Meggin McIntosh, is “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and a Paper Tiger Expert. She will help you better understand Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to be able to use the software more effectively and see how you can get organized in every area of your life — not just paper filing! Meggin has been able to file & find paper files, notebooks, boxes, and lots more for over 13 years.
Click here to see a pre-recorded class Meggin taught where she shows how she has used Paper Tiger for over 13 years.
About Meggin McIntosh
Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh supports smart people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence.
Phone: 775.853.5510
And to keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity, join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails, and see what is available for download at no cost at any of MEGGIN’S WEBSITES:
http://meggin.com (Primary site)
http://GetaPlanGuides.com
http://KeepingChaosatBay.com
http://TopTenProductivityTips.com
http://JustWhelmed.com
http://OwningWordsforLiteracy.com
http://PumpernickelPublishing.com
http://StayingPositiveinaFreakedOutWorld.com
http://LifeofEs.com
Twitter • www.twitter.com/MegginMcIntosh
This video by Natalie Conrad of Organized Habits, and a Paper Tiger Expert, is a great demonstration of how she uses her favorite scanner – the ScanSnap 1500, which is what we at Paper Tiger recommend as well! It is a great scanner. You can also view our demonstration of the ScanSnap 1500 on our Training page under the section entitled What is Digital Tiger?
Natalie also recommends Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management to get everything in your life organized — it’s not just for filing paper!
Most of my clients have challenges and frustrations with paper at work and at home. One very helpful tool to own is a scanner, whether or not you want to go “paperless” (is there such a thing?). Gone are the days when having a flat bed scanner or even an all-in-one printer will suffice for scanning needs. We desire a tool that uses little effort and produces fast results… or let’s face it – we won’t scan things. Here’s a video I did to show you how my favorite scanner, the Fujitsu ScanSnap works.
Caution: Watching this video may cause you to spend money.. on a scanner!
Natalie Conrad is an organization consultant, speaker, and author in Northern California. She is also the founder of Organized Habits, a premier organizing firm, serving national and local clients in homes and small business settings. She is passionate about organizing as she believes that the clutter holds one back from pursing their life long goals and dreams. Visit Natalie’s blog for more articles like this by going to www.OrganizedHabits.com/blog
Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of Simply Productive, provides a list of things to look for in file cabinets and tips to setting up your filing system to get organized, stay organized and be more productive!
Also check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps that 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 paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical stuff in your life.
Most offices and homes still have a lot of paper. Going completely paperless is not for everyone, and there are some papers you must keep in original format. Papers can often pile up because your filing cabinet or file system doesn’t function properly. Poorly functional, inexpensive file cabinets can cause more frustration and stress, and stop you from filing altogether.
Before you buy, build or set up a new filing system or file drawers, assess your current filing cabinet requirements. Including how easy it is to retrieve and file away your papers. Review my top tips that you must know before you buy your next filing cabinet or build filing drawers in your kitchen or home office.
When your file drawers and filing cabinets are not functioning properly, you are less likely to use them, and papers will pile up.
The next time you are looking at a file cabinet, designing a file drawer, or buying a container to store your filing system in, ensure it is easy to use and retrieve papers from, well made, highly functional and fit in with the design of your office or home.
To reduce back strain and the twisting motion when you are sitting at your desk chair and reach for a file set up your files facing towards you. Not all file drawers will accommodate this, but you can buy “front to back” file bars for many filing cabinets that allow you to switch your files so they face you when you open a lateral file drawer.
Also, if you have a desk drawer, see if you can turn the files so they face you when you open the drawer while sitting at your chair. These two ergonomic tips make a huge difference for ease of use and reduce strain on your back and shoulders.
Spruce up your drab file cabinet with wallpaper that inspires you and fits into your décor. Casey Green at Fossil and Design Sponge shows you step-by-step how simple and fun Casey’s wallpaper do-it-yourself file drawers project is!
You can purchase hanging file frames from Staples that will fit securely inside most file drawers. You may need to cut the file frame down to fit your drawer. It’s a bit of a workout doing this and requires some muscle. Personally I use a hack saw with a blade for sawing metal. Wire cutters are not strong enough.
If the file frame is too large or doesn’t fit, then the next option is to buy hanging file containers like the picture here. You can drop several of these inside the file drawer so you can use hanging files or file folders and they stay in place without flopping around.
