Paper Mess is Harnessed in Custom-Designed System; Free Report Shows Tips for Reducing Desk Clutter

Silver Lake, Ohio (PRWEB) August 18, 2004

As summer turns to fall, change is in the air, and Chris Perrow is pumped. People are in clean-out mode at a company where the owner can?t find her desk. Elbow-deep in overflowing file cabinets, mountains of paper and personal junk littering every surface, Perrow is once more facing down the jumbled mess from an overloaded brain in a consumer-crazy, data-drunk society.

Common symptoms of office disorganization prevail in most workplaces: stress, poor productivity and financial loss. "We're all on information overload, working long hours without thinking about what we're doing, why we're doing it, and how. When we stop to analyze, much could be delegated, eliminated or done at a more efficient time. Without prioritization and a system, there is no starting place," says Perrow.

U.S. businesses spend more than $ 25 billion a year filing, storing and retrieving paper. Armed with a degree in psychology, a knack for process and a passel of sticky notes, folders and bins, Perrow?s company, Perrow Systems, fills a need for office organization, time and process management, productivity analysis, records retention and communications process.

Printed matter increased 36 percent from 1999 to 2002 according to a University of California-Berkeley study. But despite electronically stored data options, ?There is a real fear of knowing how to file documents properly, both electronically and physically,? Perrow said. ?People are afraid they?ll throw out something they might need later. You have two choices: control the information overload, or allow it to control you."

Perrow starts with a four-step STAF (Sort, Trash, Act and File) process for general organization, then creates a custom-designed, filing and storage system and finally a capture and retrieve system. When one Northeast Ohio company tripled in growth within a year through acquisitions, they filled eight storage buildings with unindexed paper. The nightmare ended only when Perrow developed and taught employees a system for document identification and recovery.

Kent State University?s Center for Executive Education and Development improved workflow and delivery complications using a color coding system Perrow developed. "We needed new perspective about the things that bottle-neck our organization. We fight the same things on a daily basis with mail, people, communications, deadlines and goals. When Chris helped us set up an organized, systematic, visual solution, it put everything in one place. It's my brain on a wall,? said program manager Cindy Welch.

For a free report on ?The Clutter-Free Desk? and information on organization training workshops contact Perrow Systems at 1-877-686-0282; email: info@perrowsystems.com; or website: http://www.perrowsystems.com. Perrow was in sales for Clairol and Drackett Products before starting Perrow Systems in 1996. Her company sells organizational kits for family life, college, identity theft prevention, stop junk mail and desk organization at: http://www.perrowsystems.com/product.html

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COLOR-CODING IS VISUAL SOLUTION TO THE "FEAR OF FILING" Get Organized Week prompts tips from organizing expert Chris Perrow

Silver Lake, OH (PRWEB) September 22, 2004 -

October 3 to 9 is ?Get Organized Week,? sponsored by the National Association of Professional Organizers, and Chris Perrow of Perrow Systems has cracked open her stash of color-coded files to battle the typical business person?s fear of filing. To demonstrate her office organization system, she will conduct a free seminar entitled, "It's 9:00 am. Do you know where your desk is?? on October 13 at the Staples store in Montrose, Ohio from 6 to 7 p.m.????

Disorganization can cause reduced productivity, scheduling glitches, inadequate paper trail, communication gaps, forgetful billing practices, late payments, constant troubleshooting and overlapping work which can result in unnecessary overtime pay. Studies show that executives spend up to six weeks per year searching for misfiled mislabeled or misplaced paper-work. ?A woman with whom I recently worked claimed she wasted at least one hour a day looking for what she needed when she needed it. If her company billed out her time at S75.00 an hour, her lack of order conceivably cost her company $ 19, 575 in potential revenue,? said Perrow.

If one small hanging wall file can work wonders in clearing paperwork off of a desk, floor and cabinets, why don?t people use files appropriately? As Perrow says, ?Many people suffer from a fear of filing. They?re afraid they will forget about or lose an item, so they pile it instead.?

Perrow recommends a simple and colorful filing system that visually segregates activities and triggers mental concentration. One color is used per category. Color coordinating work categories helps people stay focused and increases efficiency. Generally paperwork fits into these four categories:

1. client files and materials

2. administrative tasks (invoicing, bill paying, budget setting)

3. marketing ideas and tools ( magazine articles, contact lists, newsletters)

4. product or service information.

