quote of the week ~ August 5, 2013

The world is full of individuals who could have made a difference

 

but were never ambitious or prepared enough

 

to show the world what they’re capable of.

 

~ Dan Schawbel ~

quote of the week ~ July 15, 2013

A man can succeed at almost anything

 

for which he has unlimited enthusiasm.

 

~ Charles Shwab ~

What goals do you hope to achieve in the next week, month, or year?

I'm in business!

Summer is finally here, and it is time to jump in with both feet!  I am so excited to have my classroom packed up and several months ahead of me to focus on my organizing business.  If you've been following my blog, I am sure you've noticed there hasn't been much to follow lately.  The end of the school year is always crazy-busy, and unfortunately SORT kind of got lost in the shuffle...but no more!  I can't wait to put my time and energy towards my passion for organization.  Though I've accumulated tons of organizing experience over the years with friends and family, and I have had the privilege of working under other professional organizers, June 2013 marks the official launch of my own business, SORT {simple organization. real transformation.}  There will be lots more to see here at Everything SORTed in the next few months.  This week I started my first big corporate job at one of my favorite places, Dane's Body Shop, as well as did initial assessment for several residential clients.  I have some exciting projects ahead.  I will keep you posted and share some before and after pictures soon!

business cards...making it official!

So, I took what felt like a big step and ordered business cards today.  This was hard because I still feel like I am really far from having a design concept for SORT.  I'm in contact with a local graphic designer who is going to help me develop my brand and come up with a logo, color scheme, etc., but we are still in the very early stages and I really wanted something I could start using now.  I came up with this simple two-sided card on Vista Print so that I would have something I can start using right away.  I decided to go the cheapo route at first because it is likely that all of my contact information will change in the future.  Here's what I came up with...what do you think?

 

finally...some progress made!

After procrastinating all week, I finally tackled one of my spring break projects!  Today I made a simple flyer to put in the Great Oaks Elementary School Carnival Auction next month.  As a GOE teacher, I like the idea of being able to give back to the school community by donating my time.  In addition, this is a great way to get some exposure for SORT with parents and other teachers.  I am looking forward to auctioning off this 3 hour package and seeing where it takes me!

 

procrastination at it's finest

In case you are wondering, even organizers procrastinate.  Take this week, for example.  It is Spring Break, so I am off of work all week long.  The goal?  To put in significant hours working towards my business launch...creating print materials (logo and business card), contacting a graphic designer and photographer, working on this blog, creating a facebook page, joining professional organizations and researching networking groups, trudging through more of my business books and making a serious dent in my organizing books.  Needless to say, I have done none of those things yet.

getting started

I'm sure there are a billion things I should attend to while attempting to get my fledgling business off the ground.  I'll admit, I have no clue about most of those things.  I did pick up a few fascinating reads at the library - books with titles like The Woman's Small Business Start-Up Kit and How to Start a Home-Based Business - I know, I know...how will I ever fall asleep at night with such riveting reads on my night stand?!  But mostly, I have been thinking about the fun stuff.  What will my logo look like?  How about my website?  The hardest decision by far has been deciding upon a name.  I literally tossed and turned as I tried to decide on something that fit my vision.  I may have lost a few Facebook friends in the process, since I took my LONG and wordy decision-making process public through fb posts.  (Thanks to everyone who gave me input!)  Truth be told, I am still a little torn between "Everything Sorted" and "SORT {simple organization. real transformation.}"  I had some fun runner-ups to that I wanted to record here, so that many months from now I will remember the names that could have been.  Here were the ones at the top of the list, in no particular order:



Miss Orderly Conduct

MakeLifeSimple

The Missing Sock

Everything Sorted

 

I hope that as I move forward, SORT will feel more and more like the best fit for my business.  If not, I guess I am not opposed to editing. : /  In the meantime, my next big project is to come up with a vision statement for SORT.  Wish me luck!

welcome!

Welcome to everything SORTed, a place for planting the seeds of the residential organizing company, SORT {simple organization. real transformation.}  Here I'll share my favorite organizing tips and resources, as well as my adventures in starting a new business.  I'm an elementary school teacher by day, a neat freak by nature, and an entreprenuer at heart.  I've been dreaming up ideas for SORT for at least 5 years, and while I've taken some *baby steps* towards becoming a professional organizer in the past, I am finally ready to take the PLUNGE!  My goal is to be organizing FULL TIME by the summer of 2015, if not before.  Thanks for joining me in the journey! : )