A product like Goo Gone or rubbing alcohol will remove stickers from metal file cabinets and will clean them up so they look attractive again. Always test the product first in an area that won’t show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original article posted at http://www.simplyproductive.com/2012/07/filing-cabinet-must-know-tips-to-stay-organized-productive/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=linkedin
Sherry Borsheim is the president of Simply Productive. You can visit Sherry, access her free article archive and grab lots of free stuff at http://www.simplyproductive.com. Sherry lives in Vancouver, BC Canada with her husband (her high-school sweetheart).
Printed with permission.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CALL TODAY! Contact productivity expert, Anne McGurty of Strategize and Organize, to schedule a strategize and organize analysis of your situation.
Are you managing both paper and digital files? Feeling stressed?
How do you bridge the paper world to the digital world?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The car industry got it right…it’s no longer a gas or electric decision — it’s both – a hybrid.
With your paper files and digital files, you need a hybrid as well. The solution is Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management with its new addition of Digital Tiger.
Imagine
Why make the transition alone … it’s not a tactical project that you can piece-meal … you need a strategic solution to be in the hybrid world.
All you need to do right now is the make the decision to spend 30 minutes with Anne McGurty, productivity expert, to strategize and organize and engage in a getting started analysis.
Call 303 881-0174 or email at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com today to get on Anne’s schedule!
In the article below, Anne McGurty, a Paper Tiger Expert of Strategize and Organize, relays a story about a jeweler who purchased more hoop earrings because he didn’t remember that he already had more than he needed simply because he didn’t have, nor did he think he needed, an inventory. Are you wasting time and money repurchasing things you already have or recreating documents you already have? Do you think it’s a waste of time to get organized? Read on to see how a small investment in time implementing Paper Tiger Filing System Software can help you save time and money!
In my last webinar I presented for The Monticello Corporation, demonstrating how to use Paper Tiger, someone followed up with me as they related to a story that I told and I thought if it helped one person on the call, maybe one of my readers here would appreciate the story as well.
Years ago, I had a jewelry company. I used to go to New Mexico and buy American Indian made jewelry right from the Navajo, Zuni, and Hopi Indian tribes. I loved working with the artists and then going to all the retail stores throughout the country to peddle my collection.
One day I was in a “mom and pop” touristy type store in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It was a cute little place and a little old man came out and welcomed me. I looked around the store and it was quaint with old jewelry cases, jewelry displayed in no specific order, and trinkets randomly displayed throughout the store.
As I looked through the jewelry, I noticed there were no sterling silver hoops and I had some simple basic ones in my inventory in the car, so it was a perfect lead to ask him if he needed to purchase any. He seemingly agreed based on what he could also see in the case, so he agreed to look at what I had and purchased not only some silver hoop earrings, but also a nice selection of other shiny new pieces. I was appreciative and went on my way.
A couple of months later, I returned and he had an abundance of silver hoop earrings. I thought, darn, someone else must of been in to see him and he purchased more from that wholesaler. He welcomed me and had a funny grin on him as he told me that after he purchased all the silver hoops from me, his wife told him that they had plenty of silver hoops, as they were in another case in another location of his store and there were even more in the back room safe. I asked him about how he was tracking his inventory and he laughed and said, he didn’t bother with an inventory, he knew what he had. Well, you know I didn’t respond, because as the story shows, he spent money on something he really didn’t need because he didn’t know he had it.
I tell this story to my clients often because this is true also for our business and personal files. If we don’t know what we have, it can cost us money. Recently while I’m spending time in Scottsdale, Arizona, I needed to go to the motor vehicle division. One of the records I needed was the title to my car. Now that could have been quite an ordeal as I have files both in Denver, Colorado, and in Scottsdale, Arizona. Fortunately, all of my files are inventoried in Paper Tiger, and I was able to look it up off my web-based version from my smart phone and know exactly where to find my title.
Knowing where to find my title so quickly and easily, gave me instant relief knowing that I didn’t have to pursue the project, taking more time and spending extra money to order a copy of my title. I was able to get my hands on it right away. Naturally, it makes sense that when you want to take care of business, you don’t want to have delays.
If you are like the jewelry store owner and don’t have an inventory of your stuff, whether it’s paper files, digital files, or supplies, obviously you may be wasting time and money repurchasing things you already have or recreating documents you already have.
