Did you know we take credit cards? This nifty little device called Payd turns our phones into card readers! Early on in setting up our business, we knew we wanted to be able to process credit card payments to give our customers more payment options. However it became one of those details that slipped through the cracks and less than two weeks to go before, a move a customer asked if we take credit cards. Oops! I frantically Googled and found a few options, then started to look at reviews. I thought we could use Paypal and set up an account, only to find that the Paypal card reader was not yet available in Canada. I looked at another well known option, but had some concerns with how their payment transfers worked. Finally, I went back to basics, got on the phone and called our bank. The super helpful folks at RBC Small Business Banking connected me with someone at Moneris and sure enough they had an option that would sync with our banking, AND could be ready to go in less than a week. We've been so happy to have Payd as an option to offer our customers, and it's just a fun piece of technology to play with!
Everyone Needs a (Good) Mover
It's March and one of these days spring will arrive, despite the snow warning issued for tomorrow! One of the monumental seasonal organizational tasks in our house is changing kids clothes out for bigger sizes and changing seasons. It helps that everything is in labelled bins in our basement storage room, but it's still a big job with three kids who just do Not. Stop. Growing. We are fortunate to have hand me downs from cousins, I buy clearance items off season, and we pass clothes down from the oldest. There's a constant stream of items going in and out of storage, and about twice a year we do a major overhaul. Last weekend we finished pulling out everyone's spring and summer clothes in the next sizes up, and this weekend we tackled re-organizing the bins, adding in the miscellaneous items we'd picked up along the way, and getting them back into storage. As we finished this process off in the living room, all of a sudden all FOUR bins are heading down the stairs and I am reminded once again . . . THIS is what a professional mover looks like.
We often have this conversation. So many customers in the moving industry don't even know what they're missing. There is so much skill put into every job these guys do. THIS is the standard, the bar that they set. Strength. Balance. Efficiency. Experience.
I did the math. 4,160 moves. How many has your mover done?
Organize This!
Aaron is a somewhat notorious organizer. He is a very visual-based person, everything belongs in straight lines, surfaces must be clear, all. the. stuff. be it toys, tools, or camping equipment categorized, labelled and shelved. He's been like this since he was a child, it's what makes him exceptional at his job, and lets us cram a LOT of stuff into our little dwelling.
Funny thing, though . . . he doesn't write the blog posts, I do! So I want to talk about my kind of organization and how it relates to moving, renovating, and life.
We have a busy life. And that's great, we love it. But it can get a bit overwhelming figuring out what needs to get done, who needs to be where, and what exactly we're feeding everyone on any given day. I've used a wall calendar with colour coded entries for the past few years that worked at the time, but I found as we began to grow our business and as our little ones became involved in more school and extra curricular activities, it just wasn't cutting it.
Then last fall I discovered Bullet Journaling. A Bullet Journal is like a planner, but customized to whatever you need it to be. I carried over my existing colour coding system and couldn't be happier. At a quick glance, I know what's happening each day, each month, and in the long run. I find it to be a perfect balance of my obsessive need to control all the things, with a touch of creativity. Pinterest is full of all sorts of lovely ideas for those who are more artistic, but the pure functionality is what keeps me hooked.
One of the features that distinguishes a Bullet Journal from a daily planner is what are called Collections. This is where you can really get a handle on a big event like a move, renovations, an organization project or selling your house! A collection is a page or two in your journal that you dedicate to a single event. In unlimited ways, you can track and document everything related to that event in one space. To do lists, inspirations, contact information, whatever you need to know while the event is ongoing.
I love this moving spread from Creative Pineapple. It's attainable for us non-artist types, and contains enough detail to really keep on top of your move. Design ideas for renovations, lists of materials to order, or room by room plans for organization can all become collections.
For an intro to bullet journaling, check out www.bulletjournal.com and I hope you find some inspiration for bringing organization into your life!