When I went to print something out yesterday, I got alerted that my ink cartridges were running low. So I check to see if I had any and found only one black cartridge left. It actually has been over a year (maybe two) since I last purchase ink for my HP all-in-one printer. I love my printer and the best investment I made, besides buying it was switching over from regular size ink cartridges to the XL ones. Yes, the XL ones is more expensive but it last way longer (even longer if you rarely print). Since I almost out of both black & color, with just on black ink on hand, I thinking about whether or not I should go and purchase more. I truthfully want to make my business greener and more mobile.
I would love to go away either to visit my Best Friend and Goddaughter, other family or take a vacation with out worrying about work. It’s easier said than done when you are self-employed. I’m my business and when I need to take time off I don’t have other coworkers to handle things in my absent. Yes, I can do a working vacation, which I have done before but I always find myself wanting to take so much stuff, you know just in case I need it.
I don’t want to be like that anymore. Plus with all of the fees airlines are adding on and the lack of affordable (or better yet undesirable) other choices of travel, I must find ways to eliminated unnecessary baggage. I already use Dropbox (could use some more space if you would like to help a sista out) to store client files. Along with my increase usage of Dropbox I have notices other changes. Since January I have dramatically reduce the paper part of my business. I used to print out ever request email, use that to write notes on during consultations, then if it moved forward, it would get a job number and file folder to keep the papers organized.
I am so happy to say that I haven’t made a file folder yet this year. I still take notes (finally using up all of those notepads I have collected from conferences) but for the most part everything is kept in either a Word or Excel document. Once I don’t need the notes anymore they get shredded for recycle.
I can’t wait to see if I can keep up this semi-paperless business life going. As well as seeing if I can expand it to my personal life. My ultimate goal is to 100% paperless by the end of the year and using apps such as Google Docs and Evernote more. Hey who knows I may able to move Operation Cowork out of the New Year City area. Me, leave the Big Apple? Hey you never know.
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