Let's help each other get organized!

[guppygirl]

Taken from the previous thread about New Year's Resolutions:

After reading all the posts about GETTING ORGANIZED, I was reminded of something someone said at a networking group I attend. She said that every year her company (she's a direct sales rep) has her set goals, which she does faithfully. She said that setting goals is all well & good but she's come to realize that one of the most difficult things about goal setting is how to attain these goals.

So I'm thinking - HOW do you want to get organized? I'm going to start a new thread and hopefully we can all help each other with our different ideas!

OK, so here are some of my ideas:

• Physically cleaning your workspace - make piles of stuff if you have to: Stuff to throw away, stuff to donate, stuff to sell, stuff you're keeping. Be brutally honest with yourself - are you really going to use those jars you picked up at Goodwill 3 years ago?
  
• Tidy up - you'll feel better! My production workspace is in the basement. I keep a broom and dustpan as well as 2 garbage cans down there and try to keep on top of keeping my floor free of wax & other debris.
  
• Keep your like-supplies in one space (FO's in one section, containers in another - I don't know about you, but I have some FOs in one section, some in another... and don't even talk to me about samples!!!)
  
• Pick up some organizing accessories - be careful, these can be apart of your clutter too! Someone posted ages ago that she keeps her FOs in over-the-door see through shoe organizers. I have two for my FOs and one for my wicks.

That's just the start & unfortunately I don't have time to get into the other areas of our business like: office space, finished products, paperwork, computer files, websites etc. but I'm sure you'll all add your thoughts.

Hope this thread helps!

[mizbizzyb]

This is a great idea. I was watching a court show the other day and a "Professional Organizer" was on there...she said got paid $100 an hour....I would think that would be a good investment for me.

[Trish]

I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on this thread. I'm the MOST unorganized person. My brain just doesn't "get it". I have no idea where or what to do to get started, so any tips and ideas that people post here will definitely help others like myself!

[Scented]

I'm trying to avoid this thread lol! BUt my organizer is my partner and I just get out of his way while he goes to town. Problem is, I never find anything once he gets done with his organization lol!

[Common Scents]

Wow what a great thread! I am actually going through and doing all of the things that guppygirl said! And boy is it a task! But I sure do have a LOT more space than I thought I did! One example is that I already have two sets of the plastic Rubbermaid shelves...one is for supplies and the other was just for "stuff", well I went through the "stuff" and now I have a set of shelves to use as I please! The funny thing is that I was going to go buy another set of shelves because I was convinced that I needed more space! What I NEEDED to do was clean! LOL! So this weekend I am going to take the OODLES of trash out that I have accumulated in my cleaning (its snowing now so I cant!) and I am going to set up a new area for labeling, packaging and shipping. I'm also gonna get a bulletin board to keep track of my orders that I am working on and I'm gonna invest in some new light weight tables for my showes. I am working to keep things simple and organized. I am also working on a new way of keeping track of all my paper work. I'm really hurting in this department right now! But in my cleaning I found TONS of binders not being used so they will be used for that. I guess my suggestion is to honestly clean! You never know what you will find that you CAN use and save money instead of buying more of it!

[Candle Man]

Here are some sites I found helpful

http://www.getorganizednow.com/

http://organizedhome.com/

http://www.organizetips.com/

http://www.shopgetorganized.com/

http://www.get-organized.com/

http://www.committment.com/organize.html

http://www.napo.net/

http://www.ehow.com/how_3810_organized.html

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/organizein10.html

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_nobanner/text/0,,HGTV_10680_22225,00.html

For more just GOOGLE How to get organized

[Trish]

www.flylady.net is awesome too...It's not just about organizing...

You get a ton of emails, but you just delete the ones you don't need. I used it for a few months a couple of years ago and it really helped me get better about clutter, but I moved and started making candles and now I need to start back at square one.

[Scented]

Alright Trish what do you do to store your 200+ scents? Asking cuz it might be something that would work over here lol.

[Common Scents]

Haha Trish has a storage unit that she uses to keep her 87324792837429834 FOs in! LOL! She has to drive across town whenever she needs one though! LMAO!

