Productivity Planner

When you started your business you thought you would be working less, instead you find yourself working more. Here are a few tactics to help increase your efficiency so that you can work less and enjoy life more.

Organize your office.
* Go paperless - scan your paper files and place in folders with descriptive names on your computer. Do the same for each new piece of paper you receive.
* Set up your computer files to match your paper files.
* Client files - Folders for each client
* Accounting files - Folders to hold receipts, bills, tax forms, etc
* Administrative files - Folders to keep track of
* Marketing files - Folders to keep copies of all your marketing materials - Web site, business card/flyer/brochure, presentations, etc.
* Put the items you use often within reach.
* Give yourself something nice to look at - family pictures, flowers, and inspirational sayings.

Develop the self-employment mindset
* Make your business something you are passionate about, something you would do even if you didn’t have to.
* Keep track of everything, small advances are very encouraging.
* Start the day dressed for work.
* Let the family know that once you enter your office you are no longer available; you have left for work.
* Start and end the workday at the same time every day.
* Once you enter your office, leave all personal tasks behind, and once you leave your office, leave all work behind.
* Schedule meetings & appointments during your personal peak time.
* Create a time during non-peak hours to handle paperwork.
* Leave the office for lunch and dinner.
* Identify things that un-motivate you, and avoid or change those things.
* Reward yourself when you reach goals, no matter how small; rewards can be a splurge on expensive advertising for the busin [Read more →]

Tags: , , Leadership, Inspiration, Management, Organizational Culture // 1 Comment »

I have just returned from a really exciting weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. For a start it’s a beautiful city and I wished that I had more time to explore it - I’m definitely planning to go back. But even more important was the reason for going - the first EU conference being held by the company that is supporting me in the development of my new business.

What was so special about it? Many things, starting with the hospitality of our Portuguese hosts. Then there was the interesting and historic venue in the bull ring at Campo Pequeno. Most of all, though, it was the quality of the sessions that we had and the speakers who delivered them. I have been to lots of “motivational” company meetings, in both the corporate and the direct sales worlds. The objective is to get you fired up and raring to go but when the excitement has worn off was there really any substance to help you (and thus the company) to be successful?. Yes I was now eager but had no idea what I was supposed to be doing and so, once back at my desk, nothing had changed. It didn’t matter how much money had been spent or which of the latest techniques had been deployed by the expensive marketing experts who had organized it. In my experience (and that of most of my colleagues) it was wasted investment and…….often at a time when the company concerned could least afford it!

So why was this event so very different? I already knew that I was working with a company that was financially sound, well managed and successful and, of greatest importance to me, operated in a highly principled and ethical way in line with my own core values. I had never expected to find business success and integrity in one company. My corporate experience had led me to believe that company and individual success was only possible if one was prepared to ignore one’s own values. So the conference I attended [Read more →]

Tags: , , Leadership, Inspiration, Management, Organizational Culture // Add Comment »

I have just returned from a really exciting weekend in Lisbon, Portugal. For a start it’s a beautiful city and I wished that I had more time to explore it - I’m definitely planning to go back. But even more important was the reason for going - the first EU conference being held by the company that is supporting me in the development of my new business.

What was so special about it? Many things, starting with the hospitality of our Portuguese hosts. Then there was the interesting and historic venue in the bull ring at Campo Pequeno. Most of all, though, it was the quality of the sessions that we had and the speakers who delivered them. I have been to lots of “motivational” company meetings, in both the corporate and the direct sales worlds. The objective is to get you fired up and raring to go but when the excitement has worn off was there really any substance to help you (and thus the company) to be successful?. Yes I was now eager but had no idea what I was supposed to be doing and so, once back at my desk, nothing had changed. It didn’t matter how much money had been spent or which of the latest techniques had been deployed by the expensive marketing experts who had organized it. In my experience (and that of most of my colleagues) it was wasted investment and…….often at a time when the company concerned could least afford it!

So why was this event so very different? I already knew that I was working with a company that was financially sound, well managed and successful and, of greatest importance to me, operated in a highly principled and ethical way in line with my own core values. I had never expected to find business success and integrity in one company. My corporate experience had led me to believe that company and individual success was only possible if one was prepared to ignore one’s own values. So the conference I attended [Read more →]

Tags: , , Leadership, Inspiration, Management, Organizational Culture // Add Comment »