Do any of you remember Sesame Street?  There is a young boy who is told to go to the store by his mom.  When he goes, he is told to remember three things, a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and a gallon of milk.  As he walks, he makes a mental list of these things and he doesn't lose his concentration on anything else.  

There is a great life lesson in this story.  This young child combines his mental focus with an organized list of what is needed and how to get it.  He then concentrates on only this until the task is done.  

For anyone in business, our tasks should be this simple - as a list that we keep in our mind, or on a piece of paper and concentrate on until it is time to do the next thing.

One of the greatest things that I've learned, especially from being a VA, is that business owners all have one major problem, especially when we are growing, developing and trying to expand.  We are all cluttered.  We're thinking about more than bread, butter and milk and not keeping a list of the important things.  

I'm talking about outer clutter that is on the desk, in our office, in the notebook.  And to me, that is a reflection of one of the larger problems that we all are facing.  Clutter in our mind.  We can't keep our lists straight enough to get our tasks done efficiently and to simply remember the important things at the store.

I don't know if any of you have heard this saying - a cluttered house means a cluttered mind.  And it is so true.  I can look at a business and see how they are organized and tell exactly what is going on in their head with their business.  And usually, I'm right.  If they have a lot of things everywhere, they are also everywhere with their business.  They can't keep track of clients, paperwork, invoice systems and they are working long and hard hours.

Despite what all you entrepreneurs are thinking, this isn't necessarily the way that it needs to be.  Big or small, you can work towards having a much clearer mind, life and business.  All it takes is a little organization.  Because, if you are organized in your business, you will automatically begin to adjust and be organized in your mind.  You'll think more clearly and will have the space that you need in order to think straight when you are dealing with certain things.

Don't believe me?  For any of you who have a messy room, like a kitchen, take some time to completely clear it.  Then, take some time to see the relationship to how you felt before it was clean and how you feel now that it is spotless.  It's all just a reflection.  If you still don't believe me, take some time at the beginning of the day and write out the list of things that you need to do, then focus on one at a time.  You'll probably begin to notice a complete difference in your work flow.

It's really as simple as a loaf of bread, a stick of butter and a gallon of milk.

Still feeling cluttered?  Get some VA assistance.  Visit my website at www.orion-services.biz.  I'd love to help you free your mind.

Everyone thinks I'm crazy when my solution to businesses success is not on what they offer or how well they do with their business.  I truly believe that the success of any business - meaning the ability to move through the correct process, get over the growing pains and have options for expansion - is purely dependent on the ability to organize.  

So, here's the story.  I have a great friend who just opened a business a month ago doing some of the hardest manual labor ever.  He does a fabulous job and is being recommended by everyone to do more and more work.  He definitely has the attraction of money and business growth as a part of his cards for life.  

But, I"m so worried for him.  Sometimes, he shows up at my house completely exhausted, and still has to do more work.... at 11:00 at night.  The whole reason why?  He doesn't have the organization that he needs.  

What ends up happening is some of the things that he could automate, put into folders or even have only take five minutes, ends up taking him two or three days.  What I foresee happening - if he doesn't get organization - is running himself from complete success and into the ground.  I really don't want to say anything about that, because he does such as great job and is a really nice guy, but it's definitely a lesson to learn.  

So, if you want to get the business success for the long run, let the business learn how to run itself.  Organizing things so that you don't have the same problems or can cut back on time is a huge help and can provide you with options to support yourself with what you do best - and leaving the rest to the file folders and automated responses.

Want some organizational help?  Contact Orion Information Services at www.orion-services.biz. 

No matter what you are doing in life, one of the basic principles is to become organized.  I know...it sounds mundane, boring and you most likely don't have time for it.  

However, if you aren't organized... I tell you... it can be your entire downfall.  Let me tell you a story about this one.  

I know someone who lives in a condo complex that is fairly small.  Recently, they have been telling me that they have had to overturn the entire thing, and it means legalities and problems.  When I asked them about it...it came down to organization.  The officers that were in charge weren't organized.  They didn't have the books, records, finances or any thing else together.  It wasn't their fault...they just didn't understand what organization was.  

Not only was it a problem that needed to be fixed, but it ended up moving into other areas of living that is now making everyone uncomfortable.  The officers have had threats for civil suits, being sued and other legalities thrown at them.  However, because they didn't get organized in the beginning, they can't catch up in time to get organized now.  What is happening is their entire downfall.  They've officially been kicked out of their offices and if they can't get organized within a week, the suits will have to go through.  

So, if you are thinking that this only happens with mad neighbors, think again.  This same story, same scenario and same set of principles applies to everything.  When you are not organized, people get suspicious about what you really do, what you are telling them and if you are truly functioning as a business.  

Being organized means being professional.  It also means that you are concerned not only about the functioning of your business, but also the way that customers are handled and treated.  The basics of it is - good organization means good business.  

Need help getting organized?  I can help!  Visit my website at www.orion-services.biz or contact info@orion-services.biz for more information. 

Okay, I'm not usually the type to be pushy about the services that I offer.  Typically, those that come to me already have a vision of what they need in mind.  

But, after talking to businesses and seeing how some individuals are forced to function as a business, I've become convinced... businesses need VAs. 

If you don't think you need a VA, pay attention to some of these attitudes and signs:

1.  Your desk is scattered and messy

2.  You can't find your schedule book

3.  You're not sure who all of your customers are

4.  You have some tasks in your business that you hate doing

5.  You are working more hours during the day than you would like

Of course, there are more, but you'll start to notice the signs of being too stressed, having too much to do or not being able to take care of the back area work.  

The reason why I love the idea of a VA is not so much that it is doing all of the organizational and back office work, as well as the extra correspondence, even though this type of work is fun to me.  (I know, it's a certain personality type).  

The other great thing about being a VA is that the small businesses, medium businesses and the guys that can't quite afford a secretary finally have a way to be supported and helped so that they can do what they love.  To me, that makes everything about business worth while.  It's like building a side of extra hands for the extra push that is needed to get to the next level.  

It's that little bit of extra support that leads to success.  More support equals more time.  More time equals a focus on the business products and services.  That leads to a better back office area, which leads to the organization from the virtual assistant.  That organization leads to customer service, because a system is in place that is easier to use for your business and which eventually reaches the customers.  The end result?  More cash flow, more customers and more satisfaction of the functioning of the business.  

So, if you have certain things that you hate doing or that you feel at a loss for time to do, go ahead and splurge a little.  You deserve the extra support of a virtual assistant to help your business succeed.  

Want to know more about VA services?  Contact Orion Information Services at info@orion-services.biz or visit the website at www.orion-services.biz.