Suzy B Software 2/Suzy B Software CD-ROM 2 (1994).iso/extras/textfile/info/info.txt

Text File | 1995-04-27 | 17KB | 407 lines

HOME OFFICE COMPUTING

FEATURES

TACKLE INFORMATION
OVERLOAD
Your Customized Plan
For Getting Organized

August, 1993

BY DAVID HALLERMAN

It's 10:00 a.m. The phone rings. You dash -- slaloming corners,
hurdling piles. You pick up. It's an important client with a
simple question. The answer is close by -- but it might take hours
of excavation to unearth. Take heart. While it's true that some
people are born more organized than others, character need not be
destiny. The key is to have a system that works for you. The way
you deal with the deluge of data we're all drowned by daily must
suit your particular temperament as well as the demands of your
work. That's why we've put together this self-test. Once you've
completed it, you will know where on the bell curve your
organizational skills lie. Then factor in such work criteria as on
the road versus deskbound, and we'll show you the best software
and other electronic tools to use.


FILL IT IN

Choose the response that best describes your approach to these
common work tasks.


1) When I get a new phone number for a hot prospect or an old
client, I:

  a) Enter it immediately into my computer, handheld
     organizer, or Rolodex.
  b) Jot it down on a pad and stick it in my Phone Numbers
     file, to be entered later into my computer, organizer,
     or Rolodex.
  c) Jot it down on a pad and throw it on a pile on (or in)
     my  desk with other phone numbers, which I search
     through later when I need it.

  d) Jot it down incorrectly on a gum wrapper, see it around
     for a few days,   and then lose it.


2) When I need to find a lost file on my hard-disk drive, I:

  a) Never lose a file, and besides, I always have two
     backups of it.

  b) Invoke my file-finding utility and let it do the work.

  c) Keep looking and looking and looking in directories or
     folders until I discover where the stupid file is.

  d) Voice several choice epithets, take a spoonful of
     Maalox, and recreate
     the document from scratch.


3) When a prospective client calls me with questions about
   my service or product, I:

  a) Answer all questions promptly as I take notes and write
     an address label.  Then I mail off a previously
     enveloped package of my materials within seconds after
     getting off the phone.

  b) Answer most questions easily, but promise to get back
     with answers to others. I also take notes, including
     name and address, and assemble my promotional package
     for mailing sometime within the next three days.

  c) Do okay at least a third of the time, but someday soon
     I've got to get together my business information and
     materials.

  d) Try to answer most questions, but generally don't
     follow up at all.

4) When I want to make an appointment, I:

  a) Grab my scheduler -- whether on computer, handheld
     organizer, or paper --  and enter it.

  b) First check my pocket organizer for one schedule, then
     look at my computer for my other schedule, try to
     remember anything I've forgotten -- and then
    I schedule the appointment.

  c) Write it down on a scrap of paper, and keep it safe
     with my other scraps.

  d) Tell myself I'll remember, but I often forget.

5) When I want to get paid by a client, I:

  a) Send out an invoice right away, 30 days net.

  b) Cut an invoice just as soon as I'm able.

  c) Add a note to my invoice file, then invoice the client
    as part of my regular billing cycle (which should be
    monthly, but often I skip a month or so).

  d) Try to remember how much the client owes me, spend some
     time figuring it out, and finally come up with an
     invoice.

6) When I'm not certain what action to take with a new piece
   of information or scrap of paper, I:

  a) Know what to do with almost any bit of data; there's a
     place for every thing and everything in its place.

  b) Put it in my to-sort in-basket and deal with it later.

  c) Stack it in a pile on my floor, kick over the pile, and
     eventually throw t out.

  d) Think, "So, what else is new?" Then I spend about 15
     minutes figuring out what I should do next.


7) When I'm trying to develop a very complicated project, I:

   a) Enter each step in the project as a paragraph in my
      word processor, then rearrange the paragraphs in the
      order I need to do them.

   b) Take copious notes on elements of the project one day,
      then put it together with the computer over the
      following week.

   c) Spend weeks researching the necessary steps -- feeling
      a bit overwhelmed by it all -- then tediously arrange
      the details into a logical sequence.

   d) Begin from scratch, rarely remembering that the
      elements from this project replicate things that I've
      already done.


HOW ORGANIZED ARE YOU?
To figure your score, give yourself 4 points for each A answer, 3
for Bs, 2 for Cs, and 1 for  Ds. Now, using the same star ratings
we use for product reviews, let's see what level of organizational
skills you have.


  23 to 28 points, excellent rating: **** You have high
organizational skills and high motivation to control details. What
you do with data, you do with consistency. For orderly people like
you, the more structure, the better. Your mind is naturally
organized, and you're just looking for the best tools around.