Are you ready now to get to work and inventory your paper and digital files? Here’s the link to get started with Paper Tiger Filing System Software.
If you want some additional help, I work with clients over the phone or in person and coach them to completely set up a customized system to get organized and work more productive.
About Anne:
Anne McGurty is CEO of Strategize & Organize, a company devoted to training individual’s to be more effective with the tools and resources to be productive in their work environment.
If you like this issue, you’ll love Anne’s transforming productivity training and organizing products to help you organize your business — and yourself — ranging from productivity consulting for individuals and executives to small business coaching programs to keynote speaking and corporate training programs to improve efficiencies in the workplace and improve productivity.
While Anne is best known for her expertise in productivity and expert office organizing, her clients share that her biggest impact comes from her philosophy of “personalizing her programs to fit the needs of her clients so they can streamline more efficiently with existing processes” – ensuring to create a sustainable work environment. This, Anne says, is the most important key to bringing an individual to personal freedom with time and organization.
You can learn more about Anne at www.StrategizeAndOrganize.com.
During this webinar, Nancy Hagan of Effective Day demonstrated how to get started with Paper Tiger Online. In addition to demonstrating examples requested during webinar registrations, Nancy demonstrated work-flow examples by filing items from her inbox to help you use Paper Tiger more effectively to get organized and be more productive.
Nancy also presented how to organize things other than paper files, such as books and storage boxes. And later in the presentation, she talked about how to use a tickler (monthly/daily) filing system to organize your action file.
Please visit www.effectiveday.com to learn more about Nancy and the services she provides, and click here see her Productivity Coaching special. You can contact Nancy at 513 899-9949 or email at nancy@effectiveday.com
To learn more about Paper Tiger and Digital Tiger, visit www.thepapertiger.com
Q: How do you share the location of items with your staff when necessary or how do you set it up from the beginning that way?
A: If you have a multi-user plan, after you have created your database and locations, you can click on the People/Permissions tab from the Dashboard, then invite users via their email and set their permissions as to what they view and/or edit. You can see multi-user articles at http://www.thepapertiger.com/support/view_articles.php?forum_id=220848&catId=230 that you might find helpful.
Q: How do I print the Reference location?
A: See this knowledge base article that gives instructions on how to print labels for your locations within your database: http://thepapertiger.com/support/articles.php?id=198696&catId=230 and Nancy also demonstrates printing labels in this webinar.
Q: Could you set up a database that would store your books — physical library?
A: Here is a blog post also that you might find helpful that gives more examples of how to index different items: http://www.thepapertiger.com/blog/filing-system-family/
Nancy Hagan of Effective Day, works with business people who want to be more effective and productive, focus on their highest priorities and be free to do what they do best! Effective Day provides Organizing and Productivity Coaching, Consulting, Workshops and Products for busy people who want to make the most of their day and enjoy their life.
This article by Sherry Borsheim, a Paper Tiger Expert of Simply Productive, gives statistics and many reasons why it would bring a great return on investment to take time out to get organized and de-clutter everything around us! How much does your stuff or clutter cost you?
Also check out Sherry’s Organizing Bootcamps that 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 paper files that you need to keep in hard copy format and other physical stuff in your life.
Why is that we set boundaries around so many areas in our life but let our stuff take over our space and effect our quality of life? How many times do you trip over the same pile of shoes at the front door day after day or open a closet door and hope that nothing falls on your head? How much time do you waste looking for your keys every morning or are late for work because you couldn’t find anything to wear that morning?
Enough already of the insanity and stress of too much stuff! How many iPods do you really need? Stop checking your email all day long. How many shoes hurt your feet when you wear them? What clothes sit in your closet that you haven’t worn in the last 18 months? What about all the books piled on your night stand and the piles of magazines collecting dust. And how about all those greeting cards, keepsakes and sentimental items. And what is disorganization costing in your office?
According to an organization study done by Office Depot in 2006:
So why is it that only 22% actually spend the time to organize their desks, physical and electronic files, to increase their productivity every day? The study goes on to say that only 49% set aside time to organize on a monthly basis and approximately 67% are not sure how to start or maintain their organizing systems.
I’ve gathered some interesting statistics on the cost of clutter and disorganization in time, money and quality of life. Seriously consider what clutter and chaos is costing you in your home and/or business. It can be a real eye opener when you calculate the cost associated with your chaos and disorganization. It opens your eyes to the additional stress you may be putting on yourself and others, or how unproductive you are in your business. If you’re disorganized it effects your quality of work, your co-workers, your customers and family members. Disorganization has a ripple effect but often times we don’t slow down to access the real costs.
