Welcome To Virtual Jeannie's June 2010 News

Business Tips Of the Month
 
Identity Theft And Fraud
 
I recently had the opportunity to talk to a retired Santa Rosa Police Officer about Identity Theft/Fraud. He offered one suggestion on what we can do to be proactive in protecting our credit identity—run your credit report regularly.

As a rule, you should run your credit report at least annually—it’s free! It is important for you to keep on top of the status of all your accounts and who has pulled your reports. It also lets you know if there has been any suspicious or unusual activity that you didn’t authorize. The three credit services are TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian.

Annual Credit Report, www.AnnualCreditReport.com, is the website that puts you in contact with these three major credit bureaus. Plus, it's free! By contacting the credit bureaus individually, they may charge you a fee. Also be aware there are several other sites that sell themselves as offering “free” credit reports but require you to sign up for their monitoring service to get the report (which is NOT free).

If you should notice a problem on any of these reports, you need to notify them in writing immediately and document that you have done so. If you should talk to anyone from these agencies, document to whom you spoke and when.

As you talk to each agency about a possible similar problem, they will ask for documentation that you have spoken to the other agencies. Should you need to file a police report because it has moved to a fraud case, the police will ask you for documentation. If you are documenting every contact and move you make, it will make your case easier to file with the police department.

There is also a useful informational website sponsored by the FTC on fighting identity theft at http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/idtheft/idt04.shtm.

Organizations—Personal Tidbits

Team In Training
 
The season has been going very well. I have an awesome ride group. My team is comprised of all ladies, truly dedicated to this cause and working hard to get ready for our ride. I have acquired the lady for coaching whom I mentioned when I first started this season. I think her inner beast is back!!!!

The big day is June 6—less than a week away! I’m very excited; it will truly be a pleasure leading these wonderful, strong women to the finish line.

To those who have already supported me and my effort, a very heartfelt thanks!

Please visit my website at http://pages.teamintraining.org/rw/ambbr10/jdavisa63u for progress updates and to support our efforts.

On another note: My son Brian has acquired a frog as a pet. This little guy, “Kermit” (naturally), was a neighbor’s pet and needed a new home. He was quite excited about the concept. There is an amusing episode that we experienced as new frog owners. Kermit eats live crickets. Sooo, once a week we get to go purchase crickets for dinner. On the first night we had the little guy, it was feeding time and one of the crickets got loose. Since they are less than an inch long—and beige—they are was very hard to find. It turned up in the shower the next morning: saved from drowning only to be Kermit’s dinner!

Growing My Business

Goals, Goals, Goals…

This month I am looking for those customers who need to catch up on a prior year’s business tax return. If you know someone who has not filed a business tax return in a few years and isn’t quite sure what to do, please let them know that we can help.

For those who want to plan for and watch their budgets, I can offer flat rate packages. This allows for easy budgeting for bookkeeping services. ALSO: those of you who are current clients and refer me to a paying client will receive a $25 gift card from one of the following: itunes, Best Buy, Costco, Target… or a store of your choosing (I’m flexible J).

QuickBooks Anyone?

The first QuickBooks class went very well.

The next one is scheduled for June 25th from 9am-12pm. For those who have just installed QuickBooks and don’t know what to do next, this is the class for you. We will go over very basic bookkeeping concepts and then move on to navigation through QuickBooks.

Please let me know if you are interested in attending: virtualj@sonic.net

Virtual Jeannie Virtual Spotlight
 
How Cluttered Are YOU?
By Grace Brooke, Professional Organizer

Beware: Clutter—piled up on your desk and floor, in drawers, in your briefcase, bursting out of closets and consuming the garage—it will overtake your mind, cause your thoughts to be muddled and potentially stop you dead in your tracks.