  17 to 22 points, good rating: *** You sport useful
organizational skills but not enough time to implement them. You
do best with loose structure that lets you update information
periodically; some of you may want simple individual programs for
such basic tasks as keeping contact or to-do lists. However, if
you're in work such as sales, a full-fledged contact manager or
personal information manager (PIM) can be a good bet.


  11 to 16 points, average rating: ** You guys are the clapper of
the bell curve -- that is, you're like most folks. Sometimes
you're disorganized, but you have good potential for improvement.
An average person typically does best by tackling organizational
tasks step by step. Consider programs that focus on time and to
dos as well as contact lists, rather than more complex contact
managers or PIMs. You need tools that help you get rid of the
clutter and avoid postponing decisions -- or find a way to work
around them.


  7 to 10 points, poor rating: * You're stressed-out, but there's
hope, with the simplest of solutions, such as a no-frills
calendar. Remember, a so-so system for organizing details is
better than no system. Sure it's easier to be organized if you do
the small things right away. But if you're a disorderly
procrastinator, it's easier to develop a scheme for organizing
yourself that lets you work around your temperament rather than
forcing yourself to change.



GREAT PRODUCTS FOR ORGANIZING
Before you consider a specific program or tech tool for organizing
your work life, remember that, as Lisa Kanarek, author "America's
Most Disorganized Home Offices" (see page 55), points out, no
product will organize you; instead, "you use products to organize
yourself."
  Once you know in your mind how to organize a particular task,
then consider the software and organizers listed below, all of
them stars in their categories. "If you don't have the right
equipment, you are making your work life unnecessarily difficult.

By equipping yourself with the right products, you'll save time
and money, and you'll improve the service you give your clients,"
says Kanarek.

Contact Managers/
Personal Information Managers
When it comes to organizing details like your schedule or
contacts, there's a lot of overlap between contact managers and
PIMs. These programs give you slots for nearly all types of
business information, from addresses and phone logs to schedules
and project planners. If you got a four- or three-star rating --
and particularly if you're in sales or are on the road a lot --
look into this category. Those with a project orientation to their
work can also benefit from these programs' modules.


  ACT! v1.1/Windows, v2.11/DOS, v1.01/Mac ($395 each); Contact
Software International, [phone], [phone]. For
Windows, DOS, or Macintosh. Detailed contact manager with more
power than the average person will ever need, but so well
integrated that he'd appreciate it anyway. Features include easy
rescheduling of postponed activities, a full built-in word
processor that's good at mail merge, and predefined reports.


  INFO SELECT v1.0/Windows, v2.0/DOS ($150 each); Micro Logic,
[phone], [phone]. For Windows, DOS. Unique
information manager: Encourages tossing in scraps of data randomly
and then retrieves them for you as needed. Fast searching and
browsing through data in multiple onscreen windows. Standard forms
that come with software include ones for listing names and
addresses, phone messages, quick memos, sales leads, to-do lists,
and standard business letters. Info Select's flexibility makes it
a particularly good choice for both three- and two-star
organizers.


  LOTUS ORGANIZER v1.0 ($149); Lotus Development Corp., (617) 577-
8500, [phone]. For Windows. Notebook-like personal
information manager with binder rings labeled Calendar, To Do,
Address, Planner, and so forth. Visually impressive with colorful
screens, but what's more impressive is its ability to juggle
information. For instance, data from an appointment can, with a
single click, be transferred to your to-do list.


  PACKRAT v5.0 ($395); Polaris Software, [phone], (800)
722-5728. For Windows. Contact manager with extensive feature set
for the dedicated organizer. An automatic phone log records the
date, time, and duration of calls as you take notes. This program
even helps you manage checking accounts, accounts payable and
receivable, and more. In fact, with this program, ACT!, or Lotus
Organizer, a Windows-based entrepreneur has three great choices
among contact managers.

Calendar/To-Do Software
Temperament as much as task influences how you handle time and to
dos. If you don't already keep a to-do list, consider that, as
Kanarek writes, "studies show that the day you start using a to-do
list you become 25 percent more effective." One basic choice in
this software group is between programs that help you prioritize
tasks and those that just list them. While people with four-star
skills can benefit from tools in this category, the recommended
software's straightforward simplicity offers more appeal to every
other rating category. Also, if you typically work away from home,
look for printout formats that match your needs.


  ALARMING EVENTS v1.1 ($50); CE Software, [phone], (800)
523-7638. For Macintosh. Calendar program as a desk accessory,
which means low memory requirements; it can easily be used with
PowerBook notebook or while using other applications. Several
views of appointments, including month- or year-at-a-glance and a
single-day format for a close-up look.


