Creative Office Manager

Big expenses get attention. Small expenses often don't. A $30 monthly subscription, an unnecessary rush-delivery charge or a slightly overpriced supply order isn't likely to trigger a budget meeting. But businesses can accumulate dozens of these small costs, and because each one seems insignificant, they can continue for months or years without anyone questioning them. That's where the office manager…

You need approval to replace the copier. A decision on which candidate to hire. A yes or no on the new software. Permission to send the proposal. You asked Tuesday. You followed up Thursday. Now it’s Monday, nothing has happened, and everyone is waiting on you. One of the most frustrating parts of managing an office is being responsible for…

“Do you have a minute?” It sounds harmless. So does “Quick question.” And “Where do we keep that form?” And “Can you look at this before I send it?” But when you are the person everyone turns to for answers, approvals and rescues, those quick questions can consume a surprising amount of your workday. The problem isn't simply the minutes…

Nobody decides that the office needs four different sources for printer paper, three places to order coffee and six vendors selling essentially the same office supplies. It just happens. One staffer needs something quickly and orders it from a convenient website. Another has an account with a different supplier. Someone finds a lower price somewhere else. A department starts buying…

Most organizations know how to send an invoice. The trouble often starts afterward. An invoice goes out. The due date passes. Nobody follows up immediately because the customer has always paid eventually, the amount isn't enormous or the person responsible for collections has more urgent things to do. A week becomes two. Two weeks become a month. Eventually someone notices…