Electronic Filing – why are you resisting?

 

 

electronic filing reasons

Yes, I admit it – I am on my strata council. In fact I am the Vice President of my strata council. I am the one who isn’t afraid to insist we work towards greening our building.  For example, we invited the Lighthouse Sustainability Centre to give us their How to Green Strata Seminar earlier this autumn.  (But alas, you can’t please everyone…)

Not so coincidentally, I rallied to change the way we deliver strata minutes to the 88 owners that live in the building.  Every year we spend approximately $1,000 on printing (on traditional copy paper) + postage just to mail monthly minutes. I thought it would be an easy task to get the owners to switch to emailed minutes that they could electronically save. I even attempted to “bribe” them with free gym passes and gift cards. It didn’t take…

The reason for owners not wanting to make the shift was surprising.  They didn’t want to have to file electronic copies. What? I thought this was the norm – and then I looked around – paper paper everywhere! Even I’m guilty of it.

So – three easy e-filing lessons (that I am using – can you imagine the chaos if I wasn’t using these??)1.       Think about your filing cabinet – now organize your e-files the same way.

a.       Are you a date or word type of person? Choose one system and stick with it. I like words followed by dates for my actual files (words for my folders).

b.      Think about a file you were looking for a year ago. How did you find it? What did you think about to jog your memory as to where it was stored either electronically or in hard copy form. Write your file names so you can remember them.  (Just a hint – numbers DON’T work- you wouldn’t think, “hmm, that was number 5 of 25 from last May … or would you?)

2.       Some client filing examples (email me if you want some more hints – truthfully though, I’ll likely just send you to a professional organizer…Oh Tracy….)

a.       Example: I have dozens of clients – so each has a special file with the same sub categories:

• email communication (with emails dated mm/dd/yy),
• advertising (sub files include different advertisers we are currently using or are considering working with)
• email newsletters (the majority of my clients are on newsletters) – sub domains here: image bank, and then by mm/yy
• Financials – invoices and receipts
•  Web – sub domains: web files, seo, blog
• Events – sub domains: mm/yy, event ideas
• Design – branding, image gallery
• Marketing – [enter title here] project (aka brochure or booklet or business card)    

b.      Another example: general work information categories

• Marketing – sub domains: idea bank, sources (websites I like etc), marketing quotes, my marketing material (templates for quotes, logos,
• Printing – sub domains: quotes, contacts, samples
• SEO – my ebooks, quotes, general information
•  Writing –idea bank, articles, blog (my various blogs published and not), the book I’m secretly writing

3.       Establish a system

a.       Every Monday is office day at Polished Promotions – myself and my designer, Michelle get together and listen to boy bands in our pajamas – I mean…. we work on creative print, web and designs together, setting the tone for the rest of the week where I free Michelle to work in her pjs from home.

b.      I make Friday’s my organizing days so I can have Monday’s to be freshly creative. Friday’s I clean out my inbox (there has to be less than 50 emails in there – which is usually the amount of “working on” projects happening on any given week), delete or save sent messages, remove everything from my desktop (both my computer and my desktop)

c.       Finish the week with a soothing sigh of “ahhhhh….” rather than a stressed out exclamation of “AHHHHHHH!!!!!”

…oh yeah – and save trees while doing it!

30 days to GO Green – How to Turn Your Office Green

 

Thank you GlanZerr for the image!

If you’ve been following me the last 2 weeks you’ll have “gone green” basics at home, with your transportation and now you’re at the office or whatever business you have. 

Ready? Set? Turn your Office Green!

1.      Hold a staff meeting or write an electronic memo – announcing a new green strategy.  Make this initiative a community/team project and get brainstorming!

2.      Make it easy for others to recycle – install plastic, glass and paper recycling next to every garbage can.

3.      Charge staff $1 every time someone uses a disposable coffee cup (give the proceeds to charity or fund your holiday party with the profits)

4.      Encourage eating in at lunch – by hosting a weekly potluck.  And stock up on reusable takeaway containers and/or source restaurants in your office’s neighbourhood that will use your own take away containers to pack up to go lunches

5.      Start an office co-op for groceries – there are a lot of places that have grocery ordering online. I like www.spud.ca (because they tell you how far your food had to travel to get to its plate). The UBC Farm and others like it have Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) programs for produce, just remember to get in early in the season – they tend to sell out fast!

6.      Change your office supplies to eco-friendly versions. Again a plug for Frogfile Office Supplies in Vancouver who ONLY have environmentally responsible options for paper, office supplies and janitorial supplies.  Plus, you can shop online and they deliver right to your door.

7.      Turn off the office lights and power OFF your computers. I am often perplexed by the sheer number of office lights on late at night in downtown cores. I have worked in offices where  policy has stated to leave all computers on, even ones not acting a servers. I found this report by the State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (from 2002) that I thought might be useful. It basically states that the suggestion to leave computers on 24/7 is based on an old technology used in computers from the 1980s. According to this study, new models of computers are not using this technology and the wear and tear of turning a PC on and off is less likely to shorten its lifespan than the consumer’s need to have a new model at least every 5 years.

 

30 Days to GO Green – 7 tips for Green Transportation

Thank you Bill Alexander and SXC for this image

Last week I gave the challenge of greening up your home. This week, it’s all about how you motor around. (Warning –these are tried and true and I’m trying to do them more myself this week)

Green Transportation

1.    Take the bus to a place you’d normally drive to and have to park at – chances are it will be cheaper than the parking and cost of gas.

2.       Ride your bike to get groceries

3.       Walk to the bank

4.       Jog to the gym and get your cardio workout at the same time

5.       Car-share, car-pool, co-op, go hybrid, electric, or fuel efficient

6.    Plan your route – efficient on time and fuel – plan your day from the furthest point to the nearest

7.    Meet in the middle – if you have to meet with a group this week, choose a middle point that is accessible from all sides with transit