Clutter really is stuck energy and it stops you from moving forward. Clutter also attracts dust and grime which in turn affects the quality of the air you breath in every day. The effects of clutter, chaos and disorganization impacts your life and those around you more than you may want to admit. All good reasons to de-clutter your stuff. Mental clutter is another area that shows up in your physical space. If you have a cluttered mind, often times, your space is cluttered too.
The good news is you may only need to spend a few days or a few weeks to be more organized and then the quality of your life improves, your productivity soars and new opportunities may even open up for you. 3M survey says that individuals rank ‘getting organized’ in the top 5 items for their New Year’s resolution. So, how are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? If you need some help, we have many resources at Simply Productive to help you de-clutter your home and office.
Take a few minutes to review the Organizing and Time Management Statistics and check off the ones that apply to you.
This article by Meggin McIntosh, “The Ph.D. of Productivity”™ and Paper Tiger Expert, will help you implement a system to get and keep your email under control! Meggin also recommends Paper Tiger. Click here to check out Meggin’s webinar that will help you better understand Paper Tiger Filing System Software for document management to be able to use the software more effectively and see how you can get organized in every area of your life — not just paper filing! Meggin does an awesome job in showing you pictures of all of the different things she has organized and relating those items back to what she has indexed in Paper Tiger.
When people first started receiving email, it was exciting! On any day when you got an email you thought, “Oh, I got an email!” Then, when you got about five emails a day you could still be pretty darn thrilled. But now that you’re at the point of receiving 100 to 150 emails a day or more (and many, many executives get far more than that), it’s just not quite as thrilling, is it?
This high number of daily emails does not include spam or the other ridiculous emails that you have filters to screen out. So to rephrase this number and its impact, consider this: Most professionals today receive over a hundred potentially-actionable emails every day. Given this, let’s just say that the excitement about receiving email has probably subsided for most of us, right? Here are some ideas to help you reduce the overall number of emails that even show up in your in-box:
Establish rules or ‘policies.’ In this case, I’m not referring to ‘email rules’ that are set within your email management program. Rather, I recommend that you establish and discuss rules or “policies” in your company or organization. For example:
Out-of-office replies: Determine that these will be used sparingly, if at all. When people are going to be out of the office for about 30 minutes and they set up their email to send “I’m out of the office,” my first thought is, ‘You’re not that important.’ My second thought is, ‘How many people are receiving this extra email for no reason?’ If someone is going to be out of the country for a month, then maybe they need to send an “Out of office” reply. If many companies, agencies, or universities determined that the ‘best practice’ is NOT to broadcast “Out of office” replies, it would almost halve the number of emails that were sent and received.
Other related policies: Is it alright at your organization for people to send recipes, cartoons, YouTube clips? Is that something you think companies are paying people to do? Usually the answer is no, and an extraordinary amount of time, energy, and organization resources are spent on that. I think companies, schools, departments, and other work units need to talk about this to set a policy. It’s not that you’re putting a clamp on people, but it is acknowledging , “We’re paying you to be here 3, 8, 9, 10 hours and this is not coffee klatch. We’re trying to get some work done here.” Other times companies don’t care what people do, but I think folks need to consider that.
Another area is related to political emails and the like. Recently, NPR had a discussion about the political season that recently ‘passed’ and how many organizations needed to establish email policies about whether or not people can send out requests using the company or the organization’s email for attending fundraisers or for other promotional materials. Not only is it divisive, but it’s spending an awful lot of time doing those kinds of things and it may result in people not only getting less work done – but developing some animosities that prevent collegial work.
Sometimes, as an individual, you need to request that people stop sending you particular kinds of emails. You can send out an email or talk with them individually to ask, “Please don’t add me to your chain letters, cartoon list, prayer chains, jokes. I don’t want all those additional emails.” Decide what it is you don’t want and then ask people to respect your request. You can start this rather subtly by adding an email signature for a little while, saying, “I appreciate it if everybody will take me off their lists.” Then other times you just have to ask people directly. If people insist, then set up a rule in your email that their stuff immediately goes into the deleted folder.
