Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Feb 7, 2012, 10:00 am
People join professional associations for various reasons. Some join because they feel it gives them credibility. Others hope to attract new clients through the online directory. For many people, those are the only reasons to join, so they don’t see any benefit in actively participating in their a...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jan 31, 2012, 11:49 am
Can you believe we’re already one-twelfth of the way through 2012? For me, the year started off quietly, then picked up very quickly about midway through the month. As planned, I’ve been devoting more time to finding great content and sharing it on Twitter. I’ve discovered the Buffer app whi...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 31, 2012, 9:16 am
It’s been quite a while since I blogged about any client projects, but that’s not to say we haven’t been busy here at Organized Assistant®! We’ve actually had a lot of different things on the go, and I can’t wait any longer to tell you about some of them. Above is a...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 26, 2012, 9:32 am
As a blogger, I’m committed to sharing all types of information that might benefit you in Your Organizing Business, so when I heard about the recent National Association of Senior Move Managers conference, I was eager to invite an attendee to tell us about it in a guest blog post. Robin Blinder wa...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 24, 2012, 10:30 am
In last week’s post, I gave you 6 Reasons to be a Guest Blogger. Now that I’ve (hopefully) convinced you that it’s worth your while, this week I’ll keep my promise of letting you know where you can find potential hosts, and how to approach them. 1. Your Organizing Coll...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 17, 2012, 9:23 am
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you’ve probably noticed that once a month or so, I welcome a guest blogger. It’s usually a professional organizer, but may be anyone who is able to share some insight on a topic of interest to my audience, often one I don’t feel qualified to cover mys...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 10, 2012, 9:16 am
At the start of the new year, many people focus on developing a healthier lifestyle. Like most goals, staying healthy is much easier when you are organized, so our first Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for 2012 is all about Organizing and Health. You’ll find lots of practical tips here to us...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jan 3, 2012, 9:39 am
For many of us, the start of a new year is a time for change. Even people who don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions generally see this as a time to set goals for the coming months. As a professional organizer, you probably support your clients in moving towards their goals, but who’s helping...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Dec 27, 2011, 9:12 am
With 2011 drawing to a close, it’s time for something that’s become an annual tradition here at Your Organizing Business. For my final post of the year, I’d like to acknowledge the many professional organizers and other supporters who have shared their time and expertise with my readers in som...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Dec 20, 2011, 9:23 am
When friends find out you have your own business, they often make comments like “You’re lucky. You can set your own hours.” Or “That’s great – you can take time off whenever you want to.” But although it’s true that your schedule is more flexible than others, it’s not without its c...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Dec 13, 2011, 8:59 am
In December, many of us take time to reflect on our activities over the past year. Since professional conferences often stand out as some of the best parts of the year, this month I invited my readers to share the highlights of the events which they attended. We’ll kick off this month�...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Dec 6, 2011, 9:10 am
I’ve heard a number of organizers say “I just don’t have time to blog,” but often, half the battle is planning ahead. Deciding in advance what you’re going to blog about will give you an opportunity to think about how you’re going to address a particular topic, and to write at least some...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Nov 29, 2011, 9:00 am
When I realized, nearly 30 years ago, that there was a whole world of calendars beyond those that were provided to me by my employer, bank, or local card shop, one of the first product lines I discovered was Quo Vadis. I was impressed by the quality of their planners as well as the extensive variety...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Nov 1, 2011, 11:28 am
... just churning out articles week after week, looking for new ways to say the same old thing? Maybe ... There’s no rule that says all of your blog posts have to be in the same format. ... /11 + Giveaway If you’re stumped for topics to blog about, check out our new Blog Post Ideas plug-in...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Oct 27, 2011, 8:48 am
In just a few days, we’ll be visited by scary looking witches, vampires, zombies, and Charlie Sheen lookalikes, but we know it’s all in good fun. What’s really scary is the growing number of dangers we face online as individuals and as business owners. That’s probably why the U.S. Departmen...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Oct 25, 2011, 8:44 am
Even after paring down belongings, there may be times when there is still too much to store in your client’s home, especially if he or she is going through a transition. My guest blogger today, Margot McClelland, provides some helpful tips for those times when you need to recommend a self-storage ...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Oct 20, 2011, 8:45 am
Today is ACCO Brands Canada’s fourth annual Organize Your Desk Day, a national program designed to assist small to medium?sized businesses help their employees organize their work spaces and become more efficient and effective every day. In honour of this special day, I’ve compiled a few resour...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Oct 18, 2011, 6:00 am
I often say there are two types of professional organizers: those for whom organizing comes naturally, and those who teach others the skills they’ve acquired to overcome their own struggles with organization. The Other Side of Organized is an excellent resource, no matter which group you fit into....
