One of my favorite ideas from Unstuff Your Life by Andrew Mellen was to have a basket or some sort of container in your office (or office area) meant for addresses and contacts to add to your address book. What will go here?
- Business cards you collected at a conference or convention
- Mommy cards from other moms at Open Toddler Gym or a playground
- Holiday card return addresses from people you keep meaning to write back to
- Cards from vendors at the farmer’s market you’d like to get together with so you can buy directly from them
- Any other scribbled information on napkins, receipts, and so on
When you collect a business card from someone, be sure to jot down some information on the back that will help you remember who the person is or why they’re important or significant to you. The business card from the honey vendor at the market should have on the back, “Karen – BEST orange blossom honey EVER. Buy for Gramma this June for her birthday for her tea,” not just “honey.”
Toss the card into the bowl, box, or even ziplock baggy pinned to your cork board. Mine is a little zipper pouch inside my office drawer. Then when you have a few spare moments, enter these into your address book (whether digital or paper) and throw them away.
Chime in
Where do you keep your contacts and addresses? Are they all in one place and easy to access, or do you use a few different methods?
4 Comments
[…] you. A system for mail, a place to keep great ideas, files for work stuff and tax documents, a place for business cards and return addresses, and a plan for all of the kids’ school stuff and […]
Ahhh, this one was very liberating. I closed my business not too long ago, and it felt fantastic to be able to clean out the towering pile of business cards!
I started something new when someone mails me a card. I cut out their sticker address label and tape it into my address book.
I currently have a growing pile on my desk. I’d love some sort of wallet, that I could keep my A6 business cards for my groups, and also my personal cards, plus those I collect from other people, all in one place.