And lastly, if you want to receive fewer emails, then send fewer emails. We all need to ask ourselves when we’re getting ready to send an email whether we really need to send it. What research indicates is for every five emails you send, at least three of them either require or will elicit a response. If you do the numbers on this, it looks like this:
Let’s say you normally send 100 emails, which means that from what you’re sending you’re going to get back 60 emails. What if you cut it in half, for heaven’s sakes, and only sent 50? That’s going to take you less time to send 50 than to send 100 and you’re only going to get back 30. Do you see the math on that? Remember, just ask yourself when you’re getting ready to send an email, “Do I really need to send this?” because so many emails are going to increase the likelihood that someone is going to write us back. We don’t necessarily want that, but it’s going to happen.
You want to be able to attend carefully and thoughtfully to your email – and to the rest of your job. Curtail the appearance of as many emails as possible using the suggestions in this article. It makes a noticeable difference.
And to keep moving forward on your goals for more peaceful productivity – related to email and other ideas for the professional, join others (worldwide) who receive Meggin’s weekly emails (and see what is available for download at no cost at the following websites):
About Meggin McIntosh
Meggin McIntosh, Ph.D., “The Ph.D. of Productivity”(tm). Through her company, Emphasis on Excellence, Inc., Meggin McIntosh supports smart people who want to be more productive so that they can consistently keep their emphasis on excellence.
Emphasis on Excellence, Inc.
Email: meggin@meggin.com
Phone: 775.853.5510
MEGGIN’S WEBSITES
http://meggin.com (Primary site)
http://GetaPlanGuides.com
http://KeepingChaosatBay.com
http://TopTenProductivityTips.com
http://JustWhelmed.com
http://OwningWordsforLiteracy.com
http://PumpernickelPublishing.com
http://StayingPositiveinaFreakedOutWorld.com
http://LifeofEs.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Meggin_McIntosh
During this webinar, Anne discussed the basic concept of organizing both paper and digital files. She demonstrated the following to show how to use Paper Tiger more effectively so you can get organized and be more productive.
Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! Watch the webinar to learn more.
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.
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
Q: How secure are the digital documents that you scan in that are stored in Google Drive?
A: Information security is a top priority at Google… For more information, see Google Apps security whitepaper which is found at http://www.google.com/support/a/bin/answer.py?answer=60762
Q: Can you scan documents in and route to an action file?
A: You can set up a ‘collection’ or ‘folder’ in Google Drive for an action file.
Q: I would need 2 files, 1 for hard copy, titles, etc, the other electronic for all files, including vehicle titles?
A: With Paper Tiger Online and Digital Tiger, powered by Google Drive, you would be able to index your hard copy files, titles, etc. and upload your electronic files to Google Docs format, and be able to search from Paper Tiger Online to find both your hard copy files and your electronic files. When Digital Tiger is activated, search results are produced from both apps, Paper Tiger Online and Google Drive. See this knowledge base article that gives an overview of what Digital Tiger is and includes a screen cast for activating Digital Tiger: http://thepapertiger.com/support/articles.php?id=20297536&catId=20008411
Comment: I want to use it to organize other things. I have a million tapes, CD’s, and papers and need to get a handle on the best ways to set up them.
Response: Assuming Anne’s webinar gave you a good idea on how to handle indexing your paper files into Paper Tiger by creating a Location for your Action files and a Location for your Reference files. Below is an example for your CD’s, and can be used to implement the same concept for your tapes:
Comment: I use Paper Tiger to keep track of car records and other hard items.
Response: This is a great example of Paper Tiger’s flexibility in getting organized!
The average person wastes 150 hours per year just looking for things. To make it worse, the average executive wastes 6 weeks a year looking for things!
Does that sound familiar? We know it does to many. Learn how take control of the clutter in your office once and for all.
THIS WEBINAR IS FOR YOU IF:
WHAT IS COVERED IN THIS WEBINAR:
Stephanie is a dynamic entrepreneur, nationally known speaker, author/publisher and productivity organization consultant, and business coach, and in addition a Paper Tiger Expert. Please visit www.CalahanSolutions.com to learn more about Stephanie and the services she provides.
