Tag: office organizing

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Home Office Professional-Organizer Tips

Order Your Free Credit Report – Get Organized in the New Year

free-credit-report-experian-transunion-equifax
free-credit-report-experian-transunion-equifax

You’re entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide reporting companies. Order online from annualcreditreport.com, the only authorized website for free reports, or call 1-877-322-8228. You will need to provide your name, address, social security number, and date of birth to verify your identity.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to reporting companies.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

Here are the details about your rights under the FCRA, which established the free annual credit report program.

Q: How do I order my free report?

The three nationwide reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228. Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form available on the website. Do not contact the three nationwide reporting companies individually. They provide free annual reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228 or mailing to Annual Credit Report Request Service.

You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide reporting companies every 12 months.

The information on this page is provided directly from the Federal Trade Commission website.

Read bout changing passwords here.

Isabella Guajardo is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels to work with clients throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. Call (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary consultation on how we can get your home or office moved and/or organized. Gift cards are available. 

Categories
Home Office Professional-Organizer Tips

Change Passwords – Get Organized in the New Year

change-passwords-get-organized
change-passwords-get-organized

Commit to get organized and stay protected by updating account passwords this month – Email, banking, credit card, investment, Paypal, Venmo, government and taxes, online stores and commerce sites, social media, digital storage sites for photos, videos, and documents, gaming & entertainment, personal websites, and even your ATM pin.

Online managers such as 1Password, Dashlane, and Lastpass exist to help organize and secure passwords in one place, but remember that anything online and in the cloud is vulnerable to hacking no matter how many layers of encryption they claim to have, just as your home is vulnerable to burglary despite dogs and alarm systems.

Keep passwords in a safe place that only you and those you trust can access. Update them at least once per year and stay safe.

Isabella Guajardo is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels to work with clients throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. Call (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary consultation on how we can get your home or office moved and/or organized. Gift cards are available.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Home Workshop Makeover

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Storage shelf mayhem (BEFORE)Home-workshop-organizing-before-2

The Transformation…

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We started with an on-site consultation and planning session to develop goals and a timeline for getting my client’s workshop organized. I assessed the project would take 2-3 sessions depending on how much homework he did between them.

The first session consisted of sorting, purging, and cleaning for a day.

Next, I re-assessed the space to include room redesign plans. Based off what the client decided to keep, what we could reuse, and what needed to be acquired, I created a resource and supply list. The client agreed to be in charge of purchasing items needed to move forward.

I knew the room would function and flow nicely with workstations against the wall, opening space in the center for a project display table. I designed an area for a desk facing the room where he can oversee his domain while working on the computer.

There was not a comfortable space to sit and relax, so a lounge area was planned by the window.

There was not overhead lighting, so we planned for a variety of light sources including tabletop lamps.

The stark white room needed a splash of color, and I knew Plum Wine would do the trick on the far wall.

More “after” photos

All four work stations were moved against the wall. Projects were sorted, given their own bin, labeled and placed underneath to keep tabletops free of clutter until it was their time to come out. Task lighting was placed at each table:

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Provided with placement suggestions and resources, my client saved quite a bit of money by acquiring and installing LED spotlights and additional overhead lighting himself:

workshop-organizing-lights

Tools and commonly used supplies were organized into labeled drawers. My client preferred LOTS of labeling so he can get into the habit of putting things back where they belong. He even made his own drawer dividers. Additional project and supply bins are placed underneath:

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Small electrical supplies were sorted, organized, and labeled. Below is the soldering station with tools and supplies:

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Alphabetizing makes things easy to find. We reused some labels and created lots more that were previously hand-written:

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Using an extra table in the room, a computer desk was set up. Degrees and awards were placed on the wall behind it. A black leather lounger, just the right size for the space, was acquired and placed by the desk and window. A new, more comfortable desk chair and rolling stools were purchased. My client obtained the seating, and saved money by painting the wall himself. He did an excellent job!

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An organized & redesigned home workshop.

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This project was one of my favorites. Why? Because the client was an action-taker, did his homework on schedule, and did it well! It took a 2-person Bella Organizing team 2 sessions to redesign, clean, and organize. We hauled away 1.5 truckloads of e-waste including hundreds of cords and wires, old chairs and misc. to be donated and recycled. With the help of a very motivated client in charge of purchasing, lighting installation, and painting, this home workshop is now ready to roll.

Gift Cards Are Available.

Follow our projects on: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Houzz

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Professional-Organizer

Paperwork Organizing Tips

Home Office Paperwork Organizing
An uncluttered home office.

Paperwork organizing may be challenging for you, but it doesn’t have to be. I have taken control of my paperwork over the years by working on it a little at a time, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly.

The key for me is to deal with mail as soon as I walk in the door. I walk to the kitchen, stand over the recycle bin and drop in whatever I don’t need. I open mail and immediately recycle envelopes and inserts… I filter out most paper clutter before it hits a surface. I then put bills and correspondence on a designated work area, my desk, instead of on the kitchen or living room table.

I’m concerned about my name and address going into the recycle bin, so I tear off and shred it. I also have an identity theft protection rubber stamp that I use at my desk, like this one pictured from Solutions.com ~ you can also get it on Amazon and at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Identity Theft Protection Stamp

If you get a lot of junk mail, go a step further by starting a shoebox size bin in which to collect unwanted mail, catalogs and advertising for a few weeks, and schedule a date on your calendar to call and get off those mailing lists. If you don’t want to make the calls, have Catalog Choice do it for you. You’ll start receiving less paper mail, which means less clutter to deal with later.

What do I do with the paperwork that begins to pile up on my desk?

