Going Paperless: Tips for Organizing Electronic Files

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Discussion Overview

The thread centers around participants' experiences and strategies for transitioning to a paperless system for organizing electronic files and managing schedules. Various methods and tools are discussed, along with personal challenges and successes in this process.

Discussion Character

  • Anecdotal
  • Opinion-based
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant, identifying as a consultant, shares their decision to eliminate paper files and use an electronic organizer combined with Outlook for scheduling.
  • Another participant expresses admiration for those going paperless and shares their own limited experience with electronic organization.
  • Several users mention their reliance on digital calendars and task management systems like Entourage and Outlook, highlighting features such as color-coding and task reminders.
  • One participant discusses their struggle with organizing leads and customer care without a fully electronic system, mentioning their current method of using a binder for leads.
  • Another participant notes their ongoing transition to paperless and expresses a desire to streamline their organization further.
  • Some participants discuss technical issues related to accessing Outlook on their computers, particularly those using older operating systems like Vista.
  • One participant shares their experience of needing to maintain a clutter-free environment due to their house being on the market, which has motivated their shift to electronic organization.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Views differ on the ease and feasibility of going completely paperless, with some participants expressing confidence in their electronic systems while others share hesitations and challenges.

Contextual Notes

Participants are primarily Pampered Chef consultants discussing their personal experiences with electronic organization tools and methods, reflecting a range of comfort levels and technical capabilities.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to consultants looking for personal experiences and insights on transitioning to a paperless system for managing their business activities.

  • Thread starter
  • #31
Ok so I'm going to keep my binder for my "someday" leads. For those that will definitely book a show, I'm going to load them into Outlook.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #32
Wow my message totally didn't show up all the way!!Thank you so much for all the ideas Colleen! I think I'm going to implement a lot of them, but I'm going to wait until after NC for the lead tracking in case they announce a new PP for Canada or something. I'm LOVING the host coaching tasks! I already inputted all of my shows and HC calls until September 1. Tomorrow I'm going to do the rest of the year. I also have put in recurring tasks like newsletters and making host kits, so I can see how this is going to keep me accountable.Thanks again!!!!
 
I use Mozilla/Thunderbird for email I guess there is no way to use a "E calendar" with that is there? Does anyone know? I am just so sick of paper... I'm not very organized with paper and I'm trying hard to omit any paper I can.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #34
Another great reason to use Outlook - less post-its!!! Last night I came home from my show to a number of voicemail messages. I can't NOT listen to them but it was too late to call back, so I opened up a new task for each message that required action. This way when I'm in my office tonight I'll have those things sitting at the top of my list for me! I used to use a lot of post-it notes and they'd get lost or forgotten. THis way that nagging reminder box will keep me on track!!!
 
  • Thread starter
  • #35
quiverfull7 said:
I use Mozilla/Thunderbird for email I guess there is no way to use a "E calendar" with that is there? Does anyone know? I am just so sick of paper... I'm not very organized with paper and I'm trying hard to omit any paper I can.


There is an extension you can download called Mozilla Calendar.

Otherwise, Google has an online calendar.
 
PamperedK said:
There is an extension you can download called Mozilla Calendar.

Otherwise, Google has an online calendar.

I went to mozilla and the download I found is for a link to Google calendar and I did both but I can't seem to see how they are linking. Either way, I love the calendar on Google and have begun using it. Thanks to everyone here that is helping out with ideas and for starting this thread! My family needs an easy way to see my schedule and now they can without me having to rewrite things a million times! YAHOO! ... or for me ... YA GOOGLE! Sorry... I'm having a long morning!
 
Also, Google calendar now has tasks!! And it's super easy to sync from my Mac to my Crackberry!Colleen, thank you SO much for breaking this down. I have tried everything but this is the most complete example I have ever seen with the least likelihood (for me) to forget anything! This has been a constant challenge for me! I'm going to see if I can do all this in Google since I'm using it due to the ease of syncing (as mentioned previously). If not, I may try Entourage. It think it's the ONLY mail app for Mac I haven't tried. LOL!
 
Debi said:
Also, Google calendar now has tasks!! And it's super easy to sync from my Mac to my Crackberry!

Colleen, thank you SO much for breaking this down. I have tried everything but this is the most complete example I have ever seen with the least likelihood (for me) to forget anything! This has been a constant challenge for me! I'm going to see if I can do all this in Google since I'm using it due to the ease of syncing (as mentioned previously). If not, I may try Entourage. It think it's the ONLY mail app for Mac I haven't tried. LOL!

I'll need to get back on Google Calendar. I got it all set up and used it for about 3 weeks, then fell out of the habit when I went on my trip. Hmmm, may need to look into this. Since the switch to P3, I never got used to using the contact management/tasks on there. I used it all the time on PP, but just never got into it on P3. Maybe I should just clear them all and start fresh.
 
pamperedbecky said:
I'll need to get back on Google Calendar. I got it all set up and used it for about 3 weeks, then fell out of the habit when I went on my trip. Hmmm, may need to look into this. Since the switch to P3, I never got used to using the contact management/tasks on there. I used it all the time on PP, but just never got into it on P3. Maybe I should just clear them all and start fresh.

I did discover that you cannot set up recurring tasks with Google. So, I have my recurring tasks set as appointments and all show-related tasks and lead follow ups set as tasks.
 
  • Thread starter
  • #40
I got my iPod Touch today so I've now synced (synched? sync-ed?) my outlook calendar and downloaded a to-do list application. My PLAN is to only enter things I need to do while I'm out onto my iPod. Like drop off customer orders, pick up x, buy groceries, etc...and I'll do it right before I go to bed.
 

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