A Red Bench » Grow Your Business

Classes for New Organizers

Angela — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:10:56 +0000

When I was just starting out, I searched everywhere for classes on how to become a better Professional Organizer. While there are a lot of classes and education opportunities available, it can be difficult to determine which ones are most relevant to you as an entrepreneur trying to break in to the professional organizing business.

If you’re a new organizer and would like help getting started, check out the Amazing Organizer Package available exclusively from the A Red Bench website. Out of the 75 teleclasses we’ve recorded over the years, we’ve hand-picked the top five we think are useful for new organizers.

The Amazing Organizer Audio Package includes:

Organizing For Your Brain Type with Lanna Nakone Cairns
Powerful Needs Assessment with Marla Dee
Managing Client Expectations with Mindy Godding, CPO®
Successful Pricing Strategies with Krista Green
Secrets for Asking Effective Questions with Byron van Arnsdale

Depending on your services, these classes may apply towards your continuing education units (CEUs). Click here for more information about the package and to register! This is a “best of” A Red Bench for those paving a new path.

Don’t Miss A Red Bench’s First Ever Webinar!

Angela — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 14:25:15 +0000

If you haven’t yet registered for our first ever webinar, there’s still time! Join us this Monday, June 6th at 2 PM EST (note the time) as we speak with Seth Odam, creator of Freedom Filer. Seth specializes in paper retention and creating organizing systems that work, and he will be sharing his expertise with us. In this class, we will discuss why many filing systems fail, how long various documents must be kept, the key items that must be in place when setting up a filing system, and more!

If you’d like to help your clients conquer their paper clutter, click here to register today!

Interested in the class but not sure you’ll be able to make it to the live webinar? Registering for the class ensures that you will receive a recorded copy of the webinar directly in your e-mail inbox within a few business days, which you can view at your leisure.

Upcoming WEBINAR: Addressing Your Client’s Paper Pains

Angela — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:15:33 +0000

Paper is one of the most common areas that residential clients need help with. There’s no wonder why–with so many different types of paper, it’s difficult to know all the answers to our clients’ questions. Our guest expert Seth Odam, creator of Freedom Filer, has studied all the details about paper retention, and how to make systems that work for our clients. Learn from an expert who has done the research and created one of the most unique filing systems on the market.

Join us on Monday, June 6th at 2 PM EST (note the time) for A Red Bench’s first ever webinar, and we’re excited to be able to bring our interview with Seth to you in this new format!

In this class you will learn:

Why many filing systems fail and what you can do to prevent that.
Retention guidelines for how long you need to keep certain documents and why.
What to do with some of the most common filing challenges like investment papers, explanation of benefits, and medical bills.
The key items that must be in place when setting up a filing system.

Click here to register today!

Grid-It!

Angela — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 15:30:59 +0000

NAPO Conference 2011 is over, and this year’s winner of the Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product was the Grid-It system from Cocoon. Grid-It is a “a rubberized woven elastic object retention system for gadget organization” that comes in a variety of sizes–the smallest would fit easily in a purse, and the largest is meant as a luggage accessory–to accomodate whatever small items you need to carry around with you and don’t want getting lost in the depths of your bag.

As a thanks to everyone who attended (and especially those who didn’t receive a free sample at their booth) they are offering a 40% off coupon to fellow organizers. This offer expires next Monday, April 18th, so go check out their site soon! Just enter the code ‘NAPOWIN’ at checkout to redeem this offer.

Teleclass Available: Working With Virtual Assistants

Angela — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:05:22 +0000

One of the best things I’ve done for my business is get help. It can be difficult to make the decision to spend that precious extra money, and then to find someone who fits with your business and personal style. However, once you find the right person, the extra assistance as well as the different skills and experience they bring to the business can mean the difference between just getting by and really succeeding.

On January 31st, we interviewed Anastacia Brice, founder and owner of AssistU, about the benefits of working with virtual assistants. Anastacia’s engaging storytelling and expert knowledge of the entrepreneurial mindset provided us many tips and strategies for finding the right virtual assistant. For example, Anastacia emphasized that the fit of your assistant is more important than any individual skills they might posess–a person can always acquire new skills, but compatibility can’t be learned or forged!

If you missed this call, you can now purchase the teleclass recording from our website. Simply click here to add this class to your shopping cart.