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Oct 16, 2011, 7:36 am
I know it’s unusual for me to blog on the weekend, but I have two great reasons for doing so, which just happen to be related. First of all, today is Blog Action Day 2011, an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day. Since For Blog Action Day...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Oct 13, 2011, 9:46 am
Are you an entrepreneur, small business owner or independent consultant in the Golden Horseshoe area? There’s a networking opportunity this month that you shouldn’t miss! (If you’re from outside the area, please keep reading, as you’ll find some tips for organizing your own local event below...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Oct 11, 2011, 2:12 pm
Welcome to this month’s issue of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! You’ll find some great ideas here to try if you’re a right-brained, creative individual, or you work with clients who are. Debbie Stanley is a new participant this month, so please welcome her by reading her post, Gor...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Oct 6, 2011, 8:32 am
Two years ago, I was interviewed by Erika Liodice about how I chased my dream of quitting my job and starting my own business. We haven’t really stayed in touch since then, so I was surprised to receive an email from her recently, letting me know that she had nominated me for the Versatile Blogger...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Oct 4, 2011, 8:40 am
As the owner of your own business, it’s natural that you’ll feel worried from time to time. How can I get more clients? Am I charging the right amount for my services? What if I get too busy to serve my clients properly? What if I’m not good enough? And your business probably isn’t the onl...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Sep 29, 2011, 9:13 am
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time staying on top of the constant changes on Facebook. There’s a big fuss among the users whenever there’s a major change, but everyone seems to settle down once they get used to them. In many cases, the changes are actually good; it’s just frustra...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Sep 27, 2011, 9:12 am
As an organizing consultant, you often have access to clients’ confidential information, and this is not something to be taken lightly. In fact, it’s such an important issue that I’ve invited Lisa Montanaro to share her expertise as a Certified Professional Organizer and former attorney, so ...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Sep 22, 2011, 9:16 am
Have you ever met someone at a networking event and had them say “Oh, you’re!” No? Maybe you’re just not keeping your eyes open for chances to get your name out there! As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m always seeking out opportunities to be a source for other bloggers, and here...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Sep 20, 2011, 8:51 am
Twitter is a great tool for busy professionals whose schedules often keep them from attending live networking events. You can take part in conversations at whatever time best suits you, even if the other parties aren’t online at the same time as you. Although convenient, this is not without its dr...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Sep 15, 2011, 8:42 am
There are a lot of tools out there that were designed to save us time when using social media. I take advantage of a select few myself, such as using FeedBurner to automatically post my blog updates to my Twitter feed. There are also a lot of people out there who have discovered they can automatic...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Sep 13, 2011, 9:22 am
I think you can learn a lot about a person from seeing what books they read, which ones they choose to keep, and how they organize their personal library. This month, I’ve asked professional organizers to share their own strategies for organizing home libraries. Visit their blogs to find out what ...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Sep 8, 2011, 9:18 am
There’s a new buzz word making its way around the Internet: content curation. Have you heard of it? Content Curation can be defined simply as the act of searching, grouping, organizing and sharing the most significant content on a particular topic on the Internet. Source: What is Content Curatio...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Sep 6, 2011, 8:52 am
When we asked our readers to identify their biggest blogging challenge, the number one answer was “attracting readers.” It can be very discouraging to spend valuable time researching a topic and writing what you think is an amazing post, then to get no comments, retweets, or other indications th...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Sep 1, 2011, 9:02 am
It’s a sure sign that summer’s drawing to a close when my calendar starts to fill up with speaking engagements. I’ve got one scheduled each month from September to November, which is often enough that I stay fairly comfortable with it, yet not so often that it infringes on my regular workload....