Each night I sit at my desk and file away what I need to keep as reference. If you practice this daily for a few weeks, you can form the habit, really you can! It’s ok if you miss a day or two. But get back to it on day three.

I use a cork board on the wall in front of my desk to pin up small notes and important reminders. I take down and file or recycle weekly anything that no longer applies. Here’s an example of a DIY cork board from Apartment Therapy…

corkboard paperwork organizing
DIY Corkboard from Apartment Therapy

Don’t let bills and important correspondence go out of sight, out of mind. If not dealing with it immediately, create a specific area where you place and see them daily, such as standing upright in a desktop file folder, or pinned to a corkboard on the wall by your work area. Highlight or circle due dates on bills.

Desktop file holder from Containerstore.com

Paperwork and receipts it’s a good idea to keep:

  • Adoption paperwork, birth certificates, marriage license, divorce documents
  • Car titles, repair and maintenance receipts.
  • Personal identification, social security statements.
  • Educational degrees and certifications.
  • Home improvement paperwork and receipts.
  • Insurance documents for current policies.
  • Medical receipts and reports.
  • Warranties and manuals: things you still own.
  • Receipts for high value home or office furniture, computers, electronic equipment, household goods, art, anything you may one day want to sell or may need for value reference in the case of a home or renters insurance claim.
  • If you’re holding onto department store receipts in case you want to make a return, but the return date is expired, do you still need to keep the receipt? Sometimes yes, many times no.
  • Any kind of tax document. When the year is up and it does not need to live in my active files, I store them with that years tax return in a closet designated specifically for this kind of storage. Since I run a business, my CPA requires that I receive all work-related receipts, bank and credit card statements in the paper format. But I’ve set myself up to get personal statements and receipts electronically. I log on regularly to pay bills and take a glance for funny business. So far, so good!

More ways to prevent paper pile up:

  • Go paperless wherever you can.  NOW is the time. Get online and learn how to receive statements, bills and receipts via email. Learn how easy it is to download and store them onto your computer as a digital document. If you ever need a paper copy, simply print from your digital storage file. Consider going paperless with one or two minor bills first. If you find this works for you, practice with other things. A little at a time steadily builds new habits.
  • When signing up for something or ordering online, be sure to uncheck boxes that allow the business to send you paper mailings or catalogs. It’s easier to remove yourself from email than mailing lists down the line.

We have individual needs to consider when it comes to dealing with paperwork. For this reason, I suggest consulting with your CPA or legal advisor about what you should be keeping vs. recycling or shredding. From my own home office and that of many clients I have worked with over the years, what I have found is this: we are quite more similar than different. So do not feel alone with your paper clutter! Deal with it a little at a time, and on a regular basis. If you’re not going to hire a professional organizer or personal assistant to come in weekly and do it for you, learning to self-maintain is key. Like good habits, getting organized with paperwork is something that can be learned.

Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate to get your paperwork or home office organized. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Tips to Declutter Before the Move

clutter_car_get_organized
Don't take the clutter with you.

Moving soon? Now’s a good time to shed unwanted items…don’t pay to pack and ship them. Start a few weeks to a few months in advance (depending on the size of your home and time off work,) go at it one room at a time, and beat the clutter.

Bella Organizing Downsize Project – When spaces are too challenging for you to tackle alone, we’re here for you.

Start with an easy room. 

This is an area that won’t slow you down to reminisce and in which you are less likely to get overwhelmed. Bookcases and clothing closets are good places to start, the kitchen (old food, dishes, and cooking utensils you never use) or with nic nacs around the house. Leave paperwork and photos for later; they can be a time and energy stealer, better saved for last.

Set up three boxes and label Give Away, Sell, and Donate.

1) The Give Away box is for things you want to give a friend or loved one.

2) The Sell box is for yard sale, consignment shop, or online sale items.

3) The Donate box is for charity. If all you need is a Donate box, more power to you!

Set up Trash, Recycle, and Shred bags.

You are likely to come across plastic, paper, cardboard, and non-recyclables to place in the trash. Have bags ready to declutter these items.

Don’t know what’s junk and what’s worth keeping? Read tips on how to decide.

Having trouble deciding which clothes to purge? Read more here.

Hazardous and e-waste disposal

Paint, light bulbs, used batteries, cell phones, engine oil, broken electronics including anything with cords and wires, refrigeration, televisions, computers and monitors should not be put in the trash. They are considered hazardous or e-waste and need to be disposed of properly. Community organizations commonly hold free e-waste drop-off events on weekends, and many cities have daily drive-through and drop-off options. Visit Earth 911 to find a location near you.

Interested in making cash off your unwanted items? Read more on how to here.

Tip: Don’t take a chance on identity theft. While decluttering the office, set aside paperwork to shred.

Got paper clutter?

Don’t take a chance on identity theft. While sorting through the office, set aside paperwork to shred including documents with names, address & contact information, account numbers, social security numbers, and other information you prefer no one get their hands on in a recycle bin. Shred tons of paper at a time quickly and inexpensively at a local office supply store such as UPS, or with a shredding specialty company such as Berkeley Shreds.

Considering using donations as a tax write off?

Play it safe, take photos and make an itemized list with estimated fair market or appraised value of each item (see Salvation Army Donation Valuation Guide here). Save this and donation receipts for tax records. In the case of an audit, you may need these as proof of donation. A high-value donation write-off can be a red flag for audit at tax time. Refer to the IRS website for the latest rules on tax-deductible donations.

Isabella Guajardo has provided professional home organizing and residential move management services since 2007. She has worked with hundreds of individuals and families from all walks of life including single parents, public school teachers, college professors, lawyers, doctors, Pulitzer Prize winners, and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. The thing 90% of them had in common? They had too much clutter and needed to downsize and reorganize.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.