| 10 TIPS to COLOR CODE YOUR PAPER: FROM | | | | black and white - they\'ll be printing those labels next |
| CHAOS TO COHERENCE | | | | year for sure. |
| BY EVE ABBOTT, the Organizer Extraordinaire | | | | Keep one hanging file filled with blank manila files and |
| EXCERPTs FROM HER NEW BOOK, HOW TO DO | | | | some of each of your colored labels in the front of the |
| SPACE AGE WORK WITH A STONE AGE BRAIN | | | | file drawer closest to you at your desk. That way it\'s |
| TM | | | | fast and easy to make up a new color-coded file. |
| 10 TIPS to COLOR CODE YOUR PAPER: FROM | | | | Get Your Color-Coding Done for You with File Kits |
| CHAOS TO COHERENCE | | | | After fifteen years of working everywhere from |
| BY EVE ABBOTT, EXCERPTED FROM HER NEW | | | | executive suites to home offices, I\'m convinced that |
| BOOK, HOW TO DO SPACE AGE WORK WITH A | | | | 75 percent of small to mid-size business and home |
| STONE AGE BRAIN TM | | | | filing systems are the same. |
| Color-There Is No Substitute | | | | It\'s that other 25% that individuates each business. |
| In anatomical illustrations you see the brain\'s visual | | | | Most filing systems are about the business of doing |
| system, where the optic nerve is actually 25 times | | | | business - or having a life! |
| faster than our audio nerves (hearing). No matter | | | | I searched for years before I found FileSolutions(R) File |
| which processing style you depend on, 90 percent of | | | | kits, which I think are the best on the market whether |
| the sensory perceptions received by your brain are | | | | you are an employee or own your own business. |
| visual. | | | | My corporate employee clients often like the Home file |
| This is undoubtedly why color-coding works even for | | | | kits (even if they\'re organized at work) as it |
| Auditory and Kinesthetic Learners. Color-coding will | | | | completely distinguishes all of their personal files. |
| reduce mis-reads by as much as 90%, even if you | | | | Because so many people work partly at home, it is |
| don\'t change anything else about your systems. | | | | important to the blend the systems for both business |
| In my workshops, even at 50 feet you can see there | | | | and home office, while keeping them separate. |
| are three different manila files as I hold them up. It\'s | | | | Each of these kits uses a different set of colors for its |
| the magic of color - that 1/8-inch wide 3-inch long strip | | | | categories, so you won\'t confuse business with |
| of color on the labels is enough to do it. | | | | personal. |
| It\'s a clear demonstration of how much difference | | | | The FileSolutions(R) Small Business (no employees) File |
| color-coding can make to whether you can tell one | | | | Kit has four main color-coded categories: Accounting, |
| folder from another. And that makes a big difference | | | | Equipment, Management, and Sales and Marketing. |
| in how quickly you can find something. | | | | Every FileSolutions(R) file kit includes a complete file |
| Only Color-Code What You Can See | | | | index book (just in case you-know-who doesn\'t know |
| What\'s the only part of a filing system that you can | | | | where to look for a file). Each comes complete with all |
| actually see? The top tabs on the hanging and interior | | | | the color-coded pre-printed up-tab paper labels for |
| files. That\'s why you don\'t need to use solid-color | | | | hanging files. Plus, their matching pre-printed adhesive |
| folders to color-code your drawer files, only for Action | | | | labels for the interior file folders you already have (or |
| files which you keep on top of your desk. | | | | new ones). Plus there are blank labels in every color to |
| You can use the less expensive manila files for your | | | | finish customizing your files. |
| Reference, History, and Archive material. This will save | | | | I use the Home and Small Business File kits myself and |
| you at least half the money it would cost you to set | | | | I recommend them to my micro-to-small business |
| up a solid color file system. | | | | clients. These kits will save you time and using them is |
| Out of Sight, Out of Mind | | | | much easier than having your office manager (you?) |
| That\'s why so many people try to keep everything on | | | | generate a business-of-doing-business filing system. |
| their desktop. Except, there just isn\'t enough room! | | | | If you have employees, the Business File system is so |
| You can greatly improve the \"visibility\" of your files by | | | | well documented that you won\'t lose time, money and |
| using one-third cut clear plastic up-tabs for hanging files | | | | productivity by having a \"better\" filing system created |
| to color code so as soon as you open the drawer, | | | | every time you change office staff. |
| everything in it easy to see and use. | | | | You don\'t have to be a personal productivity expert. |
| Do not make the mistake of ordering 1/5 cut tabs on | | | | These file kits are so well put together, my |
| your files or up-tabs. They are just too small. And the | | | | housekeeper (with no office experience) set up the |
| older I get-the smaller those labels get! | | | | tabbed files and matching hanging files, so I had the |
| When you alternate warm color labels (red, orange, | | | | \"skeleton\" of a brand new color coded file system. |
| yellow) with contrasting cool color labels (blue, green, | | | | It\'s just as easy to convert your current non-color |
| purple) in your file sections, it\'s even easier to | | | | coded files because it\'s just putting the new preprinted |
| distinguish each section instantly. | | | | color-coded labels on your existing files. You can also |
| Use large fonts or writing on your labels to reduce | | | | upgrade your current file system with the labeling tips |
| your visual fatigue and errors. | | | | you\'ve already seen. |
| Upgrading Your Current system to Color | | | | Another advantage to the kits: if you go to the store |
| If you\'ve already got a good filing system going, | | | | and buy the supplies needed to do these color-coded |
| here\'s a great way to punch up visibility inside the file | | | | parts of a file system, it\'s going to cost you more than |
| drawer. | | | | the file kit. |
| Take your one third cut colored file labels, rip off the | | | | Let\'s not even mention the all the time it takes to |
| paper insert that goes inside the plastic up tab, apply | | | | figure out categories and decide what colors they |
| your label directly to the insert, and voila! You\'ve got a | | | | should be. Since I use the home kit along with the small |
| color-coded filing system started. | | | | business kit in my own office, I don\'t hesitate to |
| Naturally you want the interior file to have the same | | | | guarantee them. |
| matching color file label. | | | | Go Forth and Color-Code |
| The key to color-coding is consistency. Once you | | | | No need to reinvent the organizing wheel. There are |
| \"substitute\" (or stop using) color labels and matching | | | | many products that can help you, but be sure how |
| files in your office, it\'s chaos all over. Because you\'ve | | | | you\'ll use it and where you\'ll put it. Otherwise you\'re |
| re-created disorder, you\'ll never be sure if it\'s really a | | | | just going to end up with a bunch of brightly colored |
| \"blue\" project or not. | | | | organizers that you\'ve piled more chaos on. |
| Don\'t pick Parisian Lavender for file label color-coding. | | | | Now you know the techniques and tools you\'ll need to |
| If you use them up and the label color isn\'t trendy this | | | | succeed with your color-coding office tune-up. Go |
| year - there goes your system. | | | | Forth and Color Code! |
| Go for primary colors (red, blue, green, yellow) and | | | | |