About Stephanie Calahan:
Stephanie Calahan is The Business Vision Catalyst and founder of Calahan Solutions, Inc. She works with purpose-driven entrepreneurs, visionaries, coaches, consultants, health practitioners, authors, speakers and all sorts of remarkable service professionals who are experts in their field, to help them embrace their brilliance, leverage their business and get their message out with power, ease and joy; so that they can make a powerfully positive difference in the world, exponentially grow their income and enjoy a highly-successful and meaningful business… while working less. Learn how you can have more freedom in your life! http://www.StephanieCalahan.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright Calahan Solutions, Inc. — All Rights Reserved
Simply put, organization is ‘finding what you need, when you need it, with little effort!’ Being organized is not about being perfect. In fact, it’s not easy for a lot of people. It’s about how your environment functions, not how it looks. The esthetics are personal choice, but the organization is functional, and directly impacts your quality of life.
So today we’re going to talk about:
- Time
- Space
- Information
So that you can get greater results with less effort! In my program, we have 6 solid strategies to help you unleash your freedom plan that allows you to do all those things that you haven’t been able to do. Obviously, we can’t cover all of them in detail today, but later I’ll share how you can know more.
You see people often ask me ‘what should I do?’, but the real question to ask yourself is ‘what WILL I do?’ And that’s what we want to explore today. So by the end of this session, you’re going to walk away with strategies you can use right away and I’ll also share with you how to move from where you are to where you want to be, and you’ll have some great next steps outlined.
There are top time-stealers and physical space, like I said, is the number one reason that people contact us. The physical set up of your office is important to the process flow of your day. Think of your space in varying forms of valuable real estate. Everything within your arms reach is your most valuable real estate. Do you keep paper work or reference material that you use on a regular basis far from your work-space? Does it get put away? The most frequently accessed items should be placed in the easiest reach and work out from that. Be intentional with how you set up your space. You see, people waste an amazing amount of time looking for things and that is space issues — whether it’s paper things or supplies or even electronic documents. I have some clients that will even recreate a document because they feel it’s faster than finding what they made the first time around. In fact, the National Association of Professional Organizers found that 80% of the papers that were filed were never referenced again largely because people could not find them.
Another way to look at the systems and processes that you have in your business, whether you are looking at the paper, or any other system or process that you have as you are evaluating the functionality of how your business is operating is by asking yourself these questions:
- Does it work?
- Do I like it?
- Does it work for others?
- How quickly can I recover?
I shared with you previously that the average person wastes 150 hours looking for things, and the average executive wastes 6 weeks every year just looking for things. The truth is every performance gap, every little inefficiency, every lack of organization or productivity, not only reduces the effectiveness of your business, it also steals time from your personal life. This is true for all business owners. The purpose for an organized and productive environment is to enable you to accomplish your goals and enjoy your life.
So what would that mean to you? What is your freedom plan? You have to take action to change your situation. The best way for you to move forward and take action is to have a solid plan for you situation. Click the self-assessment links below to get started today!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Please talk more about how to set up tickler files
A: Everybody has different ways of thinking and processing and working through information, so you have to decide if the pre-defined systems will work for how you think – if you have the same thinking style as the person(s) who designed the pre-defined systems, etc.
Q: Does Paper Tiger work with the Apple system?
A: Paper Tiger Online works on any computer with an Internet access including Mac. Our desktop, downloadable version of Paper Tiger is a Windows only software so if you wanted a version that wasn’t web-based, you would need to install Paper Tiger desktop onto a virtual Windows program for the Mac such as Parallels.
Q: I have had PT for 2 years but only use it on and off due to the lack of knowledge. I would love to get a one on one instructor.
A: Stephanie does conduct sessions in person and virtually, and from what I understand, these virtual sessions/days go very well. You’d be surprised what you can handle virtually. I encourage you to contact her directly to see what you might can work out with her for a one on one. Stephanie’s contact information can be found below.
Q: Already subscribe to Stephanie’s Twitter feed – a fan! Wish she lived in Ontario!
A: Stephanie does conduct sessions virtually, and these virtual sessions/days go very well. You’d be surprised what you can handle virtually. I encourage you to contact her directly to see what you might can work out with her. Stephanie’s contact information can be found below.
Q: Would like to be able to attach pictures to content description. Handy for storage boxes.
A: Utilizing Google Docs to upload your pictures to and putting your ‘keywords’ in the title of the picture in Google Docs, and then activating Digital Tiger, will allow you to conduct a search in Paper Tiger Online, and be able to see results from both your Paper Tiger indexed items and the items that you’ve uploaded to Google Docs, and therefore making the connection between the two.