Disorganization can put a block on every facet of your life and make it difficult to see new ideas, opportunities and successes. Clutter will deny you peace of mind, erode you spiritually and monopolize time. It’s clutter that makes us forget what’s really important. You’re not made up of your things, but your things reveal a great deal about who you are and what you value. Your surroundings are a metaphor for your life. In business as well as in daily life, disorder can stymie your ability to move efficiently toward your goals and ambitions.

The Cost Of Disorganization

Getting out of your own way is as simple as taking that first step toward slaying the clutter monster. Purging and getting organized goes beyond having a neat and tidy desk or workspace. It can mean the difference between a thriving business and one that’s struggling to stay afloat. Think clear, clean, minimize and downsize. The average executive wastes about 150 hours each year looking for lost or misplaced documents. According to Jane Von Bergen in the article “So Many Reasons to Neaten Up…” [Boston Globe, March 2006], 43 percent of Americans categorize themselves as disorganized and 21 percent have missed vital work deadlines. And nearly half say disorganization causes them to work late at least two or more times each week.

Clutter creates an out-of-control and unprofessional image; is depressing and overwhelming, builds stress and reduces motivation; and wastes money as we run out and re-buy what we can’t find. Getting and staying organized is a common trait among successful professionals, according to The Ultimate Home Based Business Handbook, by James Stephenson. To be successful, businesses large and small need systems customized to their specific needs. Processes should be kept simple so everyone can follow them. Even with the best intentions of getting organized and instituting efficient spaces, I find clients often can’t see the path to organization clearly. Though experts in their own field, when it comes to devising a plan to clear a chaotic workspace, many just don’t know where to begin.

I recently worked with clients who wanted to start a home-based business but were completely paralyzed by the myriad boxes, assortment of office equipment, and other odds and ends that filled their potential office space. Overwhelmed and confused about where to begin, my clients struggled, which impaired their ability to plan and create an inspiring and productive workspace. By the time they contacted me, they were fully frustrated and looking for guidance and support.

The first step we took before doing anything else, was to work together to created a vision: How did they want the office to feel, look and function? Then we systematically purged and relocated items to create more space for reference material, office supplies, files and projects. We took advantage of a unique, 7-foot niche, where we installed floor-to-ceiling shelving that included cubbies for various projects in progress.

We used an assortment of attractive trays, bins and baskets to hold all supplies. We installed a system to manage incoming papers in a clearly labeled file sorter. We discussed in detail exactly how much space was needed to store files, and agreed a two drawer cabinet would be sufficient for current files and allow enough room to grow. Planning with future growth in mind is a suggestion I make to all my clients.

Truly Be Clutter-Free

Two important keys to having a well-organized workspace are having a clear working surface and plenty, plenty, plenty of storage. We made this possible by installing shelves for commonly used items above an L-shaped desk. To eliminate visual distractions, the walls were kept sparse. However, we added a special touch of inspiration by framing enlarged printouts of the clients’ personal “Dream Plan,” created when first envisioning their new business five years ago. At the project’s end, they gave me a big hug, smiled and said, “Thank you for helping make dreams come true.” Today, we meet once a month to maintain the systems we created. Clutter has a mind of its own and will come back to haunt you if you let it. Taking a proactive approach and scheduling time each week to deal with the new materials as they constantly flow in to your life and space is important. My clients are now plowing through projects, goals and action steps…and business is thriving.

You’re your greatest asset. Investing in yourself to get and stay organized will reduce frustrations and chaos while increasing clarity, focus and productivity. If clutter is keeping you from success, make the commitment to clean and clear up your surroundings and gain time to do more of what makes you happy.

Grace Brooke is an efficiency specialist and professional organizer with more than 20 years’ experience. She currently consults with businesses and residential clients in Sonoma County to create effective efficient spaces to maximize productivity, space and gain a sense of order. You can contact her at grace@gracebrooke.com or (707) 321-4232. Visit www.gracebrooke.com for more information.

May/June Tax Due Dates
Download from the IRS website at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1518.pdf.
If you would like a physical copy of this calendar, please let me know and I will get you one.