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