"Now, where did I put that phone number? I remember writing it on the back of an envelope, or was it a pad of paper?" Have you ever had that conversation with yourself? I'm afraid I've said that more times than I can remember.

I'm always saying that if I was just a tad bit more organized I could sure be a lot more productive. So I decided to find an expert on this subject to answer some of my organizing questions. I found Janet Taylor, owner of Totally Organized, who lives for organization. She agreed to take some time out of her busy day to answer a few of my questions.

Liz: Janet, what are your top three organizing musts for a home office?

Janet:

1) You must never eat lunch in your home office. Realize everyone needs to take a break.

2) You must have an established set of rules for interruptions. Set-up guidelines. My rule is if the door is closed, please knock before entering.

3) You must clear your desk off at the end of your day. This will eliminate that overwhelming feeling when you look at your desk first thing in the morning. Also this will lessen the number of distractions.

Liz: Do you think a person can make more money if they are more organized?

Janet: Yes, my motto is save time and money by getting organized. Keeping track of leads that need a follow-up (more clients), staying on top of details of a client's project (bigger projects), locating important documents the first time you look for them, are just a few of the benefits of getting organized which will result in more money.

Liz: I love those organizing gadgets that I see all the time. But do they really work? Do you have any you highly recommend?

Janet:

· A good filing cabinet -- one that will last and grow with the business.

· A desk/writing surface -- so that you will have ample space to be creative.

· A workstation/table for equipment -- an accessible place for your computer, printer, fax machine, etc.

· A shredder -- to discard documents that have vital information.

· File boxes -- to store and organize information in car or for vending.

· Letter Trays/Desktop Organizer -- to sort and organize papers and mail that you need to keep visible.

Liz: One of the biggest hassles for a work-at-home Mom is dealing with the phone and kids. Do you have any organizing solutions for this problem?

Janet: Try and decide on a schedule that will be best suited for you. For example, if you are a new Mom, maybe you can schedule activities like phone calls and paperwork around the baby's sleep time. Try to screen calls when you know the kids will want your attention, then return and make calls when they are asleep. Let people know that your are in a meeting or with clients between 3-4 on weekdays. No one has to know that you are picking the kids up from school.

Books

The Organized Executive: A Program for Productivity: New Ways to Manage Time,
Paper, People and the Electronic Office By Stephanie Winston; Paperback

Getting Organized: The Easy Way to Put Your Life in Order
by Stephanie Winston

Stephanie Winston's Best Organizing Tips: Quick, Simple Ways to Get Organized
and Get on With Your Life by Stephanie Winston

Websites

The Get Organized News -- http://www.tgon.com/
Organizing Solutions -- http://www.wco.com/~dpmiller/
Organize Now -- http://www.organizenow.com/

Organizations

National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO)
1033 LaPosada Dr., Suite 220
Austin TX 78752
(512) 454-8626
http://www.napo.net/

A great source of information. They not only have listings of people who have made organizing a business, but others who've written books on the subject of organizing all kinds of things, from home to office.

For more information on Janet...Totally Organized can help you save time and money with a variety of products and services they offer their clients. For more information, contact Janet directly at: (888)321-8263 TOrganized@aol.com