Effective Business Organization Tips for Managing Receipts and Documents

[stephgsl1]

Do anyone have any tips on organizing our business. I'm not sure how to go about it. It seems I have receipts and drawing slips EVERYWHERE!! LOL
Any help would be SOOO appreciated!

Thanks,
Stephanie

 

[Careyann]

I don't know if I am the most organized when it comes to the drawing slips but one thing I started doing is I bought a notebook and I am listing each hostess on a page. I put the date and time of the show in one corner and then their address, phone#. And then each time I contact them I write the date and what was talked about, if they have their packet, when I send them the email links to the website, recipe we are doing, everything! Because I honestly cannot keep track without writing everything down!

I have had a pile of drawing slips on my desk and after I got home from conference, I sat down with the pile and in that same notebook, I put anyone down that said maybe or I had notes to contact them, put 5 to a page and that is going to be my contact list for a while. I actually found I had a catalog show scheduled for 8/14 that I didn't even remember when going through them, so that was a good thing I did it.
I have found that last year when I was doing 1-3 shows a month, it was so much easier to keep track of things, and not that I am complaining but when you get to the point when you have so many bookings and then people interested, it gets alot harder to keep things straight and working a full time job doesn't help any!
I asked one of the presenters at conference how they keep things organized, and she said that using P3 to keep track of notes and then running reports is what she does. I haven't played enough with that to really know if that would help me or not. (again, finding time in the day is my biggest issue!)
I'm sure there are more idea's out there and I'll be reading them too because any idea's that can help in this area would be great!!!

 

[chefjeanine]

Scroll down on this page and you'll find some other threads that may be of use.

 

[raebates]

I use the drawing slips to designate a guest as Potential Host or Potential Recruit in P3. I also use them to add people to my newsletter lists. I pull any slips for people who have scheduled their own shows. Then I toss the rest.

 

[stephgsl1]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm off to buy binders and labels!

 

[Melissa78]

Binders and clear page protectors can organize any office. Everything should be within easy reach and labeled clearly. Maintaining it is the key.

 

[lesliec]

I just started stapling them at the top of a sheet of loose leaf paper and putting them in a 3 ring binder. I then make notes next to them on the page. I do throw some away, but have actually started making calls this week, and I can then make notes on the page as to the outcome of the call. Eventually I will have tabs and be able to catergorize them as to how they should be organized and when to contact next. I can then schedule to call someone the following month to schedule a show or something.
I am going going for the "NO" as promoted at conference. I was really touched by the story that the guy told about hid dad calling a customer ever quarter for 14 years without any results and then getting the full account b/c of his persistence.

 

[Malinda Klein]

I just bought the NeatReceipts scanner/program and am loving it!

When I get home from a show, i'm scanning all my door prize slips (with phone/contact) information on it. I have create folders for each month, Jan - Dec and will put the door prize slip in the month to follow up with. I always ask what month they'd like me to follow up after the customer care call and if they say Feb, i take their door prize slip and transfer it to the Feb month (with a note on the file on why).

If they want to host when a certain product goes on sale (yes there wish list), I create a folder on the product (i.e. cool n serv/knives/cookware) and throw the door prize slip in there.

I'm also scanning my addresses for parties - to help secure a repeat show from a past host.

I hate paper and I'm so unorganized, this software program/scanner - is really helping.

 

[sandilou]

Along with writing info on notebook paper as others have said, I bought month tabs for my binder and arrange them that way -- I think this was a tele-class. This has helped me tremendously! I use P3 tasks, too, so I don't miss anything, but make notes in the binder.Sandi