"When you are working on your administrative tasks, say to yourself that you are in the green zone. When you look up and see other colored files, you will be less distracted because your brain is thinking "green zone

Whatever system you ultimately devise, it?s important that you incorporate a routine procedure, Perrow said. By doing the same thing at a given time in a similar way, your actions will soon become habit.

To obtain a free report on The Clutter-Free Desk and information on organization training workshops contact Perrow Systems at 1-877-686-0282; email: info@perrowsystems.com; or website: http://www.perrowsystems.com. Perrow is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She was a sales representative for Clairol and Drackett Products before starting Perrow Systems in 1996. Her company sells organizational kits for family life, college, identity theft prevention, stop junk mail and desk organization at: http://www.perrowsystems.com/product.html.

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How-To Video Offers Tips to Select a Pest Management Company for Bed Bug Treatments

(PRWEB) September 15, 2011

Selecting a pest control company for bed bug treatments can be a difficult task. Not only are bed bugs relatively new to the pest management industry, they have also proven extremely difficult to treat. As part of National Bed Bug Awareness Month, entomologist Jeffrey White of BedBug Central provides advice to consumers on how to select a pest control company for bed bug treatments.

National Bed Bug Awareness Month began Sept. 1 with the help of a U.S. Representative and 10 of the foremost bed bug experts from across the country to develop an educational, online tutorial series and articles. The awareness month will culminate with the North American Bed Bug Summit being held in Chicago from Sept. 25-27 at the Hyatt Regency O?Hare.

White acknowledges that while the amount of companies available to consumers can be dizzying, there are several indicators to help determine if a company is a good fit for handling bed bug infestations.

You can watch a brief "how-to" video on the selection process and read more details on how to select a company below:

Find a Pest Control Company: Narrowing Your Best Options

According to Andy Architect of the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), there are more that 20,000 pest management firms operating in the United States. Unfortunately, not all companies specialize in bed bug remediation. Here are some steps from entomologist, Jeffrey White, to narrow your options and find the best:

???? Use web and telephone directories to locate several pest management firms in your area. Some may designate themselves as bed bug specialists, but this designation should only be an indicator and not a deciding factor.
????Only utilize companies that have been registered to apply pesticides by the pesticide regulatory agency in your state. Lacking this license should serve as an immediate red flag. To find your state?s agency visit: http://npic.orst.edu/state1.htm.
???? Search for companies that use integrated pest management (IPM) services. IPM is a form of pest management designed to minimize the use of pesticides. Companies that utilize an IPM approach are more likely to provide ongoing monitoring and a multidisciplinary approach to bed bug management (more on this later).

Interviewing Companies: Questions You Should Know to Ask

Once you hire a pest management firm they may be entering your home and spraying pesticides or performing services that can cost hundreds of dollars. Interviewing the selected companies is not only your right, it is strongly advised.

???? Ask companies about their membership in recognized national, state, and local pest control associations. Membership to these associations requires periodic evaluation of their pest management protocols as well as ethical business practices. Some key associations to look for include:

???? The National Pest Management Association (NPMA), state pest management associations, QualityPro, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and bedbugFREE. Companies may also be members of equivalent associations.
???? Membership with the bedbugFREE national network is an optional affiliation to consider when bed bug treatments are desired. This membership indicates that companies are not only members of NPMA and/or QualityPro, but have also had their bed bug treatment protocols evaluated to ensure they share multidisciplinary treatment methods and philosophies similar to BedBug Central?s protocol.

???? Ask companies about their integrated pest management (IPM) approach to bed bug treatments. A good company should utilize some, if not all, of these procedures:

????Use of a multidisciplinary approach beyond pesticides such as: vacuuming, cleaning, steaming, using mattress encasements instead of treating beds with pesticides, heat or Cryonite treatments, and/or fumigation.
Insist on inspecting before quoting a final price.
Price jobs according to findings and not just a flat fee.
Educate you on bed bugs, the company?s inspection findings, what they will be doing, and prevention.
????Provide a written inspection report and a strategy for services rendered.
Provide a thorough follow up program that is not based upon a minimum number of visits but rather is based upon the current status of the bed bug activity. Follow ups should continue until control or elimination is achieved.
Inquire if children or pets are present and adjust their treatment protocol and use of pesticides accordingly.
Have a well-defined methodology for determining when an infestation has been eliminated.
Work with property managers to notify adjacent apartments about the problem and recommend including surrounding units for inspections and treatments.

