How do you organize business cards at work?

[Anonymous]

My desk drawer is flooded with business cards that I get from other people. How do you keep yours organized? Do you immediately enter the contacts into your email address book? Organize the cards in some way or keep them in a stack? I need to clean up my desk before I go out on maternity leave and would love to tackle this project!

[Anonymous]

I thorw them out if they are from guys, for the ones I have from women-I keep a bunch in my purse to hand out to guys who try to pick me up.

[Anonymous]

I add them to Outlook and then staple them to the client folder.

[Anonymous]

I dont have one of these, but apparently there are new "business card" scanners and programs so you can scan them all in and organize them electronically. One of my colleagues has one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dont have one of these, but apparently there are new "business card" scanners and programs so you can scan them all in and organize them electronically. One of my colleagues has one.

My DH raves about his.

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I know this was a really stupid question, but I just toss business cards in my desk and then it becomes an utter mess. i work in politics and seem to amass tons of business cards, and not necessarily ones I will need again in the future (but you never know!) Like I said, trying to organize before I go out on maternity leave. I guess I really do need to just enter them all into Outlook or get one of those scanner gadgets!

[Anonymous]

Um, have my secretary add them to my contacts on my PDA.

[Anonymous]

I enter them into my address book on my computer and toss them.

[Anonymous]

I stack them neatly on my desk. They then get knocked over and tossed around the desk. I stack them again, rinse and repeat.

[Anonymous]

I add ones I think I may use to Outlook contacts, and the rest are in a pile on the part of the windowsill that is obscured by my desk so no one see the ugly pile! I should go through them...I'm sure there are ones from years ago I could toss. Most I NEVER use again.

[Anonymous]

What about an old fashioned Rolodex? If you don't have time to scan them or add them to your email address book, this at least keeps them in one place.

[Anonymous]

I put them in 3 ring binder sheets made for them. I order them chronologically and label them with the date and location I met the person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I stack them neatly on my desk. They then get knocked over and tossed around the desk. I stack them again, rinse and repeat.

This is my method as well. Is this not how you should do it? Sometimes I jam a bunch into a jumbo binder clip.

[Anonymous]

penguinsix wrote:I have a NEAT scanner that I use for business cards and for receipts. Love it. I hate paper.

http://www.neat.com/

I have one too! I got the portable version for my husband, but I use it way more than he does.

[Anonymous]

Do the scanners put the information into Outlook?

Unfortunately, I don't have a secretary to enter information into Outlook for me, but I do have billable hours, so I never seem to have the time to do anything but put them in a Rolodex. But I know I have to stop that madness - I'm not old enough to be that old school.