Other comments from webinar registrations that may sound familiar to you. We wanted to include these so you’ll know you’re not alone in the daily struggle to get organized and stay organized!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright Calahan Solutions, Inc. — All Rights Reserved
During this webinar, Anne demonstrated the following to show how to use Paper Tiger more effectively so you can get organized and be more productive.
Find Anything In Your Office In 5 Seconds or Less…Guaranteed! Watch the webinar to learn more.
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.
You can contact Anne at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com or by phone at 303 881-0174.
See more information here on Paper Tiger Filing System Software for Document Management
Q: If I convert a file to Google Docs format can I get the file back in the native file format?
A: Yes, open your Google Docs from your Gmail account, then the file you need, then click on File and select the option to ‘Download file as’ and you can select to download the file as whatever programs are offered for that file type.
Q: Is that rebooting or resetting for password available 24 hours a day?
A: If you don’t remember your password, you simply click on the Forgot my password link, answer the question and fill in your email that your Paper Tiger Online account is under, and you’ll receive an email with a link to reset your password
Q: There is concern about the security of the digital documents…. how secure are they?
A: See information regarding Google Security information that we’ve copied from their Security knowledge base.
Q: When scanning documents, do you always use PDF?
A: We do mainly because Google Docs will OCR the 1st 10 pages of PDFs when the file is uploaded, but may not OCR .jpg
Q: Do you know if there is a limit to space available per account.
A: We’ve captured some information from Google’s knowledge base regarding digital filing cloud storage space and limits and pricing tiers.
Q: If I were to switch from the desktop version to a web version can everything I have done be transferred to the web version?
A: Yes absolutely! You can import your desktop version database or have our support team import it for you. Email support@thepapertiger.com, attach the database and let them know what email your PTO account was created under.
Q: What if you have two different Google accounts
A: Paper Tiger Online will only connect to one of your Google accounts at a time.
From dental offices to law enforcement agencies, almost all organizations and offices require a filing system of some sort. The issue can become troublesome however. Over time files become disorganized or put under different titles and not everyone knows what title to look for to retrieve the file. Hire someone new and just the time it takes to explain the filing system or for the new hire to actually work with it and make sense of it, can be costly man hours. Not to mention, that one person in the office who knows where everything is, goes on vacation or has to be out of the office for any length of time, and the frustration builds when documents can’t be found.
The paper filing system is an important task for any organization because retrieval is crucial. Without all these important documents organized properly, your company would be in chaos and could cause legal trouble. Come tax time, being able to get to all files necessary is what will make your timely tax preparation submission possible. Ever get audited and find yourself unable to locate certain records or receipts, and you could find yourself in trouble with the IRS.
Without an organized filing system you can’t accomplish what you need to in a timely manner. It is estimated that the average person wastes 150 hours per year looking for lost information.
With Paper Tiger Filing System software, you can declutter your professional office space and be certain your paper files are in order and can be found when needed. Not only that but you can be assured you will have a method in which you can save time, be more efficient, and train others to use it in no time at all. In other words, you can redesign your paper filing so that the workflow of your operation will be in perfect working order and never cause you stress again.
Your document management can be made simple, as well as new and improved, by implementing an indexing system for your paper files to remember for you where everything is! By using this type of document management software, you can have your hanging file folders numbered instead of trying to decide whether to alphabetize or what type of name to give something that everyone will understand and remember when searching for a file.
You simply type into the software database an item name and additional keywords that relate to all documents in each numbered hanging file folder and file it away. You can give items multiple keywords such as “Jones dental records” or “Xrays for Bob Jones” and any other keyword that would relate to the contents of the folder. By doing this, no matter what a staff member types in for a search term, he or she will be able to find the file with no problem. This enables anyone to find anything using this simple to use style of document management.
One of the great things about this type of indexing system is you can also use it for so many other things for both your professional and personal life. You can imagine how much easier it can be to declutter all aspects of your life by using this type of filing system. You can keep track of bins of collectibles or boxes for seasonal clothing or archive old paper files to an off-site storage and still be able to locate exactly where an item is with just a quick search in the database. As long as it can be numbered, it can be documented or indexed in Paper Tiger Filing System software.
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 Arizona, 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?
A: The cost for Anne’s book, Lost in Your Own Office, is $12.95 plus s&h.
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.
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 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
