Product Review: Duo Multitasking Binder

Janet Barclay

Janet Barclay

A former professional organizer, I now eliminate stress for my clients by hosting, monitoring, and maintaining their WordPress sites so they don’t have to worry about security, downtime or performance issues. When I’m away from my desk, I enjoy reading, photography, watching movies, and cooking.

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Duo 7-Pocket Accordion File Binder

With so many people using iPads, laptops, and other forms of portable technology, it seems we’re moving closer and closer to becoming a paperless society, but we’re not there yet. Not everyone can afford such devices, and there are many people who just prefer to work with pen and paper, at least for some tasks. Fortunately, there are innovative new tools for paper lovers too, like the one pictured here.

A product sample was recently sent to me, and upon opening the package, I was a bit confused, because I couldn’t figure out whether it was a binder, or an accordion file. It didn’t take me long to realize that it’s actually two products in one!

It opens out flat into a three-ring binder, as shown above, but when you flip it over the other way, it’s a seven-pocket accordion file, as shown below. It comes with cardboard labels that slip into the tabs and includes plenty of extras in case any of them need to be changed at some point.

Duo 7-Pocket Accordion File Binder

 

It closes up neatly with two elastic bands so it’s a tidy and compact way to store paperwork and carry it around as needed.

Duo 7-Pocket Accordion File Binder

I immediately thought of two ways you could use the Duo Binder in your organizing business:

  1. Take it with you to consultations. The binder section can be used as a portfolio to display before and after pictures, pictures of organizing products or ideas, testimonials, clippings of articles you’ve written or been featured in, and the like. The accordion file can be used for agreements, flyers, and other materials you frequently leave with clients.  I admit that it’s not as elegant as a leather binder or even a leather-like binder, but it’s available in a variety of colors and designs, so if you choose one that coordinates with your branding, it will do the job nicely.
  2. Use it for committee or volunteer work. Use the binder to hold lined paper for taking notes, schedules, membership lists, or other information you refer to when you’re attending meetings, and use the pockets to organize paperwork related to past or ongoing projects – stuff you don’t access regularly but that  you might need to refer to during a meeting. Even if it’s a teleconference you’re attending from home, it’s helpful to have that information close at hand.

But of course you don’t need me to tell you how to organize your paperwork – you know best what will work in your particular situation!

And there are countless ways your clients might use this product. One thought that came to mind for me was for recipe organization. When your client clips a recipe from a magazine or prints one off the internet that she or he wishes to try, it can go in the binder. I’d suggest putting them in plastic sheet protectors to keep clippings neat and make the pages easier to turn. Once a recipe has been tried and identified as a keeper, it can go in the pocket section, which can be organized by type of recipe.

What would you organize with the Duo Multitasking Binder?

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9 Comments

  1. Avatar Jill Robson on December 4, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    Great looking product Janet. I am seriously thinking of ordering one. It will have to be after Christmas. lol. I even pinned it to pinterest to help me find it later. Thank you for the information.

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on December 5, 2012 at 10:56 am

      Do you know what you’re going to use it for, Jill?

      • Avatar Jill Robson on December 5, 2012 at 3:55 pm

        Yes. I would take it along for consultations.

  2. Linda Clevenger Linda Clevenger on December 5, 2012 at 7:00 am

    Nice…I think it would be a great product to use as part of a mobile office. I know clients that could useit! I also pinned it so that it won’t be forgotten!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on December 5, 2012 at 10:57 am

      Yes, it would be perfect for a mobile office. It’s nice and light too!

  3. Moreen Torpy Moreen Torpy on December 5, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    This looks like an ideal product for those of us who have several projects on the go simultaneously. Assign one binder/folder to each and have everything handy for each project makes good sense to me.

    I usually carry a portfolio type folder with me to meetings then transfer the contents to a binder at home, but this product would eliminate one step.

    Will have to try it out! Thanks for the heads-up.

    Moreen Torpy

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on December 5, 2012 at 2:16 pm

      Eliminating steps is almost always a good thing!

  4. Avatar William Copeland on March 28, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    Wow looks cool. I wanted an accordion type binder because my current binder is too bulky. But I the downside was that it would be hard to access things you need frequently. This solves it!

    • Avatar Janet Barclay on March 29, 2017 at 5:56 am

      I’m glad you stumbled upon it here! I’ve discovered that Wayfair no longer carries it, so I’ve removed that link from the post. Fortunately, the product is available at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2YTp4Nf.

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