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Aug 30, 2011, 11:38 am
Last year, I blogged about the importance of connecting with other resources in your area, particularly if you`re working with hoarders. In that post I mentioned that hoarding task forces and coalitions are forming in various communities in order to provide the public with information about the reso...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Aug 25, 2011, 9:30 am
Since I run a virtual business, I purchase from suppliers scattered throughout North America, and even beyond. I’ve mentioned many of them here on my blog, including HostGator (affiliate link), iThemes, and WebDesign.com, to name just a few. This week, I’ve decided to shine a light on a few of ...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Aug 23, 2011, 9:17 am
In my experience, most professional organizers are very happy to share resources and expertise with their colleagues and reap many rewards from doing so. I asked my client, Julie Stobbe, about her thoughts on the subject, and was so impressed that I invited her to share them here today as my guest b...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Aug 18, 2011, 8:55 am
If you’ve been out in the stores lately, it’s pretty obvious that school is starting up again soon. Even if you don’t have kids, or they’re all grown up, there are plenty of opportunities for you to further your own education. Your local school board and community college probably offer a w...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Aug 16, 2011, 9:04 am
One of the first books I read when I became serious about organizing was Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern. Despite the explosive growth in the industry, to this day, I can’t think of a professional organizer who is more well known. Just imagine what it would do for your skill l...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Aug 11, 2011, 9:04 am
There are literally hundreds of social media sites with many different purposes, and you could easily devote your entire week to exploring new sites, maintaining your connections, and updating your profiles! Unfortunately, although effective social networking can and does lead to business opportunit...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Aug 9, 2011, 8:43 am
Welcome to the Life Balance edition of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival! I enjoy reading all the submissions I receive every month, but this time I personally gained something from every single post, and I’m truly thankful to be connected to so many insightful organizers. Grab your favori...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Aug 4, 2011, 8:54 am
During the summer months, many of us change our routines to a slower pace than the rest of the year. Wouldn’t it be nice to be that relaxed all the time? I don’t have the power to make it summer all year round, but since the first week of August is Simplify Your Life Week, I’m going to share ...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Aug 2, 2011, 9:37 am
I was really flattered when Allison Carter and Judith Kolberg contacted me in January with a request to review their new e-book. The fact that I am only doing so now takes me back to my corporate days, when I overheard a colleague say he was too busy to attend the time management workshop his manage...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jul 28, 2011, 7:41 am
It seems that a lot of people are taking advantage of a slower summer schedule to plan a new website. One factor to be considered while making those plans is where your site will be hosted. For several years, I’ve been hosting my sites with HostGator (affiliate link), one of the world’s largest...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jul 26, 2011, 8:57 am
One of the wonderful things about the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival is the opportunity to connect with organizing consultants with a wide range of specialties. Today I’ve invited Ellen Delap, who is one of our Professional Organizers Blog Carnival Star Bloggers, to tell us about hers. Fam...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jul 21, 2011, 7:52 am
Several weeks ago, I suggested a few ways you can get exposure through other people’s blogs, with a few examples of my own. Today I’d like to share a few more collaborative blog posts in which I’ve been a participant: 7 Expert Tips on Getting Blog Traffic 39 Tips on Generating Ideas for a Bl...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jul 19, 2011, 10:56 am
With many clients away on vacation, you may find yourself with extra time to work on your business. Fortunately, there are plenty of opportunities for you to acquire additional skills, even if you’re facing a seasonal drop in income or just starting out and don’t have a generous budget. This Th...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jul 14, 2011, 8:25 am
Ever since I passed the big 5-0, I’ve been making a real effort to take better care of myself. Some of the positive changes I’ve made include walking more and making healthier food choices. Since I’m one of those people who have a hard time tearing themselves away from their computer, it’s ...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jul 12, 2011, 6:00 am
It’s summertime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and many of us would rather lounge on the beach or around the pool than work. But, as all professional organizers know, organizing is fun too, and that’s what this month’s Professional Organizers Blog Carnival is all about. Read on and find out ...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jul 7, 2011, 8:51 am
Nearly five years ago, I was invited to be a regular contributor to a blog called Introvert Retreat. I was quite new to blogging then, and discovered that it was a wonderful introverted activity. It gave me a creative outlet, made me more aware of information and resources available about introv...
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Janet B. posted an article on Your Organizing Business - Jul 5, 2011, 8:49 am
When you joined NAPO, POC, or another professional association, you agreed to follow the Code of Ethics of that organization. You probably scanned the Code of Ethics quickly and figured you’d have no problem doing the right thing, right? You’re a good person, after all! But there’s a lot m...
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Janet B. posted an article on From the Desk of Janet Barclay - Jun 30, 2011, 8:26 am
Last year the folks over at Mashable declared June 30th as Social Media Day. Thousands of meet-ups are taking place around the world to allow social media users to come out from behind their computer screens and connect in person. As far as I’ve heard, no event’s being held here in Hamilton,...
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