Increasing Your Office's Efficiency

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After conducting several surveys, a lot of you out there said you wanted to see more reports written about increasing efficiency in your home office. Therefore, I present to you things that I have learned about the hard way. Perhaps I can save someone the time of learning it the hard way.

Continually Re-Check Yourself

No matter how hard we try -- no matter how "good" a worker we are -- you and I make 1,000s of mistakes every single day. Once you accept that fact, you can do something about it.
The mistakes that scare me are the ones I catch an hour or two later. Although I'm glad I finally caught them, it makes me wonder what other mistakes I may not have caught in between that time.
Does this sound like a perfectionist to you? For me personally, I have to be hard on myself because I am a writer -- and writers sometimes exist in a fantasy world in order to explore a variety of possibilities for their topic. I have to do things to force myself to accept reality -- and that's demonstrated by me making myself be a perfectionist when it comes to looking for and catching mistakes.
You can discipline your own self in the way you deem most appropriate -- but don't lose the prime directive of doing whatever it takes to minimize or at least catch your mistakes immediately after they happen.

Where to Purchase
Your Office Supplies

Whatever you do, DO NOT purchase your office supplies at your local drug or grocery store. The office supplies sold there are only for people who want to write a letter back home to Mom and Dad, or to send an occasional greeting to a friend. Businesses do not purchase their office supplies from these types of stores because of the extreme difference in price.
For instance, my mother used to always purchase her business envelopes at the grocery store. She thought the price was very cheap when she only paid $1.29 for 50 envelopes. Her lined writing tablet contained 100 sheets for around $1.29 also. However, I can drive right down the street to Office Max and purchase 500 envelopes for $4.00 -- TEN TIMES the quantity for only $2.71 more.
In addition, I can buy 500 sheets of 8-1/2 x 11 laser paper for $5.49. So not only am I getting FIVE TIMES more the paper and TWICE the paper size -- these benefits only cost me less than five bucks!
As your business grows and you find yourself using more office supplies than you used to -- you'll graduate from the "Office Max" stage to the "Quill" and "Viking" stage.
Quill Corporation (800-789-1331) and Viking (800-421-1222) are two national mail order companies that established small businesses use.
A few years ago I could go to Office Max and buy two reams of paper that would do me for about three months. However, today I go through a case of paper a week. It's too time consuming and physically strenuous to haul that much paper from the store to the office myself. So I pick up the phone, then call or fax Quill and Viking with my order. United Parcel Service (UPS) delivers it to my door within 48 hours.
And finally -- there will come a day when you pass the "Quill" and "Viking" stage also. There are 1,000s of companies that sell to businesses that order large quantities of items. You'll find and meet these companies as you advance in your business.

For People Who Absolutely
Hate Filing

I hated filing during the pre-computer era and I hate it now that I'm in business. So if you're like me, the following tips may help you simplify your office filing -- which is the most crucial step of getting organized and running efficiently in your business.

* If you are just starting a business, take a hanging file folder and type or hand print a label with the word "Receipts." Place the label on the hanging folder.

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Now, place five manila file folders inside the hanging file folder (labeled "Receipts") and label each of the manila file folders with the following headings: "Advertising," "Postage," "Office Supplies," "Utilities and Rent for the Office" and "Miscellaneous." (Alter to suit your particular business.)
You now have one master file completed and we're ready to make another just like it. This time we'll name the hanging file folder "Income" and label three manila folders inside it with the following headings: "Completed and shipped orders," "Inquiries" and "Open orders still pending." See how easy? From now on, you simply make another folder as the need arises and your files will always be easy to maintain.
(Hint: Don't make the mistake I did by placing all my stuff in one big expanding folder. Within a couple of months it was filled to bursting and I couldn't find a thing if I wanted to.)

* As soon as you can -- purchase a computer for your business. When you do this -- you can start putting all that "file stuff" on diskettes and eliminate a lot of office clutter. However, always keep up the habit of filing actual receipts and important papers in the manila file folders you originally set up.

* As soon as you can -- purchase a copy machine. Even a small desktop one may do just fine. Make a copy of important correspondence like letters you write. Or better yet -- if you have enough hard disk space on your computer, keep a copy of every business letter you write. When your file grows to 100 or so, go through them and categorize them into subject matter. Back each separate category off onto a floppy diskette or backup tape (unless you plan to use the letter again in the near future). Keep your files clean in your computer too!

How to Use Forms to Increase
Office Efficiency

Forms are a necessary part of any business. They are quick and easy to collect information from and easy to file in their proper folder. They also make it easy to thumb through later when you're searching for that piece of information you forgot about (but know you put somewhere).
Some basic forms I would recommend you either purchasing, typesetting or designing for yourself are:

* Order Form. Pick up any catalog and look at their order form. Customize the information to fit your company's needs and use it when you fill customer orders. Get your customers in the habit of using it -- and you'll process orders faster.
* Product Code Form. Write down every single product that you sell. Now, number your list starting at "1" (or any other number sequence you want to use).
Every time you make a sale, record the date, customer's name, address, phone number, amount paid and product code number. This will make it easier for you to look back and see what items are selling better than others, and to make adjustments when you see fit.
* Expense Form. Make a list of all your major expense categories (for example: Postage, Rent, Office and Computer Supplies, Advertising, Misc.). Now, use this information to design your Expense Form. Here's a suggestion:

These forms will greatly assist you in keping track of expenses so that you can keep "on top" of potentially dangerous situations BEFORE they occur.
Have your printer make a pad of them up for you out of his mixed-matched paper excess pile. File them in a separate manila folder or record the information into the database on your computer.