Profits are king. When running your small business you see costs everywhere. They are obvious in your space and equipment. In your supplies and utilities. Many of these costs are fixed over the short term. There is nothing you can do to reduce them and maintain your business presence. And other costs including materials, packaging, and shipping are purely variable. You only incur these costs when you are sending out an order.
Two Innovative and Immediate Strategies for Better Productivity
Experiment with walking around once every 30 minutes throughout the day. Set a timer to remind you! It will stimulate your blood flow and lead to a burst of hyper oxygenation in the brain, increasing energy and attentiveness. A walk will give your overworked brain “muscle” a minute to rejuvenate. Walk around the block. Go out to lunch. Take advantage of better weather, and spend your lunchtime in a near by park, having lunch out of a paper bag. Walk into a nearby place of worship and meditate. Consider walking during your meetings!
Posted on: April 29, 2013 by Stephen
Small Business Owner Complaint #6: If Only I Had More Time to Make More Profit
When it comes to profits, the small business owner usually thinks that more time would mean more profits. Have you ever thought to yourself, “There simply aren’t enough hours in the day?” I have a new approach to finally achieving more time in your day. Here are the facts: To a small business owner, TIME is both the #1 commodity as well as the #1 asset. You cannot buy time, and despite many proclamations to the opposite, you can’t even save it. It passes, unrelentingly. So your most important use of your most important commodity / asset is simply how to SPEND your time.
Posted on: April 22, 2013 by Stephen
Just Living in the E-Mailing Zone…for the 100th Time, Today
You wonder how the e-mail subject can steer you with conviction to e-mails that you will actually want to read. I think we are living in confusion, speeding terribly down this cyber linking highway. We read personal e-mails at work and work related e-mails at home. We shop while working (don’t let the boss know) and solve work related situations at home (need to let the boss know)! We need some customized therapy.
Posted on: April 16, 2013 by Stephen
Unmask And Handcuff The Time Bandit: “Disorganization”
In the last 20 years, working time has increased by 15% and leisure time has decreased by 33%. Work demands are up, and there is never enough time for family and fun. In the past we have discussed time bandits that plug productivity and decrease the free time we have. Disorganization is today’s time bandit, unmasked. Chaos best describes the situation. Change is needed desperately. Organization is in order. Reclaiming sanity is the immediate goal. Could you handcuff Disorganization?
Posted on: April 9, 2013 by Stephen
Emergency Service to Your Abandoned Goals
I honestly believe that there isn’t anyone who did not start pursuing his or her goals without a great deal of passion. Why did we lose the momentum, and what do we need to change to sustain the momentum? Sustainability is rare but achievable.
Posted on: April 2, 2013 by Stephen
3 Action Antidotes to a Stressful 9-to-5 and a Beautiful Bottom Line
In these tough economic times stress is magnified for most of workforce members. Given the chance, outside stressors can follow our team members to work every day. They can even plague us and crop up all day, every day, as small business owners. If you can, it’s best to check them at the door. Contrary…
Posted on: March 20, 2013 by Stephen
Time Management: Losing Procrastination Leads to Less Stress and “More” Time
For all of us that have spent money and time on Time Management techniques, articles, blogs, webinars… the list is endless, I have this epiphany to share with you: Time management is a myth. Given that the day having only 24 hours, we can only manage ourselves within the timeframe given.
Posted on: March 5, 2013 by Stephen
The #1 Silent Time Killer? …. E-Mail (Is ANYONE Surprised by THAT?)
According to OfficeTime’s most recent survey, 47% named e-mail as the biggest time killer. As a matter of fact, of those polled by OfficeTime, 40% admitted they spend an average of 1-3 hours a day dealing with email.
Posted on: February 18, 2013 by Stephen
Tracking Payments and Retainers
OfficeTime does a great job of tracking time, a good job of invoicing, but comes up a bit short on the accounting side of things. Most companies don’t like to admit their product doesn’t do something well. But I like to see it from the buyer’s perspective. When I’m looking at a product, I want to know exactly what its strengths and weaknesses are. That’s the problem with most marketing material. It gives only glowing praise when you need an honest picture. But should we be trying to fill the role of an accounting solution?
Posted on: January 29, 2013 by Stephen