How to Organize Business References

Most people have a drawer or file that contains business cards and other reference information for everyone they have met. The issue is that they cannot find that contact information when they need it since it is in a pile of waste paper taking up space in a drawer. Organize business references so you can locate them at a moment's notice.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Locate the area where you store all of your contact references and bring that pile to the table.

2. Sort through all the business cards and scraps of paper. Determine whose information the paper belongs to and make separate piles for each category. Choose business references, friends, family and social as your categories.

3. Take all business references and organize this information by filling out 3x5 rolodex cards with name, address, phone number and whatever other contact information you have for this contact.

4. Use a rolodex to organize this business information. Place each reference in the rolodex in alphabetical order. Make sure you have dated the card so you know when you spoke with this person.

5. Organize your business reference online by scanning each card into your computer. Now create a database with this information by opening Works and choosing database.

6. Open Works by going to start and choosing "all programs" then "Works task launcher" then "Works database". Choose "blank database" if this is the first time you are going to add contacts. Choose "existing database" for updating a database.

7. Fill in the fields with name, address, phone number, date received and comments or whatever other information you want to add. Click done and organize your business reference material in your new database by typing the information and pressing, "add".

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