[CandleFreak]

biggest issue with cleaning a cluttered space is that people get overwhelmed just looking at the mess...some tips from me....

start small....like a 2x2 section.....or a countertop...or 1 drawer get that cleared off and into your "piles" (keep, throw away, sell, fix, etc) once you get that accomplished move on to another area...you will feel better about yourself knowing that you can at least see some of the counter....

set aside time to "clean" sure you may schedule yourself for working on products but you also need to allow time to clean, organize and inventory

clean as you go this will help keep clutter at bay once you get organized or at least keep it from getting worse....ok so you made the pumpkin spice votives and are getting ready to make cranberry votives...put away the pumpkin FO, orange dye, etc then set up for your next task...

always "pick up" before leaving your workspace this will keep you from being so aggravated the next time you enter your workspace and see the 52 votive cups scattered across the counter and wicks scattered on the floor...you get the picture

make to do list & have a dry erase board or cork board to easily see tasks you need to complete.....like that order of samples you need to send to the ***** shop in order to get a wholesale account

label your shelves i know it sounds anal but trust me at 3am in the morning when your finishing off the last of your order and can't find something because it isn't where you "normally" put it THEN you will really appreciate it

inventory your goods this will help you when you need to place an order...and keep you from making a bazillion small orders which really hurt on shipping

[Grumpy Girl]

I'd love to find a way to organize a gazillion sample sized bottles of FO. I tried the plastic roller carts with drawers, but it doesn't work that well for me. I also tried the shoe organizer, and didn't like the results. (Works great for wicks though) What works for you guys?

[CandleFreak]

I'd love to find a way to organize a gazillion sample sized bottles of FO. I tried the plastic roller carts with drawers, but it doesn't work that well for me. I also tried the shoe organizer, and didn't like the results. (Works great for wicks though) What works for you guys?

send them to me and I'll organize 'em j/k I don't know...I try not to keep to many around....

why don't you divide them into 3 groups....Love but need to test......ok...gotta think about it some more...and hate it...then sell the "hate its" here in the classifieds or join one of the FO sample swaps.....

so you'd still be left with a ton most likely.....??????? maybe some one else will have an idea

[gottabt]

I am pretty organized because basically I am anal.

I thought that I would add a few things that I did to make things neater.

1. For my scent labels - which are separate from my top and caution labels - I got an expandable file with tabs from A-Z. This was a great idea - I can carry them to my work table when I am labeling. When I am not they are tucked away - away from my workspace.

2. Cork squares - these are from Target in the office supplies area and come in 2 sizes. I attached a bunch to the wall above my workspace and I put the notes that I use the most often on the tackboard. This way when I go to pour something that I do not do everyday I do not need to look for the notes.

3. Recipe file boxes - 2 in fact. One I use for the testing cards. I just note on them the wax, fo w/supplier, wick, color combo. When I test, I put the start and stop times and any thoughts I have. If it is a keeper I enter the info on a spreadsheet. All index cards go into the recipe box in alpha order. After years of testing I can quickly see if I tested an fo before. The other box I use for recipes for candles I have made and the notes. Ex - pumpkin jars - I only make them once a year so I have the notes on temp, fo, wick, color.... even noted how much shrink wrap tubing to package the jar.

4. Manilla file folders with sides. These are extremely handy for misc labels, brochures, etc. I like them much better than the open sided because if you pick them up wrong everything does not fall out.

5. Page protectors. This is a great thing to have on hand. If it is a recipe, put it in a page protector - that way if you have it in your workroom it is protected. It is easier to replace the cover than trying to recreate a messed up recipe.

6. Photo album with lift up paper protectors. I clip candle pics or print them and put them in here. Everything is together and neat. I also add packaging ideas and such.

Hope these help someone!

[tlc26]

I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye on this thread. I'm the MOST unorganized person. My brain just doesn't "get it". I have no idea where or what to do to get started, so any tips and ideas that people post here will definitely help others like myself!

I never know where to start either!! it feels like chaos all around me if I try to do it all at once. So what I do is organize as I go. I have all my molds in one spot, FO in another, etc. As things start piling up I make spaces for them and try to stick with it. I got into the habbit of putting them back when I am done, but it still looks as if a bomb exploded on my kitchen counter because of all the new stuff I am getting into!!