Things You Should Do: Customer Compliance is Half the Battle

???? Comply with a company?s recommendations. When treating for bed bugs, companies will often recommend follow up actions customers can take to enhance the treatment process. Do your part and follow these recommendations.
???? Ask about the company?s treatment plan options and agree on a pricing structure. Bed bugs can be a pricey pest to eliminate so the cheapest service is rarely the best.
???? Walk your home with the pest management professional during each visit to keep track of what work is being done.
???? Ask the pest control professional to point out any conditions that may undermine bed bug control efforts and ask for recommendations to be included in a written inspection report.
???? Know what you and the company are each responsible for, if repairs are not in the agreement you should be provided with a list of items needed to resolve the issue.
???? Finally, educate yourselves! Education may be the most valuable tool in the fight against bed bugs in both prevention and treatment. There is an excellent bed bug information resource available at BedBug Central called Bed Bugs 101.

About BedBug Central

BedBug Central serves as the nation?s most authoritative information resource and website available to the public for information concerning bed bugs and bed bug related issues concerning health, prevention, and treatment methods. More information can be obtained at http://www.bedbugcentral.com.

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Rihanna, Beyonce and Alicia Keys' Hair Stylist Offers Swagalicious Tips And Tricks to Get That Rock Diva Look Tuesday, January 12

Redondo Beach, CA (PRWEB) January 12, 2010

Ever wonder how to get that rock diva look without spending a fortune? VivaSwag.com, the shopping site with personality, announces its next guest expert, hairstylist to the stars Tippi Shorter, slated for Tuesday, January 12, as part of its new weekly interview series.

Launched December 15th at http://vivaswag.com/vivaldrama, Viva Swag has already featured TV personality and beauty expert Stacy Cox as well as celebrity and rock star stylist Keanan Duffty, who is also hosting the site's next Twitter Party on January 14. The ongoing interviews are done by Viva Swag?s characters who talk candidly to industry experts to get tips on the season's latest trends as well as product recommendations.

This week Shorter sits down with Viva Swag's beauty expert character, Takahatchi. On January 19, Viva Swag's Cleopatra will interview Josie Outlaw, keyboardist for the punk group The A.K.A.s (Are Everywhere!) and owner of earth-friendly Red Letter Girl Cosmetics.

Tippi Shorter is a celebrity hair stylist whose 'dos have topped the heads of Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Vanessa Williams. A leader in her field for 15 years, Tippi has also worked on fashion magazine spreads for the pages of Elle, Essence, In Style and Vanity Fair, as well as ads for Cover Girl, Rimmel, Pantene and Gap. She has also been a spokesperson for Pantene and Clairol.

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Tippi spent four years as the owner of Luxe Studio in New York City's Soho district, gaining a reputation for unique cuts and striking color. Her attention to her clients' personal needs in regard to hair health and style sense has earned her well-deserved success. She is currently working on her own line of hair extensions: ?Get Gorgeous Hair.?

VivaSwag.com, the only online shopping site that meshes social networking with shopping, also hosts a bi-monthly Twitter Party, which gives even the most Twitter Party challenged an incredible chance to win great prizes. Twitter followers compete to win up to twelve prizes an hour. Correct answers and a little bit of luck are all it takes to win.

Viva Swag?s next Twitter Party will be Thursday, January 14, 2010, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM PST (8-9:00 PM EST, 7-8:00 PM CST), featuring special celebrity stylist host Keanan Duffty. Duffty collaborated with David Bowie for his clothing line, Bowie by Keanan Duffty Collections, and with Gwen Stefani for her L.A.M.B. collection. Duffty's own line of clothing has been featured on American Idol, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy and Entourage.

Future interviews include designer-turned-stylist Laurie Brucker; makeup artist to the stars Julianne Kaye; jewelry designer to celebs such as Angelina Jolie, Tamara Berg; DIY fashion designer and former member of Courtney Love's backup band, Emilie Autumn and many more.

For more information, log onto http://www.vivaswag.com/vivaladrama to check out the new series. To schedule an interview or to request photos please contact Crys(at)polarispublicity(dot)com

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Tips: Dot, Dot, Dot?From Professional Photographer Jeffrey Apoian

New York, NY (PRWEB) November 02, 2011

New York based professional photographer Jeffrey Apoian (http://www.jeffreyapoian.com) and founder of the NYC Photo Workshops (also known as http://www.thephotographyworkshops.com) has a few tips for solving some of photography?s simplest problems.

