Mother’s Day is quickly approaching – and while many Americans are rushing out to pick up old standbys like flowers and jewelry, here at the Neat offices, we’re thinking about new trends in Mother’s Day gifting.

I decided to take it to the streets and ask a few of Neat’s employees what they’re planning on getting mom this Mother’s Day.  My findings were revealing, and I heard the same thing again and again: people want to give mom the gift of relaxation and time.  The sentiment is hardly a surprise – moms today are busier than ever, and they’re almost certainly looking for ways to make life just a little bit simpler.

Of the parents I talked to in the office, I learned that “chore coupons” are still a big hit – kids love making them, and moms love redeeming them!  Breakfast in bed was also a popular choice, as were personalized and homemade cards.  For those shopping for the mom that does it all, organizational products were a top pick.

We want to know – what is the best gift you’ve ever given your mom?  If you’re a mom – what was the most meaningful gift you ever received?  Share your story in the comments section.  We’ll be sharing the best of the best on our Twitter (@neatcompany)!

Until Next Time…Keep It Neat!

-Kevin

We recently had the opportunity to speak with Shannon Sumrall, business manager of the rock band Kutless.  With over two million records sold, the Oregon band has made quite a name for itself.

As a manager, wife, and mother – Shannon is juggling multiple projects every day.  In her quest to better organize her life, Shannon invested in our NeatDesk, NeatReceipts, and digital filing system.  I asked Shannon how Neat helps her do it all.

Kevin: Shannon, would you tell us about the projects you manage on a day-to-day basis?

Shannon: As the business manager of Kutless, a household, and a mother of two young children – it seems as if I always have my hands full!  I’m an organizer naturally, but I found that I was in need of something to help me be more efficient.  Between the band, the travel, and the kids – I’m always working to balance my professional life with taking care of my family.  I deal with everything from receipts to tour schedules to financial statements.  With all of the work, I didn’t want to be buried under a pile of receipts and paperwork.  When I learned about Neat, I realized that I had found the perfect tool to compliment my busy lifestyle.

Kevin: How does Neat help you to stay organized?

Shannon: When we’re on the road touring, I always bring along my NeatReceipts.  It easily connects to my laptop and I’m able to scan the band’s receipts on the go.  It’s important to keep track of all the financial information for tax and accounting purposes.  By using Neat’s digital filing system, I know that our important information is accounted for, and I don’t have to worry about fishing it out of storage down the road.

I use my NeatDesk for my family’s paperwork, too.  I am constantly scanning and entering data.  I love that I can just scan receipts and send them over to our accountant.  It’s great for organizing our tax information, insurance documents, and all of the kids’ stuff!

Kevin: Would you say that Neat has helped you to streamline everyday tasks?

Shannon: Oh, absolutely!  We do a lot of filing and archiving with Neat.  Before we started to use the product I had ten huge filing cabinets in the office.  Because our documents weren’t digitized, we were spending a ton of money on printer ink when we needed to share documents.  Since setting up my digital filing system with Neat, I’ve been able to get rid of almost all of the filing cabinets in the office.  It’s wonderful to be able to de-clutter and recycle all of that paper – and now I know that all of our information is safe and secure in one centralized location.

We want to know: have you used Neat for both your professional and personal life?  Share your story below!

Until Next Time … Keep it Neat!
-Kevin

Today marks the 130^th National Arbor Day when people are encouraged to plant and care for trees.  A wide range of events are organized throughout the country to promote Arbor Day.  Here at The Neat Company, we encourage our customers to use less paper everyday by digitizing.

In addition to spreading the word about adopting a paperless lifestyle, we are giving away one NeatDesk in honor of Arbor Day.  Utilizing NeatDesk is a simple, convenient step toward a more sustainable world.  By using Neat’s digital filing system to scan, organize, and store important information users can clear paper piles and recycle.  Neat is proud to promote a greener world and urges people to move from paper to digital formats through our software storage.

Participants should comment on this blog post and tell us how they would use less paper with NeatDesk.   Next Monday, April 30th, we will select the person with the best and most compelling story.

Until next time … keep it Neat and paperless!

-Kevin

Another tax day has come and gone – and if you’re like most, you’re undoubtedly feeling a great sense of relief.  At Neat, we believe that one of the best ways to handle tax season is to make tax preparation a part of your everyday lifestyle, all year long.  This year, we’ve teamed up with tax expert, Lou Hutt—CPA, business coach and entrepreneur—to give you the top five tax prep tips to make sure you’re set and secure for next year:

1. Manage the tax prep process: Keep the stress in check by managing receipts and paperwork all year long!  By saving your information in a digital filing system, you’ll be sure to avoid the tax day scramble.

2. Work smarter, not harder: Shoeboxes full of receipts and binders stuffed with papers are a thing of the past – take advantage of Neat’s patented OCR and parsing technology to organize and extract your key information in one safe electronic location.

3. Digitization is the name of the game: In addition to becoming keyword searchable, financial information that is digitized and saved in Neat is accepted by the IRS, so you can recycle without worries.  Take the process one step further by easily exporting to TurboTax, Excel, or QuickBooks.

4. Categorize as you go: Assign tax categories to all of your receipts and documents stored in your digital filing system.  This simple step takes seconds to do, and will save you a great deal of time when tax day comes along.

5. Use the right tools: One of the most important pieces of the tax preparation puzzle is having the right tools handy.  If you own a NeatDesk or NeatReceipts, you’re working with a major advantage!  Neat will aid you in all of the tips above – making tax time stress a thing of the past.

By following these simple tips, you can take steps to be better prepared for next year’s tax season – and ensure that the entire process runs more smoothly.

How does your tax prep routine stack up?

Until Next Time…Keep It Neat!

-Kevin