keeping your orders straight....help!

[PaperFlora]

How do you keep your orders straight? I most of my orders are custom listings that are generally shipped 6-8 weeks after the order has been placed.
I was printing the order and using a notebook and calendar to keep track of them but (fortunately) I have been really busy this year and have almost let 2 orders slip through the cracks.
I'd love any suggestions you may have.

Thank you

[Former_Member]

use reminders on your smartphone :)

[Former_Member]

I use my own tracking sheet which I offer in my store if you want to take a look. It has helped me tremendously with my other kid toy store.

[Former_Member]

I have a notebook that I keep all special orders in. Each order has all the details on it and the pages are put into the plastic 'sleeves' with the delivery date on the tab.

The only time I run into real problems is when I've got 4 or 5 large custom orders on the go... usually around the holiday time.

To avoid stress during that time, I set the cutoff time for custom orders at October 30 for holiday delivery and that's even cutting it close sometimes.

[Former_Member]

I started creating FOLDERS in the message section and keep all the TO DO pending orders there... then, as I complete them I just remove the messages from the TO DO...
I also use 10 notebooks which I always forget to look into hahaha! The smart phone idea is great though!

[Former_Member]

use a phone it is moooore easier

[correenscdesigns]

A big whiteboard calender on my office wall helps me. I make sticky notes when I get an order and move them around for scheduling. I print everything off when it comes in and keep them all in a folder and go through it weekly to make sure I have everyone. Kind of old school but it works for me.

[HausofAriella]

I'm completely ADHD (as in actually diagnosed since childhood) and I don't know how I would function without my phone. When I get an order in that's a made-to-order item (which is most of them at this point), I put two or three reminders in my phone about it depending on how long it takes to make - one a few days after the order comes in to make sure I've started on it, one about halfway through the expected turnaround period to keep me on schedule, and one final reminder a few days before I'm supposed to ship it.

[Former_Member]

I do a combination of the above. Like Lisa, I have a transaction folder in my email that put the confirmation email in and move it out when the order ships, I also set reminders on my phone and then I print out a copy of the invoice. If it is a custom order I lay out the supplies on the invoice and shipping materials and work on completing each step. In March I had 11 orders at once and my dining room table looked like my Etsy shop threw up on it. lol

[Former_Member]

I keep the paypal emails unread so I know which ones I still need to ship. It's worked well for the most part. I've only had one minor mishap, but I caught it before the customer did.

[Former_Member]

Katie's comment above (well, previous page) is what helps me as well! I check email all the time, and having those pending orders in bold (marked unread) lets me know they're not out yet. When I mark an order as shipped in Etsy, I then go in and check off the paypal email and move it to a different folder.

I'm still a "dumb phone" user, and I'm making it just fine without a smart phone!

[Former_Member]

As soon as I get an order I print the receipt and write on it the date it needs to be shipped by, I then put it in a plastic wallet in a 'in progress' folder. Then while I am working on it I keep all the materials and parts in the wallet with the invoice.
Once its posted I remove it from the folder, write on it the shipping date and put it in a seperate ring binder.
Works well for me and Im not the most organised of people!

[Former_Member]

Most of my sales are custom orders, too, so if I get a few sales at a time, it's easy to get behind or lose track of one of the sales.

What helps me the most is typing all of the important information into a notepad document and leaving it up at all times. That way, it's the first thing I see when I open my laptop and the last thing I see when I close my internet to get to work. Helps keep everything fresh in my mind and saves me the trouble of having to look through orders and convos for measurements, color choices, ship dates, etc.

[Former_Member]

I use my Outlook alerts to remind me of pending orders, I also keep all unfulfilled orders in their own folder within Outlook. I also use the folders in the Convo's section and keep notes on them. As a last resort, I print the order out and put it in a binder on my desk. It seems like a lot but right now especially while I am training my husband to help with my shop while I recup from surgery, its been very helpful!

[heartsabustin]

Right now, my insane self is able to track them in my head - and I've got three shops! If I were to actually get beyond that, I'd probably keep a notebook or a written list. I do better if I actually write down when and how and where.

That, and I constantly check my sold orders to make sure I'm on top of things. I keep all convos pertaining to the orders in my inbox in my email and here on Etsy. Somehow, my little system works for me, but I do realize the way *I* do it is highly unconventional and wouldn't work for everyone.

[FarmAndSimple]

I have a great recommendation about this, actually! I use an online web app called "Highrise." I became addicted to it during my days as a software developer (I also used it's sister application, Basecamp, for project management). It is *fantastic* for contact management, task management, custom order management (they are called "deals") and much more.

It helps you manage all of your contacts, when you need to follow up with people, sending out email newsletters (for instance, export all "customers" for an email newsletter blast), and quick views of how many open sales you have, how many custom orders you're working on - how much they cost - and what you've promised.

Here's one of my favorite things. You can keep ALL correspondence in there (notes from phone calls, or copied and pasted directly from emails), including uploaded files and images, that relate to both contacts and/or specific sales. Better yet, they give you your own special email address and if you BCC any message to that address, it will put that particular message right into highrise for you!

It's SO handy. There's a free version, and up from there. I couldn't keep my head on straight without it. I'm happy to answer questions if people have them - I have a lot of karma to pay back for the critiques everyone has been helping me with my store :-)

Here's the URL:
www.highrisehq.com

[LetterLuxe]

Great question! It's fun to read everyone's answers.

I use a small notebook -- each order gets it's own page where I write down all the order specifications. It's perfect because I can take it with me when I go shopping. I make a note at the top of the page when I've purchased all the materials I need. When I ship the item, I fold the page so I know I'm finished.