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Where Does it Hurt?

Often we’re asked about the ROI of our services – the return on investment. We can easily explain the value that is realized when someone increases their organization and productivity. Another term for ROI is “Risk of Ignoring” – meaning – what’s is the risk of doing nothing about disorganization or productivity challenges?

We all know that being disorganized undoubtedly leads to stress. And stress undoubtedly leads to numerous pain points within your daily life, whether at home or at work. But have you ever really sat down and thought about what disorganization is costing you?

As Professional Organizers, our goal is to help reduce your stress. As such, we have put together a list of common “pain points” that often result from disorganization. Not only do we wish to make your lives at home and work easier, but we want you to keep in mind that short-term investments yeild long-term results.

Common Pain Points to Consider:

1. Lost Business Opportunity. If your business/company is disorganized, chances are you are missing out on a fair amout of potential business opportunities. Curious what disorganization is costing your company? Click here to calculate it for yourself.

2. Customer Service is Suffering. Forgetting or simply taking too long to follow-up does not make your customers happy. The last thing you want is for your customers to think you don’t value them. Not to mention, it makes your company look bad and can result in a loss of customers and a dive in sales. Haven’t we all had a bad customer service experience that makes us never want to give them our business ever again?

3. Overworked and Overwhelmed. When you are feeling overworked and thus overwhelmed, everything seems to crumble and fall apart. Why? Because you aren’t on your “A” game. Yes, we all have “one of those days” every so often, however, when you are being pulled in too many directions, you become less productive and efficient.

It’s time to be honest with yourself and re-prioritize. Realize you are not superhuman. More importantly, keep in mind that trying to constantly multi-task actually decreases performance. (Insert “Multitasking” into the blog search bar over to the left to read our evidence on that fact). Focus on one thing at a time, complete it to the best of your ability, and move on. Done is better than perfect.

4. No Work/Life Balance. We cannot stress this enough. Which is why we encourage you to check out several of our blog posts about how you can find more time for the things you love most in life. Find that “me-time” you deserve.

5. Your Health is Suffering. Did you know that 80% of our medical expenditures are stress-related? Yikes! We can do something about that. Whether you’re an individual or an employer, health care costs make an impact on your bottom line.

Common Situations Where Being More Organized Could Save You a Pretty Penny:

Late payments. Misplaced bills ultimately lead to interest and penalties. Avoid these by having a solid bill paying system in place. Who wants to pay more when you don’t have to. These situations are avoidable.

Pending rebates. You purchase that new cell phone only to realize you did not collect the necessary information to receive your $100 rebate in time. Missing out on a rebate is like setting that $100 bill on fire. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to have some extra cash in my pocket.

Duplicate purchases. This is especially true when it comes to food. Consider organizing your pantry or refrigerator every so often to ensure you aren’t purchasing multiples of anything. What are you going to do with 10 bottles of ketchup? Organization helps you find what you need, when you need it. You’ll avoid needing to buy another _____________ (fill in the blank), just because you can’t find the one (or several) you know you already have.

Unused gift cards. We see this a lot. Have you ever gone into a store and you are at the counter digging through your purse or wallet for that gift card you know you have only to realize you left it buried in a drawer or pile at home?

When you get a gift card, put it straight into your wallet that way you will always have it with you when you are out and about. Don’t want to fill up your wallet with gift cards? We recommend the card cubby. Cute, portable, perfect for gift cards.

Overdraft fees. In other words, failing to reconcile. These fees can really add up over time. If you are ever in doubt, check your balance before making another purchase. Thought you were good to go but still received an overdraft fee? Reconcile it ASAP. The sooner you do, the greater the likelihood your bank will be more willing to work with you.

Multiple trips to store. There’s nothing like the feeling you get when you come home after a trip to the store only to realize you forgot “X” and “Y.” Our time is valuable and we always say we need more of it. Save time by creating a shopping list. Check out our Meal Planning Made Easy system to help you plan and save you time, money and gas each week.

Repairs. Neglecting maintenance can end up costing you much more than it may have if you had attended to it in the early stages. Take your transmission for example. Putting off changing your transmission and power steering fluids (which can cost around $300-depending on your car) could turn into thousands when your transmission goes out. Several hundred or several thousand…hmm?

Tax Deductions. Remember to always track your mileage and business expenses. Create an expense report if you don’t already have one in place. Unsure of what you can and cannot deduct? Check with your manager or CPA. You may be missing items you could have been reimbursed for.

Remember, it is business and no matter how great your relationship is, if you don’t bring it to their attention, they probably aren’t going to bring it to yours. Why would they if they can save some cash themselves?

Late fees. I’m sure most of us have received a letter or bill in the mail with the words “Payment Overdue” in bright red. Maybe you let out an angry sigh and throw it in an already growing pile of papers telling yourself, I’ll deal with it soon. But guess what? You don’t have to ever see those nagging words again.

When you go to get your mail, automatically separate the junk and any recyling and get rid of it, NOW. All you are left with should be anything that requires action, like bills. Open all of them up, and enter the dates into your calendar or online bill paying system (unless you have auto-pay). Remember, do not enter the date they are due! Remind yourself a few days prior and make that your due date as it sometimes can take a few days for things to do through. Always give yourself a little cushion.

We’d love to hear how you’re saving time, money or stress, or improving your business or life through organization. Leave a comment here on the blog.

Feeling the pain? Contact us today and let us know how we can help. It would be our pleasure to be a resource to you!

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