property coverage (including products and samples). I have looked into other options and for me, this is the best deal.

 

Printable Insurance Certificates for Events:

But here is what I love the most about this company, the printable event insurance certificates! I can download and print them myself anytime I need to provide them for an event (I just bring it with me to each event). Other companies require you to request a certificate and then you wait until they send it, some charge you extra to print a certificate, but with this company, I can just go print it on my own whenever I need it. They have been a Direct Sales Association Supplier for 27 years, which is quite impressive. And I know that they offer health insurance for Independent Contractors too, but I have not looked into that yet myself, you can check it out on their website.

When you apply for coverage from them, you will have to choose your company from the dropdown menu, they cover A LOT of companies, but not every company out there. A quote from their FAQ page says, “Because we must look at the nature of the product being sold, we must qualify all direct selling companies. When you enroll you need to select from the approved list of companies the one you represent. If your company does not show up on our list then our insurance carrier has not approved issuing a policy to cover your activities on their behalf. We cannot write policies unless your company is on the approved list of companies. Remember coverage will only be for you as a sale representative for the company you register for as an authorized representative.”

 

Do Your Own Research:

I invite you to check out getting insurance specifically for your business, the truth is …. when you are working with tons of people, taking credits cards and cash, carrying things in and out of locations … you just never know what is going to happen. I am not claiming to know everything about everything when it comes to business insurance, but I can tell you for certain that for $75 a year, it gives me enormous peace of mind that my family is protected from loss. You will need to do your own due diligence and research what is best for your family.

Here is the company we are referring to in this article: http://www.independentdirectsellers.org/

 

 

Organize Your Direct Sales Desk and Work Area

Now let me start, by saying I am NOT an expert in organization. I’m just letting you all know what works for me. And as you can see, my work space is a mess! This is me, this is real. I’m messy and busy, but everything has a place and everything has a function and reason for being in that place! And that’s totally not a real gun on my desk. That’s a pellet gun. My 12 year old hasn’t used it in 2 years, he brought it to me and asked me to get rid of it 🙂 Told you, I didn’t clean a thing!

 

My messy desk. that’s all:) I will tell you that you need to pull everything off your desk and throw it on the floor and START FRESH if you are going to re-organize. The only things that should be right next you, are the things you use daily. You should not have to GET UP for anything. Everything should be in arms length. The more you get up, the more time it takes and the more distracted you’ll get. I bought this desk at IKEA, love it! The desk actually attaches to the cubicles. 

 

Chocolate chip cookies. Everyone needs an emergency stash, right? My printer is right next to my computer.

 

On top of my cubicles, I have these shelves from hobby lobby, fairly cheap. Especially with their 50% off coupons. I have blank labels of all sorts, hostess packets, empty/extra folders, large mailing envelopes. on the right one, I have 2×4 labels and regular address labels, like my big stock pile of them.

 

This one has my folders and team and personal binders:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INWLXaqgbJ4.

 

The two bottom ones, by my feet, have my happy mail stash on the left, the one on the right is all my little extra products and give a ways. Mostly things i grab from the outlet sales. things i give away on my customer pages and things like that.

 

This little box has mailing supplies. Stamps, some nail files and key fobs, and envelopes that I use for happy mail and hostess mailings. I also use this bin to put mail in when it’s ready to go. I just throw it all in there and then it’s all in one place to go to post office.

This is a 3 tier paper holder thingy majig. On the top I have labels for my catalogs, order forms, and extra computer paper for my printer.

 

 

I don’t know who put my badge on there. LOL This bin has all my junk office supplies. craft stuff, glue sticks, glue dots, post its, scissors, stickers, staplers, all the things i have to keep from BABIES:). And the two envelopes are receipts for the tax year. But i did just buy rectangle bins for my receipts. they do not need to be within my reach.

 

This is all my stickers in that pink accordian file, notebooks (i use a lot) and more paper organizer folder thingy’s.

 

This bin has all my booking game purses. I want them close cause I can sit at my desk and re-do the little papers in them.

 

This is the one closest to me. I have these folder file things my MIL gave me (Dawn Fietsam York, thank you:). I have them labeled and in alphabetical order. address labels, 2×4 labels, customer special, next month customer special, calendars for guest pack…

 

So that’s it. Now there’s other things in my office but this is what is within arm’s reach of me and my desk! Hope that helps someone!

Melissa FIetsam, Ind. Senior Executive Director at Thirty-One Gifts

http://www.buymybags.com

#31 #31bag #31bags #thirtyone #thirtyonegifts #directsales #organizedesk #organize #office #workfromhome