I saw that once on a coffee mug and laughed. Of course, it’s not true. It isn’t, right? : )
Regardless of whether you are working at home or in an office, we all have a desk of sorts. It might be the dining room table or a dedicated desk in your private office. When it’s clean, work is easier. You can find what you need quickly and the things that need your attention are front and center. All things that can lead to increased productivity.
The same is true for your digital desktop. Clear away the unnecessary icons and save the documents to the documents folder instead of on the desktop. Get rid of old downloads and program icons you no longer need. Doing so will provide you a clean slate when you sit down at your desk in the morning.
And a clean, organized desk, is a sign of a productive mind.
Need help clearing your desktop? Let me know! Sign up for a Discovery Call today and we’ll talk!
Purpose: Airtable has been called a spreadsheet on steroids. It is a hybrid spreadsheet and database tool that provides you a place to store and organize your data. Airtable allows you to make relational databases – pulling information from one database into another without having to open the first. It’s a powerful way to manage your information. People are using Airtable for everything from CRMs to project management to content calendars and more.
Benefits: Entering data in Airtable is as simple as using a spreadsheet, but you can organize your data in a variety of ways – grid, Kanban, form, gallery view, etc. This means you can sort and view your data in a way that works for you. Airtable also integrates with a wide variety of apps, including Zapier. Although you can use Airtable for both numerical data and other information, doing calculations and ‘math stuff’ is more straightforward in a traditional spreadsheet like Excel.
Cost: $0, $10, $20/mo
Opinion: I love Airtable, but don’t actually use it right now! Because I wanted to review it for you, I asked my colleague Kate Bosch of katebosch.org her opinion on the software. She’s a regular user of Airtable and was gracious enough to let us know what she thinks.
“I love a good spreadsheet! When I started my professional organizing business, I set up my information using spreadsheets because that’s the way I’ve always done it throughout my varied careers. I have spreadsheets to track accounting, education, client sessions, social media, and more. I was recently introduced to Airtable and have started to use it to organize my information, both by creating new bases (That’s Airtable’s shorthand for “database.”) and converting some of my old-fashioned spreadsheets to Airtable bases.
What I love about Airtable is that it combines the familiar spreadsheet format with the robust features of a database. I can easily connect information between sheets, add attachments, create fillable forms, and view the information in a variety of formats. There’s a small learning curve and I have yet to explore all the features Airtable has to offer, but it’s easy to set up a base and start using it and then add to it as you learn more.” ~Kate
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What are you using them for? Long term storage? Another place to store your photos? A backup site?
Did you know that these services are designed to “store all your files online and keep them synced across your devices (G Drive)” These online file storage services allow you to to access your files when you need them, regardless of where you are or what device you are using. In addition, these services allow you to easily share files with collaborators. (They are not designed as online backup! There are better programs for that.)
I currently use all three services. I use Dropbox to store my active business files because this lets me get to the same information regardless of using my Mac or my PC. G Drive is used to share files and collaborate with my professional organization. One Drive is used with a specific client to share important files.
Regardless of which file storage/sharing program you use, I recommend keeping one type of business all in one area – don’t let your business work spread over three different services. This type of organization will let you find what you need quicker and reduce the amount of duplication.
Questions? Are you ready to learn more about online file storage? Contact us or schedule a session!
