When you’re at a networking event and want to excuse yourself from a conversation, shake hands with the person you are speaking with and tell them you look forward to seeing them at the next event. You can also ask for their networking card and connect outside of the event when you have more time.
When we meet someone, we should always give a firm handshake no matter what our gender. Women often tend to give a “princess handshake”. Make eye contact and give three solid pumps to make a good first impression.
A great way to make a good first impression is to make eye contact. Not prolonged, creepy eye contact – but at least looking at someone’s face when you’re talking to them. See the colour of their eyes, are they wearing glasses? What kind of makeup do they wear? By making eye contact you will more focused and appear to be listening better.
The biggest mistake you can make at a networking event is to talk too much about yourself. Some people think to be a good networker or relationship builder you need to talk a lot about yourself, but a good relationship builder knows how to ask questions to other people. Respond to what people are saying with interest and be a good listener.
It might sound weird but arriving early can make connecting with people much easier. If two or more people are talking to each other it can be difficult to ease your way into the conversation. Go up to someone else who is by themselves and introduce yourself before the room gets to crowded.
Be Ready for an Emergency: A Storm, A Blackout or an Evacuation
Sometimes, unexpected situations arise that one should be ready for at any given time. Inclement weather such as storms, power outages, tornados, autumn hurricanes, severe winter storms as well as power outages and a 15-minute evacuation order can force us to move quickly to get out of the house.
A few minutes of pre-planning for emergencies will put your mind at ease when you hear about the next nasty storm coming your way. It is an easy project you will never regret taking the time to do and an incredibly useful exercise for you and your family.
You can’t possibly be prepared for every scenario, so consider assembling an emergency preparedness kit should your family be trapped in the home without services for 72 hours or alternatively, if the police order you to leave your home quickly.
Assemble a Ready To Go suitcase
Items to include as a basic minimum
Important Documents
Have a separate kit that includes important documents prepared and accessible, so you can grab it in a hurry. It should include:
Don’t Forget
Discuss your emergency plan, the location of your kit and its contents with each member of the family. They may be in the house when something happens or when there is no adult supervision.
For more information
Organize a great garage sale
Garage sales are a simple and fun way to clear out some unwanted clutter from your home. If you’re downsizing or just looking to let go of items you don’t use anymore, garage sales are a great way to make some money, meet your neighbours and de-clutter your home.
Organize Anything has come up with some great tips to make sure you hit garage sale gold.
1) It’s all about timing. 
Traditionally garage sales take place on Saturday mornings between June and October. If you live in a university town, aim to have your sale in late August/early September to take advantage of the students coming back. Set up your table early in the
morning – serious buyers start early and will visit many sales in one day.
2) Product placement. If you haven’t used it or worn it in a while, sell it. If you’re only keeping it because it was a gift, sell it. Baby equipment, sporting goods, furniture, tools, books, small appliances, toys and framed art are best sellers. Clothes don’t sell well. Put a big item or something eye-catching closest to the road. You want to attract positive attention from
passers-by.
3) Garage sale doesn’t equal garbage dump. Don’t sell something you wouldn’t buy. If an item is in serious disrepair, old, or not attractive, don’t waste your time or your customers’ by putting it out for sale.
4) Garage sales are a team effort. The more people involved in your sale, the better it will be. Recruit family members
to help you set up your tables and monitor customers. You’ll also need helpers to assist customers in moving heavy purchases to their cars. Make sure that you always have one person dedicated to running the cashbox. If you’ve got younger children in the family, why not have them run a refreshment stand? It’s a great opportunity to teach them about money.
5) Advertising. Beyond the tried-and-true method of putting posters on the telephone poles in your neighbourhood the week before, there are several other approaches to letting people know about your sale. Post notices on the community bulletin boards of your local community center, supermarket and schools. People will stop if they see a crowd, so recruit family members to “shop” if you’re worried about traffic flow. Post the information online on websites like Kijiji.com. Email your friends and family – don’t forget to promote items that will get attention like couches, TVs or novelty
items.
6) The price is right. Garage sales traditionally sell items for less than $50. Exceptions being newer furniture or home electronics. If you have antiques or higher priced items you would like to sell, consider contacting an appraiser or holding an estate auction. Go through the items you want to sell before the sale and price them. Put a sticker on them in an obvious place and record the item in a notebook that you keep at the cash register.
7) Colour coded. You may want to colour code items to make it easier for yourself and customers to know how much something is selling for, green = $5, blue = $10 and so on. You can also have tables with items under for a dollar or two
dollars – get creative and make it easy for you to manage.
8) The weather factor. A perk of the garage sale is being able to spend the day outdoors. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate. Use your garage or have a tarp or a tent handy in case you wake up on the morning of your sale and it’s
raining. The tent will also be handy the day turns into a scorcher and you need
to escape to the shade.
So next time you need to let go of a lot of the clutter in your home, pick a Saturday and plan for rain or shine. Recruit your family members, tell your neighbours and lay out your wares. You’ll have fun and you’ll even make a little money in the end.
Professional Organizer Colette Robicheau shares the best tips for organizing your messy closet.
She talks about how to make the most of the limited closet space you have. This includes making proper use of your shelving, hanging belts and scarves and shoe storage.
If you have any questions, or would like to book Colette to come and organize YOUR closet, you can visit us online at www.organizeanything.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/organizeanything, on Twitter at twitter.com/organizenow or at our blog: www.organizeanything.wordpress.com
Professional Organizers of Canada
Institute of Chronic Disorganization
National Association of Professional Organizers
