How to get paperwork organized

By Joc Samulln Retail Advieory Serviccs Inc.

VERY industry trainer has at least one seminar on (l) Meet and beat the competition; (2) How to survive in today's rough and tough competitive arena; (3) How the small or mid-size home centerfumber yard must change strategies to accomplish (l) and (2).

I'm going to give you a different strategy, one I have developed over the years. It works in every retail field, but is most effective in our industry which demands a higher level of customer contact by very knowledgeable, motivated people.

The first and most important part of the strategic plan is to get "your a-- out on the floor/yard for 80-90% of your working day." That's where it all hangs out. Don't tell me it is impossible. It's simple when you use my system to get out from under the paper that bogs you down.

First get 43 file folders and eight hanging folders for your desk file. Next number 31, I through 31, and label 12 January tlrough December. Divide the 3 1 files between six hangers: l-5, 6-10, l1-15, 16-20, 2t-25, 25-3I. Place in file drawer with low number in front. Hang the seventh empty and the eighth with the month files behind them.

Next take every piece of paper cluttering your office and desk and stack them on the floor beside your desk. (When I started this system, I had four stacks reaching to the top of my desk.

The third step is to empty the middle desk drawer, the one where you throw cards, receipts, clip pens and otherjunk. (This blew my mind. I found receipts I could have deducted for tax purposes, cards from people I met 10 years ago and at least 30 hotel pens.) This middle drawer becomes a work station. Fill it with what you will use each day: blank pads, three or four pens, paper clips, stapler. Throw out the rest of the junk.

The fourth step is to activate your filing system so it will work every day. Let's assume you select Monday, Aug. 10, as the day to start. Move the hang-

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ing folder with files 1-5 to the back just in front of the empty hanging folder. This puts files 6-10 in front. Move 6-9 files to the empty hanger,leaving 10 in front. Move January through August behind December. Seal the files representing weekends for the remainder of the month with paper clips.

Now the fun begins. You will need three or four trash cans. Go through the stacks of papers, one paper at a time. Decide to throw it out or work on it. Immedialely assign papers you keep to a specific day in the remainder of August or to a month file.

When you get to the bottom of the stack(s), everything will have been discarded or placed in a file. You will have nothing on your deskexcept a calendar for quick notes and a telephone. You may have a photo of yourfamily on the credenza, but nothing else. No "in" baskets and no "out" baskets.

There won't be a piece of paper in sight when you come in on Monday. You will pull out file 10. That's today's work. It is rare when a person using this system finds more than 10 items to work on. Set priorities and get started. When the mail arrives, put it right in the middle of your desk and follow the routine of trashing it or filing it in the day or month you will tackle the project.

At the end of the day, put file 10 behind 9 and move the empty hanging folder behind the numbered files. This puts 11-15 in front. File I I is the next day's work. At the end of each day move the empty number file to the hanging folder at the back. At the end

September 1992 of the week move the empty hanging folder to the rear. When the rnonth ends, transfer the contents of the next month file to the 31 day files. Clip closed weekends or days not to be used if the month is short. Put the month file at the back of its hanging folder.

Always move files to the back, keeping the empty hanging file between the day and month files to maintain perpetual rotation.

Although the system may sound confuittg, itbecomes simple as you work with it. The time you save can be well spent on the sales floor or in the yard. Try it. It works for me.

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National Forest Products Week will be celebrated Oct. 18-24 with the theme "America's Forests: A Commitment to Balance. "

"The theme underscores our belief that responsible and productive forest management practices can meet the world's demand for high quality products while also sustaining the quality of the environment," said J. Carter Fox, president and ceo of Chesapeake Corp. and chairman of the American Forest Council, sponsor of the week saluting the benefits of Americas most renewable natuml resource.

AWPI Annual In Alabama

American Wood Preservers Institute's annual meeting will be at The Mariott's Grand Hotel, Point Clear, Al., Sept.30-Oct.2.

"Our Business is Your Business" is the theme of the meeting which will include business management issues for wood preservers, the Washington, D.C., business agenda, product acceptance perceptions and communica-