We know that you, the administrative professional, are a consummate planner who is always looking for ways to get ahead of the curve. Your responsibilities span far and wide, but here are a couple of ideas to help you dream big – and totally own the coming year.

Refocus with these Top 5 Planning Tips for Administrative Professionals.

1. Lend a helping hand in planning for office purchases
No one knows office expenditures quite like you. Make a point to get involved in any budget discussions – whether it be for office supplies or events. If you know you will be running a lot of copies, presentations and marketing collateral, be sure to plan and budget for stocking up on different kinds of paper.

Getting engaged will help show you are focused on the bottom line – making you look like a rock star in the process.

2. Start planning for large events and projects in advance
You are among the most organized people in your office, and your team relies on your expertise and leadership when it comes to event planning. Bringing printed agendas and timeline to your meetings will help keep everyone on task and ensure you do not miss the small details in your planning.

Engaging with your team members about their goals and deliverables will also help you keep projects moving. This engagement will also provide valuable insights about what you may need for the coming year – whether it be meeting spaces, fun group activities or special office supplies.

3. Learn about new ways to meet
Webinar and virtual conferencing opportunities are growing and changing daily. Learn about what’s new and share that information with your office. Building your knowledge and expertise about these emerging trends will show your breadth of skills – and may potentially help alleviate meeting space challenges and save money.

4. Add a little polish to those communications
Your proofreading skills and ability to translate your boss’s thoughts onto paper is key, especially as those end of year presentations and communications are being developed – so be sure to get involved in the review process. Make sure you are investing in the right paper for important presentations.

Speaking of presentations and communications, it’s also not a bad idea to engage with your marketing group to see if you can get updated PowerPoint templates created for the coming year. This will help keep the final products looking consistent which means less formatting (and time) required from you.

5. Get Organized
Paper will always have a place within document filing in the office, but we also understand a lot of filing is done electronically these days. As with any type of filing, organization is very important. Think about the most effective way for you to organize your folders, emails and documents.

Be consistent with how you file everything so anyone can find something quickly should you not be there – like when you take that long overdue vacation.

There are a number of resources out there for administrative professionals. Stop by often to learn more about paper and how it can make your life better in the office space.