Get Ahead of Your Personal Paper Chase

Forget everything you've read about the "paperless" office. Though our computers, PDAs, and smart phones have digitized many aspects of daily life, paper is still very much with us.

That's not necessarily a bad thing for a small business owner. After all, clutter is usually a sign of activity, whether it's new projects, financial reports, receipts from sales and expenses, or reminders of upcoming appointments. What's more, many entrepreneurs love their cluttered desks and offices because they know exactly where to find something they need--often to the bemusement of their tidier colleagues and employees.

But when you become too accustomed to clutter, you may not realize how cumbersome it becomes, or how it compromises your productivity. Minutes spending looking for a particular item can add up, especially if you're pressed for time. You are also more likely to be distracted during your searches, derailing the reason you dove into the pile in the first place.

Organizing Coach Carol Halsey has developed a five-step approach called DRAFT--Discard, Refer, Act, File, and Table--that can help small business owners organize for efficiency:

• Discard: If it's something you'll never retrieve again, trash it, don't file it.
• Refer: If someone else needs the information or can handle it for you, pass it along.
• Act: If it requires action by you, do it now.
• File: If it's important and you will truly need it later, file it in a proper filing system.
• Table: If it's something you'll need in the near future, place it where accessible.

Planning is also essential to staying organized. Professional organizer and productivity expert Julie Morganstern recommends selecting a single consistent planning tool, whether it's digital or on paper.

"When all your ideas are in one place, you can prioritize everything in context, not in pieces," she says. The planner should have you to-do list, phone calls, and key documents "that boost your confidence, particularly in meetings, because you know where everything is, and where to find it," Morganstern adds.

Another organization must-have is filing a system for critical information such as contacts, pitch letters, proposals and marketing content. "This kind of system is critical to your speed of execution," Morganstern says. "If you can't find it, you will get frustrated and start to procrastinate."

You can also manage business contacts better with a client information system. It should contain details about your client, his or her assistant's name, family information, past contacts and projects for them, etc.

It's soon to be a new year folks. Get Focused. Get Busy. Sprout and Grow.

P. Simon Mahler, a recipient of the prestigious Nation Builder Award from the SCORE Organization for startups launched and jobs created, and nominated as both an 'Expert' and 'Leader' in North America for small business development, currently runs a virtual incubator committed to building stronger communities all over the world.

Simon, a frequent traveler to the next small town, is always available to take calls for action and is willing to work with any small business, or small town out there, across the globe. Follow him on the journey of his next endeavor, by starting a business of your own. His virtual incubator program has transformed ideas into sustainable small businesses and yours could be next. His daily blog of activities will be posted on LinkedIn for you to enjoy. Find him on social media and connect to get some great ideas to get your business growing!

Follow me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter