The Efficient Office

A single two-second distraction could cost you 15 minutes of your day! When your concentration is interrupted, it takes up to 15 minutes to get your focus back. One of the biggest productivity & time management thieves is being distracted by interruptions. Set clear boundaries and take back control of your time so you can get the important things done!

Whether you use a bulletin board, task list, or sticky notes on your computer screen, as a means of reminding yourself of upcoming tasks, spend a few minutes at the end of each day scanning through them.  Remove anything outdated and arrange what is left so that you can easily see it without having to look behind other papers or notes. When you put a new item on your board or list, remove an old item.

We’ve entered a new year and business owners worldwide have fresh goals for 2012 so that they may grow their businesses to the next level.  Of course, the catch is that simply setting goals won’t get you there.  You must tackle them systematically in order to achieve success!

Before we talk about how to attack your goals, let’s do a quick review to make sure that you’ve framed your goals properly.  Remember, in order to be effective, goals must be:

• Specific – what will you be doing?  Why will you be doing it?  And, how will you be doing it?
• Measureable – how will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?
• Attainable – is this possible?  Are the necessary skills and resources available to you and within your control?
• Realistic – is this a goal that could feasibly be accomplished within the specified amount of time?
• Timed – by when will you accomplish this goal?

Got your goals?  Excellent!  Now, how many times have you done exactly the above only to forget about your goals within a week or so?  How many years have you floundered month by month, haphazardly making progress, but never really doing all that you’d intended during the year?

Make 2012 different by doing the following:

1. Write your goals down three times.  Do not type and print three copies.  (Of course, if you need clean copies for some reason, that’s fine.)  But, the act of writing will help you commit the goals to memory and give them a sense of “realness.”
2. Put the copies in effective locations.  Place one copy in your planner/calendar so that you can reference it as you make plans.  Hang up one copy near your mirror or other location where you’ll see them in the morning.  Mail the last copy to a remailing service that will hold the letter and mail it back to you in six months as a tangible reminder of what you plan to accomplish.
3. Add key dates to your calendar.  First add the goal’s due date.  Second, create a list of all of the tasks that must happen to achieve the goal and add the major tasks to your calendar as well.
4. Add review dates to your calendar.  Choose a date each month that’s a bit quieter for you.  Maybe the first of the month?  Or mid-month?  Whatever works for your schedule.  Add a recurring reminder to your calendar to review your goals (ie. Read them over) and evaluate your progress (ie. See if you need to be doing more to achieve it on time or if you’re on track).
5. Establish a PM/AM routine.  At the close of each day, choose one task from each goal that you will accomplish on the following day.  First thing in the morning, complete that task.  Doing so means that you’ll have made progress on your yearly goals even before you’ve answered an email for the day!

If you complete these five steps above regularly and in the timeframes suggested, I guarantee you’ll have tackled your 2012 goals by December!  If you need help with any of the steps above, let me know.

We’ve entered a new year and business owners worldwide have fresh goals for 2012 as they work to grow their businesses to the next level.  Of course, the catch is that simply setting goals won’t get you there.  You must tackle them systematically in order to achieve success!

Before we talk about how to attack your goals, let’s do a quick review to make sure that you’ve framed your goals properly.  Remember, in order to be effective, goals must be:

• Specific – what will you be doing?  Why will you be doing it?  And, how will you be doing it?
• Measureable – how will you know when you’ve achieved your goal?
• Attainable – is this possible?  Are the necessary skills and resources available to you and within your control?
• Realistic – is this a goal that could feasibly be accomplished within the specified amount of time?
• Timed – by when will you accomplish this goal?

Got your goals?  Excellent!  Now, how many times have you done exactly the above only to forget about your goals within a week or so?  How many years have you floundered month by month, haphazardly making progress, but never really doing all that you’d intended during the year?

Make 2012 different by doing the following:

1. Write your goals down three times.  Do not type and print three copies.  (Of course, if you need clean copies for some reason, that’s fine.)  But, the act of writing will help you commit the goals to memory and give them a sense of “realness.”
2. Put the copies in effective locations.  Place one copy in your planner/calendar so that you can reference it as you make plans.  Hang up one copy near your mirror or other location where you’ll see them in the morning.  Mail the last copy to a remailing service that will hold the letter and mail it back to you in six months as a tangible reminder of what you plan to accomplish.
3. Add key dates to your calendar.  First add the goal’s due date.  Second, create a list of all of the tasks that must happen to achieve the goal and add the major tasks to your calendar as well.
4. Add review dates to your calendar.  Choose a date each month that’s a bit quieter for you.  Maybe the first of the month?  Or mid-month?  Whatever works for your schedule.  Add a recurring reminder to your calendar to review your goals (ie. Read them over) and evaluate your progress (ie. See if you need to be doing more to achieve it on time or if you’re on track).
5. Establish a PM/AM routine.  At the close of each day, choose one task from each goal that you will accomplish on the following day.  First thing in the morning, complete that task.  Doing so means that you’ll have made progress on your yearly goals even before you’ve answered an email for the day!