Upcoming Teleclass: Working with Virtual Assistants

Angela — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 21:52:31 +0000

Although you can do anything in your business, it’s foolhardy to think that you can do everything by yourself. When the burden for doing everything lands squrely on your shoulders, you burn out, get frustrated, and don’t see the growth you dream of. What you need is good help from people with different skills and talents than your own who will work hard to support your business. On that team should absolutely be a fabulous Virtual Assistant or two.

In our next call on Monday, January 31st at 9 AM EST, Angela will speak with Anastacia Brice, founder of AssistU, who has trained more than a thousand Virtual Assistants since 1997.

On this call you will learn:

Why having an ongoing, long-term, collaborative relationship with a VA is smarter than getting a bit done here and there.
Why using a foreign VA is probably not the way to go (and when doing it would make sense
What kinds of VAs you should consider working with
Why having more than one VA may make sense for your business, and how to think about a team approach
Why fit matters as much, if not more, than any particular skill you may hope the VA has
Why you should take your time finding, then choosing, a VA to work with
Why your VA should be a one-stop shop for anything and everything you need

This is a call every entrepreneur should listen to! Click this link to register!

Remember, all teleclasses are recorded. Even if you are not able to attend the call live, registering will ensure that you recieve a link to a recording of the call in your e-mail inbox that you may listen to at your convenience.

Send Out Cards

Angela — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 19:40:48 +0000

The holidays are just around the corner, and with them is holiday card season. If you like sending cards, but hate the hassle of addressing, stamping, and posting dozens of individual envelopes, perhaps Send Out Cards is just what you’ve been looking for!

I’ve been using Send Out Cards for over a year, now, and it makes every card-sending occasion (holidays, birthdays, event invitations, and professional thank-yous) a breeze.

At their website, you can choose a card from hundreds of designs, write a personalized message inside, enter the mailing address, add a small gift (if you want), and then hit the send button. That’s it! In less time than it takes to drive to the post office, you can have a real card printed and mailed for you without even leaving your computer.

And with the ability to upload your own photos, business logos, and signature to the card, you can send out one-of-a-kind holiday greetings to all your friends, family, and clients with a minimum of hassle and at a very reasonable price. Click here to check it out!

Upcoming Teleclass: Facebook for Beginners

Angela — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 16:00:38 +0000

In our previous Facebook teleclasses (The NEW Facebook–Greatest Web Tool and Step Up Marketing Using Social Media) we realized there are many of you who want to join Facebook, but aren’t sure how to start. No longer a site just for high school and college students, Facebook is an amazing way for people of all ages to keep in touch with friends and family, as well as a potentially powerful business networking tool. Join us on Tuesday, October 26th for Facebook for Beginners. We will teach you how to join Facebook and navigate the various tools available from this social media giant.

You will learn:

How to register for Facebook
How to get your Facebook profile set up and fine tuned
How to find and add friends
How to use the various toolbars and tabs
How to create engaging status updates
How to set up a business fan or “like” page
How to use Facebook for business and marketing
How to protect yourself

On the call, plan to have Facebook open and in front of you so you can follow along and join the conversation.

Interested, but afraid you won’t be able to make it? Remember, all Teleclasses are recorded. Even if you can’t attend the live call, registering will ensure that you recieve a copy of the recording e-mailed directly to you within a couple business days of the call.

Click here to register today!

Quote of the Week

Angela — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 18:45:20 +0000

“Imagaination is the beginning of creation. We imagine what we desire, we will what we imagine, and at last we create what we will.”

-–George Bernard Shaw

The Art of Auto-Reply

Angela — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 19:09:57 +0000

I’m heading off for vacation this week and it reminded me of a great e-mail auto reply that we received here at A Red Bench. It was written by Leslie Shreve with Productive Day. What I love about this is that it is not your typical auto-vacation reply. She stays in line with her branding and what she does while being fun and grabbing some attention.

I hope this gives you a little inspiration. Read Leslie’s auto-reply below:

“Greetings!

I’ve been so productive,
Getting things done,
Now it’s time for a break,
To enjoy sand and sun.

I’ll be on vacation
For a week or more,
Mostly at the beach,
On the Delaware shore.
I’m forgetting about time,
To recharge and relax,
Checking e-mail only once
Before I get back.

Enjoy your long weekend,
For the 4th of July,
I’m off from June 26th,
Until the 6th of July.”

To your productivity and success!