Increase Your Productivity... Ditch the Pen & Paper
If you’re still using pen & paper for taking notes and staying organized, then stop what you’re doing, put the pen down and step away slowly.
I’m going to share with you a few of my life changing tips, tricks and tools to help you save time, become more efficient and keep you more organized than you’ve ever been before. What’s even better. Every tool I share with you is FREE. That’s right, no memberships or packages. FREE!
Before I dive into the good stuff… let me tell you a quick story.
My passion for paperless planning started 2 years ago when I was meeting with a client to discuss all the details for her upcoming wedding.
For every meeting, I used my 3 ring binder, categorized in alphabetical order and colored coded by vendors. If “Monica Geller” could have seen me, OH BOY, she would have been proud. I was unstoppable.
I flipped to my clients file, pulled out a piece of paper and started taking notes. By the time we were done, the piece of paper was glowing with highlighters, arrows and scribbles. It was nothing short of looking like a buried treasure map. I walked away from my meeting feeling confident and equipped to execute a flawless wedding. Little did I know, I would leave that binder in the restroom never to be seen again.
In the blink of an eye I went from feeling invincible to completely lost. All my notes. All my contracts. Everything was gone.
That was a hard lesson. I was embarrassed and humbled. As I picked up the phone to call ALL my clients and tell them what had happened, I remember thinking, there had to be a better way to plan weddings.
We are living in an era where we expect information to be at our finger tips. So why was I still relying on the irresponsible pen and paper to help me stay organized?
So I set out on a mission to become a student of technology and to learn how to become a smarter, more efficient wedding planner.
Angela Proffitt (angelaproffitt.com/), is a paperless wedding planner out of Nashville, TN. She’s a true boss babe leading the charge on planning events digitally. I became her student and little did she know, she became my mentor. She introduced me to a handful of apps and websites that have literally CHANGED my life.
The apps and websites below are things I use every single day. What’s even better… they are ALL free to use!
GOOGLE DOCS - I know, I know. It seems pretty simple, huh? But, I’ve traveled the country meeting with some of the top industry pros in event planning and while there are some great tools out there, a consistent theme I see, they all use Google Docs. It’s free. It’s simple and it’s one of the best tools to keep ALL your clients files, contracts, pictures, videos, etc., organized.
EVERNOTE - I keep Evernote on my laptop, phone and iPad. All my devices communicate so it doesn’t matter if I’m driving in my car, doing a site-visit or laying in bed with thoughts racing through my head. I can reach for any device and access Evernote, make changes or refresh my memory and it’s all there at the touch of my fingers.
TINY SCANNER - This app turns my phone into a portable mobile scanner. I can take pictures of contracts or hand written notes, upload pictures as a PDF, then save it to wherever I need it to be save - Google Drive, Evernote, images, etc.
ALLSEATED - This website is a collaboration network that enables you to design floor plans, manage guest lists, and create seating charts. This is a life saver when working with new spaces and designing layouts. It also allows your client and vendors to do a virtual walk through of the venue space and ensure everyone is on the same page.
CANVA - This is a web-based drag and drop method for creating beautiful flyers, invitations, save-the-dates, posters, signs, you name it. They also have an app, just in case you don’t have your laptop. However, I don’t recommend using it to create content.
These tools have not only saved me money, but SO. MUCH. TIME. I no longer search for notes and flip through countless papers to find what I’m looking for. All my client files, all my vendor contracts and every floor plan I create is accessible NO matter where I am.
Going paperless isn’t an easy transition, but trust me… It’s worth it.
If you have any questions or want more advice, please contact me. I’d love to help you along this paperless journey!
