Staying Organized and Making Money with Computers in Your Office

By J.J. Panzer, CCRM

Real Management Company

Staying Organized and Making Money Taming the Email Beast Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make

Money! Bill clients effectively Save yourself from costly legal expenses Stay on top of projects

Hiring and working with an IT consultant

Taming the Email Beast Creating an Email Filing System Dealing with “snags” Navigating through files quickly

Taming the Email Beast The key to keeping your email organized is

filing messages so you’ll always know where they are and don’t have to search Searching is slow and inexact

Filing your email keeps your documentation organized and accessible; it lets you cover yourself

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System A filing system is a series of nested folders in

a hierarchy that allows you to keep specific, related emails close to each other

The only good filing system is one that works for you and that you are able to use

Email Filing System:First Level Folders First level folders should be the largest,

most frequently used topics and may have second and third level folders below

Include folders for large categories that you access frequently such as: Rental Inquiries Building Correspondence Business Correspondence Professional/Volunteer groups New business inquiries

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System Building Correspondence

Inside are folders numbered 1 through 9

Properties are grouped by the first digit in their address

All correspondence relating to a particular building goes in that property’s folder including: Correspondence with tenants

and owners Correspondence with

contractors Leasing information

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System Business Correspondence

Inside are folders specifically pertaining to my business, not property management

Categories include: Accounting Business Development Business Leads Education Human Resources Insurance (for my business

only!) Policies and Procedures

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System Tip: Your computer will only sort files

alphabetically It is more convenient to have the most

frequently-used folders up at the top of the list so you can get to them first when you do your filing

Adding a symbol or a number to the front of a folder name will allow you to sort folders how YOU want them to appear

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System

Adding *1 – to “Rental Inquiries” puts that folder at the top of the list

Adding *2 – to “Building Correspondence” puts that folder second highest

Adding *3 – to “Business Correspondence” puts that folder third highest

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System Dealing with “snags”

What about when one person writes you an email about several properties? To copy the email to both folders:

File in the first folder Display the second folder in the folder list to the left of your

Inbox contents While viewing the email in the first folder, right click and

drag the email on to the second folder When you release your click select “Copy” on the pop up

menu You have the same email filed in two places!

Taming the Email Beast:Creating an Email Filing System Dealing with “snags”

How about one client for whom you manage several buildings? Pick one building (usually the one with the lowest

number address) and designate it as the place where you keep “general correspondence” about the client’s portfolio. When a specific message doesn’t pertain to an individual building you’ll know it’s kept in that folder

Taming the Email Beast Even though searching is slower than

knowing where messages are by finding them within your filing system, searching should be fast when you have to use it

Taming the Email Beast Google Desktop will even allow you to search

all your files on your computer just by clicking “Ctrl” twice

Taming the Email Beast:Navigating Through Files Quickly Opening and closing all

those second-, third-, and even fourth-level folders can be slow

Use Ctrl-Shift-V to open up the “Move Items” window:

Taming the Email Beast:Navigating Through Files Quickly Then use your arrow

keys on the keyboard to navigate through the window

The right arrow opens subfolders to show you what’s inside:

Taming the Email Beast:Navigating Through Files Quickly The left arrow closes subfolders so you can

move faster between folders Tip: if you have a lot of subfolders open and

you’re spending time scrolling up and down in your filing system, close the highest folder in the hierarchy; when you reopen it all the subfolders will be closed again

Taming the Email Beast:Filing Quickly If you have a large number of emails in your

inbox you can file lots of messages quickly by sorting them by “From” and then filing whole groups at once

Taming the Email Beast:Use CAUTION When Filing People frequently send you emails to ask

questions or tell you something If you file too quickly you might:

Forget to respond Miss what the person wanted to tell you!

Make sure you respond before you file Make sure you create a Task before you file

Creating and Using Tasks Use Ctrl-Alt-K within any screen in Outlook

to create a new Task

Creating and Using Tasks Give the Task a due

date and make sure you click the Reminder button!

Give the Task a name, such as: Call Plumber Joe to

schedule sewer line replacement for 123 Any St.

Send 6.14 notice to 123 Any St. tenants

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money!

Tasks can help you bill your clients effectively for the

extraordinary work you do!

When used correctly

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money!

Tasks can help you defend against allegations of bad

faith or negligence!

When used correctly

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! You get detailed bills from your attorney,

your CPA, even your plumber You are a professional, too! You deserve

to get PAID for the work you do!

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money!

