If you’re anything like me, this is your least favorite part of the process. I find record keeping to be tedious and cumbersome, and a task that I always put off as long as possible. However, no matter how much you may hate it, this is a necessary evil. Taking the time to maintain accurate records now will save you a huge headache come tax time – and that’s headache enough on its own! I have found a couple of ways to make the job a little less dreaded, and I’ve found a couple more than I intend to implement in the future.
The first step you need to take is organizing your desk. Even this is a daunting task for some of us!
But this is definitely a Flylady clean sink kind of thing – if you get the desk cleared off and looking good, you’re much more likely to stick with it.
Another thing that helps me stick with it is using pretty supplies to organize with. See that scrolly planner back there? I bought the entire family of supplies when I found them on clearance!
This is actually a tip I learned in a webinar about organization. It was a blogger event and Peter Walsh (from TLC’s Clean Sweep program, and a contributor to Oprah), along with Office Max, recommended this. It made sense to me, and I’m happy to report that indeed it does work. When all of my stuff is pretty and nice to look at, I actually use it! Revolutionary!
So after cleaning my desk off, I left only the essentials that I know I’ll use every day. On the right you’ll see I have another small lightweight shipping scale, as well as a business card holder with ‘Thank You’ cards that get put into every package. In the back I have an Internet address book with frequently used websites, accounts, passwords, and other handy info (so hopefully if I die, someone will come and let you know why I vanished. Yes, I actually think about things like that!) I also keep a self-inking stamp there for Amazon packages, since we are required to label them as such. My desk is still a bit crowded for my liking. I thought I wanted a small desk, but I’ve found that they aren’t as great in practice as they are in pictures!
Another tip I learned from the webinar is to keep personal and professional appointments on the same planner. Previously I’d tried to keep these separate, but found it to be too much to keep up with. As a busy work at home mom, I’m lucky to maintain a planner at all, let alone two! If I write down my kids appointments along with my own work schedule, I’m more likely to stick to it. I use my planner to keep track of doctor’s appointments, after-school activities, conference calls, meetings, and deadlines. I also always keep it on my desk, so it can’t get lost. This makes it easy for me to refer to when on the phone – I can tell at a glance what my commitments are.
I also purchased several notebooks in varying sizes. I use one for shopping lists, one for items I see in store and want to research later, one for items to look for when shopping, and one for daily goals. Of course you could do all of this in the same notebook, but separate ones work out best for me.
Another thing I picked up was 3-ring binders. I filled them with matching folders and use these for organizing my copy of customs forms, postage receipts, and other documents that I need to keep, but only short-term. I try to go through these once a week and purge what I no longer need. I’ve also found these binders to be perfect for storing design patterns I’ve downloaded and printed myself, and for organizing coupon fliers. Again, having everything matchy-matchy and cute keeps me motivated to maintain!
Beside my desk I have a large filing cabinet. I use this to hold my printer, router, modem, etc and have it convenient but not in the way. The top drawer of the filing cabinet holds my business records and shipping labels. Clearly labeled folders for shopping receipts, monthly bills, expense reports, mileage, etc all make it easy to keep track of your business and get ready for the tax season that is fast approaching!
And finally I have a bookcase nearby, which holds the basket of supplies I referenced yesterday. As Cindy said, it’s very helpful to have multiples of frequently used supplies, so I keep extra scissors, tape, labels, etc in this basket. I dump everything together and keep it within arm’s reach so I never have to run around wondering where I left the tape dispenser!
So there’s a basic setup, but what about the actual records? Well frankly, that’s where I fall short! I don’t know why I have such a hard time with the details, but it’s just not my thing. One change I’d like to make this year is using the Easy Auction Tracker spreadsheet to track my inventory. I currently ‘use’ an excel spreadsheet that my husband made for me, and while I’m sure it’s great, it doesn’t upload my inventory from ebay automatically. That’s why I said I ‘use’ it in quotes - I really don’t! I need something automated to make it a little easier for me.
Another improvement I want to make this year is keeping better track of mileage. Did you know that the miles you put on your car as you shop for inventory, purchase supplies, and ship your packages is all tax-deductible? Grab yourself a handy little book like this and keep it in your car. Each time you make a business-related trip, write down the location, purpose, and round-trip mileage. Tally this up at the end of each month, and at the end of the year it’s easy to add the monthly totals and use this for tax purposes. This is a really great, easy, and perfectly legitimate tax deduction, yet I always seem to forget to do it. I will do better this year!
So, for those of you that keep better records than I, what else should I be tracking? Have you found it useful to run comparisons on domestic vs. international sales? Do you have different filing systems for eBay vs. Amazon? Leave a comment and let us know what works for you! Every comment this week earns you an entry for an office organization kit. Remember that webinar I mentioned? The prize package includes items from both Peter Walsh and Office Max, and puts into practice the ‘beautiful gets used’ theory, as well as Walsh’s belief that clear storage makes it faster and easier for you to see what you need.
Lastly, I’m humbling myself here. All week I’ve been reading your comments and compliments on my organization, and I feel like a bit of a hypocrit. Believe me, I am not always organized! My inventory looks great but my desk, not so much. You saw those pretty pictures up there, and it’s true that the top of my workspace does look like that. But what you didn’t see is that the floor looks like this:
Clearly, we all have room for improvement!
*Note – HCTS does not offer legal advice on taxes or tax deductions. Please contact your tax professional for accurate information and guidance for your personal situation.
Filed under: Better Selling Techniques, Organization and Storage by BellaBuggy
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