Several years ago, long before it was in fashion, I began the (at that time) very tedious process of scanning documents from scanner into a computer. I remember when I began scanning documents (at least 15 years ago) I had a very rudimentary scanner that would only scan one page at a time, and only in black-and-white.
Things have progress tremendously since then, and now you can get scanners that give a fantastic performance at a very reasonable price. I run and own a physical therapy clinic here in the Seattle area, so you can imagine the reams and reams of paper that we go through just keeping track of patient charts. One of the things I found out early on was that it's so much easier to retrieve a patient chart if it is scanned into the computer and turned into a digital file. Of course, we still keep a storage unit full of paper files on hand (an industry and government requirement) that date back several years, but this saves everyone (usually me!) from having to dig through box after box, and shelf after shelf, usually in a dark in storage unit with a flashlight trying to find a patient chart.
Now, any time that we have a request for a patient chart, we've simplified the task of finding a chart by having it digitalize and saved securely on our computers. It saves a lot of time, and a lot of backbreaking work of trying to search back several years to find a patient chart.
So I'm a big fan of scanning documents and reducing my stacks and stacks of papers that have a tendency to pile on my desk. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy to create new files and keep things organized on your hard drive (be sure you always back up your hard drive before you shred your documents for good).
My favorite scanners over the years have been the Visioneer office scanners. They're very reasonably priced, and they provide great customer service and technical support. You can find out more about the at their homepage at www.Visioneer.com
During this holiday season, a new idea has come upon me and that is to scan in all my Christmas cards that I'm receiving in the mail at this time. I'm sure I'm like everyone else, in which I receive a slew Christmas cards and after it's time to take them down from the mantle I just put them away in a box somewhere. But I find that if I scan them, and I make a short notation on who it's from and when I received it, it'd be much easier to retrieve and will reduce my paper clutter around the house. Plus, if I want to share it with anyone else, I can create a PDF file and send it off in an e-mail.
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” (A Success Roadmap for High Achievement in Business, Athletics, Community Involvement and Life). He is also an accomplished motivational/inspirational speaker in which he shares his strategies and stories that he has utilized to become a “High Achiever” in lengthy (20 years) careers in professional sports and being a small business entrepreneur with The Donaldson Clinic www.donaldsonclinic.com . He recently ran for the office of Mayor in the City of Seattle and has been passionately involved in various communities around the Seattle metropolitan area since graduation from Washington State University ’79.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@standingabovethecrowd.com and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.standingabovethecrowd.com
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