  DATEBOOK PRO v2.0 ($80); After Hours Software, [phone],
[phone]. For Macintosh. Calendar and to-do list software,
notable for its ease of use in prioritizing tasks and its link to
the Touchbase Pro contact list desk accessory (see below).

  ONTIME FOR WINDOWS v1.25 ($129); Campbell Services, (313) 559-
5955, [phone]. Easy-to-use calendar/ scheduling software
that offers many views of a schedule.

Contact List Software/
Electronic Card Files
Software takes the burden of memory off your shoulders by giving
you easy search capabilities. When putting together your contact
list, think of a word that most reminds you of a particular person
or company, and use it to search for a single record. If your
software solutions include the simpler calendar/to-do programs,
then one of these would complement it.


  ADDRESS BOOK PLUS v3.0/DOS, v2.0/Mac ($80/DOS; $100/Mac); Power
Up Software, [phone], [phone]. For DOS or Macintosh.
Simple card file designed to organize mailing lists, phone
directories, and other contact information. Prints out in several
formats, including address-book pages such as Day Runner, Rolodex-
type cards, labels, envelopes, and more.


DYNODEX v1.0/Windows, v3.0/Mac ($90 each); Portfolio Software,
[phone]. For Windows or Macintosh. When it comes to
versatility in printing out your contact list, Dynodex hits the
mother lode with more than 25 printout formats. Whether you also
use a paper address book like Day Timer or Little Black Book,
Dynodex can handle it. Also, as software on both Windows and the
Mac, makes it easy to share files.


  TOUCHBASE PRO v1.0 ($125); After Hours Software, (818) 780-
2220, [phone]. For Macintosh. Desk accessory software for
keeping a contact list. Especially fast searches, easy to enter
data (formats automatically), and gives you several printout
formats.

Standard Database
Even if you're proficient at both organizing and computing, you
don't need a database unless you track information that doesn't
fit into common PIM or contact list categories. Standard database
managers are best for those with four-star skills, although those
with three-star skills might also use one. The other two rating
types should stay away.


  FILEMAKER PRO v1.0/Windows, v2.0/Mac ($399 each); Claris Corp.,
[phone]. For Windows or Macintosh. Elegant database
structure makes it easy to go from one record at a time -- say, if
you're taking notes while on a phone call -- to viewing many
records at once (to compare accounts).


PANORAMA II v2.1 ($275); ProVue Development, [phone],
[phone]. For Macintosh. Easy data entry features -- such as
Clairvoyance, which automatically fills in field based on previous
data entries in that field -- encourage you to keep up your
contact list.


PC-FILE v7.0 ($150); ButtonWare, [phone], [phone].
For DOS. Can be exceptionally good for contact lists and notes,
since each record can have a memo field of up to 5,000 characters.
Also includes autodialer for reaching out to clients and
prospects.

File Retrieval Software
While filing may seem futile if you can't find something when you
need it, computers let you become a bit sloppier since they'll do
the retrieval work for you. If you're not organizing your files to
start with, then one of these programs can be your savior. People
with two- or one-star organizing skills especially should consider
these.


GOLDEN RETRIEVER v2.0b ($99); Above Software, [phone],
[phone]. For Windows. Helps with storing documents by
giving you an onscreen metaphor of six file drawers, within which
are folders with documents.


  RETRIEVE IT! v1.1 ($89); Claris Software, [phone]. For
Macintosh. File finder that not only searches by file name (like
the System 7 Finder) but by fragments of text within a file and
lets you view contents as well.



Handheld Organizers

While handheld organizers are useful, keep in mind: They hold all
your information in one portable place, but if you misplace or
drop it, you're sunk. You can transfer data back and forth from
the organizer to the computer, but that's not as easy as
transferring information from a notebook computer to desktop and
back. Those with excellent organizational skills love handheld
organizers, and those with average skills also can make use of
them.


SHARP WIZARD OZ-9600 ($650); Sharp Electronics, [phone],
[phone]. If you've shied away from organizers because the
keyboards are too small, try this device that lets you write notes
into memory. Functions include calendar, scheduler, to dos, phone
book, and rudimentary word processor. If you prefer a standard-
keyboard-based organizer, try the Wizard YO-310 ($150).


ROYAL NOTEBOOK ORGANIZER DM2160 ($310); Royal Consumer Business
Products, [phone], [phone]. With 160K of memory,
this unit stores up to 5,700 lines of text. Capabilities include a
calendar, an appointment book, a contact manager, a memo file, and
an expense manager for tracking deductible expenses.


CASIO EXECUTIVE B.O.S.S. SF-R20 ($500); Casio, [phone],
[phone]. With extra features such as a Lotus 1-2-3-
compatible spreadsheet, a simple word processor, 256K of memory,
and an expansion slot, the SF-R20 is Casio's top of the B.O.S.S.
line.