Tip #1: News for Flash... Turn It Off

A birthday party coming up and very one will be ready to take the photo of blowing out the candles. But what you can do to get that warm, romantic, beautifully lit photo of the guest of honor blowing out the candles? You can practice your indoor exposures without the flash. Turn your flash off and capture what your camera was designed to do. Be adjustable. This you can do on either manual or most automatic settings provided your camera doesn't automatically turn the flash on. To be sure consult your booklet or shoot on manual and with most cameras on program. Most cameras have a separate control to turn off the flash. Now with the room lights out, you will have to be very steady because you are going into shutter speed territory below 1/30th of a second or so. You can practice by taking photos of a subject next to some lit candles. You should be sure to turn on any image stablizing or vibration reduction as well. As you keep yourself and your subject movement to a minimum you may find some very slight movement which may actually enhance your photos in an unexpected way. The slightest of movement at a low shutter speeds can have a smoothing effect on skin and the orange glow from the candles lend a beautiful warm hue. Now you have a truly beautiful photo without the unforgiving harsh light of the flash.

Tip #2: Using the Adjustable Camera...For the Adjustments

It's raining, it's pouring & everyone else is snoring...photos in the rain at night. It's raining and it is dark. That is when you want to use your camera! Some of the most interesting shots can be made if you dare to go when others wouldn't even think about it. Out in the rain at night you can capture some of the most interesting shiny street scenes. With cars passing and people blurring across your frame you can make camera magic. This is when the texture and lighting has doubled, once from the lighting source and then again from reflections on the street. You will need a tripod, cable release, a manually adjustable camera and a bit of adventure. Keep yourself and your camera as dry a possible. This is the time to capture the unusual, the dramatic, the photo that is different from everyone else's.

Tip[ #3: Focusing Solutions...F-Stops Are Affecting My Focus

A good way to help a subject stand out from the rest in the frame is to minimize the depth of focus. This can be done with using a wide open f-stop. You can help yourself out by going with the more expensive ?brighter? lenses such as; zooms that open to f/2.8, or ?prime? lenses (lenses that do not zoom) that will open to f/1.2, f/1.4, f/1.8, etc. The more telephoto or macro the lens is the more the effect will be magnified. Think of a 300mm f/2.8 lens and how shallow the depth of field will be at f-2.8. In terms of a macro shot think of 55mm macro used at its widest/brightest f-stop. If you were to photograph words on a paper with this lens you may only get a single word in focus. If you were to close the lens down to a smaller (darker) f-stop, and of course using the matching shutter speed you may be ablle to get an entire paragraph in focus. Imagine using this shallow focus on an insect. Using this to your advantage this is a great way to make your subject seemingly pop out of the photo. Use a selective amount of focus, specifically on your subject.

About NYC Photo Workshops and The Photography Workshops:

Photographer Jeffrey Apoian holds a range of hands-on workshop classes every month year round in his New York based studio. Located in the heart of SoHo in New York City, classes are held in an 1800 square foot professional photography studio and taught by master photographer Jeffrey Apoian. He previously taught for Parson?s/The New School at his studio in SoHo. With a passion for teaching, Apoian created the workshop program to accommodate a need for intimate classes that would provide students with comprehensive training in the use of photography equipment and an understanding of lighting issues. Catering to both novice and pro alike students have come from Turkey, India, Greece, and Russia, as well as from across the United States. The class sizes are small and provide students with the individual attention needed to grasp information through hands-on activity. Courses range from $ 250 to $ 745 depending on the class and the number of days.

Jeffrey Apoian?s expansive professional career includes clients such as: Aveeno, Arrow Shirts, Victoria?s Secret, Avon and Clairol. His editorial work has appeared in Marie Claire, Vogue, Vogue Sposa, Cosmopolitan, Ellen and People Magazine. His celebrity work includes: Isabella Rossilini, Chloe Sevigne, Sting, Ellen Burstyn, Yoko Ono, Carla Bruni-Sarkozi, and Rueben Blades. (http://www.jeffreyapoian.com)

For more information on the workshop go to either http://www.nycphotoworkshops.com or http://www.thephotographyworkshops.com. The studio can be contacted at 212.431.5513.

Photographer Jeffrey Apoian holds various ?hands on? workshops in his New York City Studio once a month. For more information and more tips go to: http://www.thephotographyworkshops.com

Located at:

Jeffrey Apoian Studio

66 Crosby Street, Studio #5F, New York, NY 10012

Contact:

Sandy Hanna

908.361.1843

sndyhanna(at)yahoo(dot)com

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