If you complete these five steps above regularly and in the timeframes suggested, I guarantee you’ll have tackeled your 2012 goals by December!  If you need help with any of the steps above, let me know.

Use the phone if you think your email will turn into a game of several email strands. Often a 30-second phone call can cover the same items that would result in an exchange of 4-8 emails.

1. Use an accurate Subject Line such as “Action Required–Form to be filled out”, “Agenda–Board meeting”, or “Calendar–Date of Board Meeting.”

2. Get to the point within the first 1-2 sentences.

3. Be concise; keep it short and simple.

4. If you are asking for 2 or more things, put questions or requests in numbered or bullet format.

5. Ask yourself, “Is this too long or wordy?” If you wouldn’t want to read it, neither do they.

6. Check grammar and spelling. Use your spell check and reread your email for grammatical mistakes before you hit send.

1.  Determine how much time the other person has. When you set up the meeting ask: “How much time do you have blocked out for this meeting?”

2.  Call / Email prior to all appointments to confirm.   It takes only a minute and can potentially save hours of your time.

3.  Establish your questions and goals for the appointment. Bring this list with you to the meeting.

4.  Arrive on time. Always allow more travel time than you think it will actually take.

5. Create a productive environment. Mention that you’ve turned off your cell phone for the meeting. This should indicate that you’d like an uninterrupted, productive meeting.

Photo Credit: Sean Mac Entee, Flickr

With the holidays only weeks away, I have no doubt that some of you will be unwrapping smartphones or tablets pretty soon.  As exciting as your new toy can be, it can also be tough figuring out how to use it most effectively.  To help you get started, I offer you a list of my top 7 small business productivity apps.

1. Evernote.  If you haven’t tried Evernote yet, it’s an excellent tool for storing information found online, in your email, or on the go.  The information is stored in folders and you can specify which of the folders you want to have sync with your phone.  Installing the app on your phone lets you access and capture information on the fly.
2. Dropbox.  This is a file sharing application.  To use it, visit the website and install the program on your computer.  Then, to take a file along with you, simply save it to the folder on your computer called “Dropbox.”  Now, you can share that information with someone or access it on your phone.
3. Quickbooks Mobile.  Quickly look up an invoice or access your customer data on the fly.  If you’re a Freshbooks user instead, they offer a comparable app called Minibooks.
4. Paymo. This is a great little tool for tracking time worked on the go.  Got a consulting meeting?  Just click the button when your client arrives and click it again when she leaves.  Your time is automatically tracked for billing later.
5. GoPayment by Intuit.  If you’re selling a product on the go, this handy tool will help you accept credit cards.  Simply plug the device into your phone and swipe the card to collect payment.
6. Shoeboxed.  This app is provided by the offline Shoeboxed service that allows you to mail your receipts to the company for scanning into a spreadsheet format.  With the app, you simply take a photo of your receipt and it is stored for downloading into your expenses tracking tool when you return to the office.
7. Business Card Reader (iPhone or iPad) or CamCard (Android devices).  Instead of carrying piles of business cards around, snap a photo and the card’s information will be captured on your device.

Of course, I didn’t bother to add “your calendar, contacts, and email” to the above list, because that will  no doubt  be your natural first step, but do make sure that you’ve got that synced up before you hit the road.  The more you have easily accessible on your phone or tablet, the more you can make use of those small moments waiting for a client to arrive or standing in line.

You get busy, create a few piles here, a stack over there, and suddenly you can’t see a single horizontal surface! Go around the room and collect up every homeless item you find, creating a set spot for each:

• Supplies and equipment: Only keep what you use on a regular basis at your desk. Store the “extras” in a cabinet or closet.
• Books and periodicals: Toss what you don’t use and store journals in a magazine holder grouped by title or topic.  
• Reference manuals: Keep loose brochures and sets of papers in a 3-ring binders with index dividers between topics.
• Multimedia: To save space, remove CDs and DVDs from their jewel cases and store them in file folders with self-adhesive CD/DVD pockets. If they are install disks, write the install number in permanent ink on the disk.
• Blank stationery items: Neatly stored and LABELED (Labels help keep you honest about what belongs where) in either stacking trays or a document sorter.