Here’s how it’s done: Create a Task and give it an appropriate

name that describes the project you’re doing Give the Task a reasonable due date for

when you think it will be done Set a reminder in advance of the due date

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Now keep a running diary of every step you

make to complete this project inside the notes section in your Task

TIP: Every time the Task pops up you don’t have to work on that Task! Feel free to reset the reminder for another time or day

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Tips for using Tasks as a journal

1. Write the journal in reverse chronological order, so the most recent entry is at the top

2. Begin each entry with the date

3. Do your best to include the time in the entry: it makes the entire journal more effective

4. As soon as you pick up the phone to call someone begin typing your journal entry

5. Write how much time you’re going to bill at the end of each entry

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Tips for setting up Tasks quickly

1. Date fields accept “common English” instructions like:

“Monday” “Next Monday” “Two weeks from Thursday” “45 days from tomorrow”

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Tips for setting up Tasks quickly

2. Time fields typically assume the time you want You can typically use a single digit for an hour, such

as 9 for 9:00AM Time fields also accept 24 hour clock time like 1530

for 3:30PM

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Tips for setting up Tasks quickly

3. Use Categories so you can see your Tasks grouped accordingly

Sample Categories include: Maintenance Phone Calls PPMA RMC Owners RMC Tenants RMC Vendors

Note that Owners, Tenants, and Vendors start with “RMC” so they’re always grouped together

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Tips for setting up Tasks quickly

4. Contacts can be entered in the bottom of a Task for quick reference

If you have the individuals that you’re working with entered into your Outlook Contacts you can type their names and access their contact info from within the Task!

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! When your Reminder pops up it will show in

the “Reminder” window

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! DO NOT USE “Dismiss”

or “Dismiss All” buttons! It’s much better to open

the Task and reschedule the Reminder day and/or time so it’s more convenient

If you “Dismiss” a Task it will no longer remind you and you could lose track of it

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! Clicking “Snooze” is

okay but, just like with your alarm clock, don’t do it too often!

It’s better to reschedule the Reminder to a time when you will actually be able to pay attention to it

Using Tasks to Stay Organized and Make Money! It’s difficult to remember to enter your

progress in your Task Don’t be too hard on yourself Don’t be afraid to push your Due Date back if

you’re not done…nobody else will know!

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant Computers are a big investment Just like any system in a rental property, your

computers need regular maintenance to keep them from breaking down

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant Functioning computers save time, energy, and

money Malfunctioning computers are wasteful The right IT consultant will keep your

systems working well, making money and keep you from becoming this guy

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant Try to find a company that will perform regular

maintenance instead of just “being there” when your computers fail

Larger companies are more likely to have a wider array of support services at a better price than smaller companies or individuals, such as: On-demand telephone technical support included Remote screen-sharing assistance 24/7 server monitoring services Access to volume purchasing and discounted third-party

services

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant Benefits of regular maintenance include:

Cost Security – You don’t have to worry about what it costs when you call your consultant. He or she will be there regularly to answer your questions

Budget-friendliness – Having a set cost you can budget for is highly preferable to dealing with erratic costs when you have trouble

Familiarity – Your consultant will know your system well and be able to provide solutions faster

Reliability – Your system will run better if your consultant can make small adjustments on a regular basis instead of waiting for something major to happen and the whole system to break down

Planning – Your IT consultant should know when your equipment is getting old and be able to warn you that a replacement will soon be necessary

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant Your consultant should have the 3 A’s:

Accessibility Accountability Affordability

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant

Accessibility You should have a contract with your

consultant specifying how long it will take to arrive at your office to begin working in the event of an emergency

Your consultant should welcome your questions and participation

Your consultant should be willing to teach you and encourage you to learn about your systems

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant

Accountability A good consultant is highly

organized and keeps records of what work is done on each visit

A good consultant will assemble and keep his or her own guidebook with important information about your computers, including passwords (so he or she doesn’t have to ask you all the time!)

Hiring and Working with an IT Consultant

Affordability Your consultant should be able

to fit into your budget You should be able to negotiate

a contract that includes all the services you can afford

You shouldn’t feel like you can’t call your consultant because it’ll be too expensive to ask questions

Taming the Email Beast:“Rules” Create filters to automatically file specific

messages Rules and Alerts button on “Advanced”

toolbar lets you create new “Rules”

Taming the Email Beast:Working with “Rules” Create a Rule to file all emails from each of

your Resident Managers into the appropriate property’s file

Create a Rule to file all emails sent to your Craig’s List job posting address (job-254684@craigslist.org) in a Human Resources folder

Taming the Email Beast:Working with “Rules” Keep track of your

“unread” messages to make sure you don’t miss messages that arrive and immediately get filed by your “Rules!”

Taming the Email Beast:Working with “Rules” Keep track of your

“unread” messages to make sure you don’t miss messages that arrive and immediately get filed by your “Rules!”

Taming the Email Beast:Working with “Rules”

When you click “Unread Mail” in the Favorite Folders area you can see all unread messages, where they’re filed, and you can review them

Taming the Email Beast:Working with “Rules” Do not leave messages marked unread for too

long Decide what you want to do about a message

as soon as possible Create Tasks so you can follow up on

important items

Taming the Email Beast:Flagging Messages for Follow Up Flagging messages

allows you to file messages and still refer back to them in one easy window

Click the “For Follow Up” search folder to see all of the flagged messages

Taming the Email Beast:Flagging Messages for Follow Up

Taming the Email Beast:Flagging Messages for Follow Up To set up a flag for follow

up right click a message and click “Follow Up”

Select a flag to just give the message a flag that will file it in your “For Follow Up” window

Click “Add Reminder” to configure deeper settings for your Reminder

Taming the Email Beast:Flagging Messages for Follow Up The settings here are

pretty straight-forward but you should remember to mark your flags “Completed” instead of “Clearing” them so you can see that the message was once flagged