Productive & Organized

I Invite You to Make 2012 Different - Take a stand and say YES with me.

Warning - this message may be a bit more harsh than you are used to reading from me.  Read it anyway!

If you are like most business owners, you created your business because you wanted to live on your own terms and you knew that you have something amazing to offer.

But, have you realized that dream?

Are you doing what you love, or putting out fires? Do you have minor business problem gathering other problems, rolling downhill and ending up smack, dab in your personal life?  Do you find you are getting sidetracked and not finding the traction you need to move your business forward?

The truth is every performance gap, every little inefficiency, every lack of organization or productivity, not only reduces the effectiveness of your business, it also steals time from your personal life! This is TRUE FOR all BUSINESS owners!

As business owner you need to confidently take your business to the next level… if you’re not, you may be going nowhere fast...  In fact if you are like 95% of business owners, you are already there…in the area of a million ideas and nothing getting done.

60 Second Trick That Will Make It Easy For Your Prospects to Contact You

Sometimes a very simple tweak can make a huge impact for you and your prospects.

Have you ever had this happen?  You read an email from someone that really impresses you.  You are inspired to take action right away and then you realize that the email does not include contact information.

You don't have the desire to go to their site to look it up, so you put it off until later.

Don't let this happen to your prospects! 

Today I'll share two tricks to make it easy for your prospects to pick up the phone and give you a call.

Does Your CRM System Help Your Business Grow? Interview: @batchblue

The other day I was working with a new strategy client and we were reviewing her client sales and communication processes. When I asked her what she did to manage all of her client communications she showed me a pile of sticky notes on her desk.  She shared that she was often forgetting important followups and conversations that she had because they would get lost in the piles.  Sound familiar?  You might need a CRM system too.

Powerfully Productive businesses know that effective follow-up is critical to success. 

CRM stands for Customer/Client Relationship Management. 

In simple terms, a CRM tool if used correctly, can help you manage all of the communication you have with your prospects, clients/customers, people you network with, service providers and more. 

A good CRM is more than an address book.  It is your memory -- only organized!  For example, say you met someone at a networking meeting a year ago and had a conversation with that person.  You can record the key pieces of the conversation in your CRM.  Then, the next time you interact, you will be able to remember that person had 2 kids, loves baseball and was interested in your core service.  You can track relevant information and ACT on it and personalize the communication by remembering things that the average person would not.

There are many great and many not-so-great CRM tools on the market.  I use one called Batchbook and today I talk with Pamela O’Hara who is the CEO & Co-Founder of BatchBlue and the makers of BatchBook. 

Keep reading to learn more about what makes this tool unique and maybe you will decide that it could be one of your Productivity Powerhouse Tools too!

Tracking How to Get It All Done & Avoid Information Overload-Interview With @Springpad CEO @jeffjaner

Information Overload is a topic that comes up frequently when I talk with people about what holds their productivity back. Many people have become "information junkies" collecting all kinds of information but not having it in a format that makes it usable. 

Jeff Janer and his team at Spring Partners saw that coming a few years ago and developed a great tool called Springpad.  Today I talk with Jeff and he shares some great insight on how Springpad could be one of your Productivity Powerhouse Tools.

Productive Communication & Marketing : How to Manage All of Those Links! Interview with @ItsMyURLs CEO @hustle247

How many social networks do you belong to?  How many different web sites are related to you personally or professionally?  I bet the number is more than five.  How are you managing all of those different urls? Do you even remember signing up for everything?

Now, take a look at your business card, brochures or other social media profiles.  The other day I was in a meeting and saw a card that had the back covered with 2 different QR codes and the front had a few different urls. When I asked about it, he said that he would have put more if he had had room on the card. 

The world of communication has changed my friends.  It is no longer about telling your customers and prospects to connect with you in one location.  Smart businesses are going to where their customers and prospects spend time.  That often means that we are spending various amounts of time on a number of social media sites or niche sites along with the sites we have created for our own businesses.

Thanks to the ItsMyURLs team, you don't have to have that kind of clutter in your marketing materials!  Today I interview the CEO of the Boston-based company, Eddy Inserra, and he'll tell us more about how you can connect all of your websites in one spot and reference ONE url or QR code. 

I call ItsMyURLs one of my productivity powerhouse tools.

Best Business Technology for Small Businesses & Their Owners (28 ideas from them to you!)

"Stephanie you are such a geek." That is what I heard from her as we were talking on the phone.  OK!  I'll own that.  I like to share various tools that help to make you more productive. I laughed, and that statement led us to an interesting conversation about technology and how much or how little different people use of it in their business life. 

Even if you are not the most technical person on your block, you probably have some form of technology in your life that you love.  This week we are featuring 28 small business owners from our community and the technology they'd prefer to not live without.

We started by asking this question:

What tech tools (office machine, gadget, hardware, software or online tools) could you not live without, why and where can we find it?  In other words, what one piece of technology empowers you to conduct your business better? 

You will find hardware, software and cloud (internet based) solutions mentioned in this post.  I suggest that you quickly skim through the list and then go back and really check out suggestions that sound great to you.  Check to see if your favorite is mentioned, or maybe you will find a new favorite.

Link Lineup! Leadership, Business Record Retention, Backing up Your SM & more

Every other Wednesday, I share links to a number of different blogs and sites.  Today, you can see content on:

• Leadership
• Business Record Retention
• Backign up Your Business Data

 

Productive Marketing: Is Your Blog on the Amazon Kindle? It Could Be!

One of the reasons that I can get so much done in my business and in life is because I like things that are easy to implement and this is certainly one of them.  Marketing business coaches will tell you that one of the best ways to market on the internet is to re-purpose your content.  If you follow me on my various platforms (www.SocialWithSteph.com) you may have noticed that I do this quite a bit.  Why spend time crafting something to only use it once?!  The most productive marketers know how to get leverage off of their time. 

The Amazon Kindle is one of many e-readers on the market, however; it has a BIG user base.  James McQuivey of Forrester Research estimated Kindle sales ranging around four million, as of mid-2010. I'm sure it is higher now.  Kindle users are also quite loyal.  It goes with them everywhere.  You can't necessarily say that about other ways that your blog could get read...

Today, I'll share how you can get your blog onto the Amazon Kindle in under 15 minutes as well as ask you for a little help with mine.

Link Lineup! Time Management Month and More

February is Time Management Month, so today I'll share some great articles to help you make the most of the time you have.  Every other Wednesday, I share links to a number of different blogs and sites.  Today, you can see content on: Use of Time Recycling & Time Management Social Media E-mail

19 Tips for Managing Your Email Even When You Don't Want To

E-mail, it is the form of communication that we love to hate and love to love.  For many it is an addiction.  Still others get completely overwhelmed with the information drowning their in-boxes on a daily basis.  It is a communication tool that has been around for decades and it does not look like it is going away any time soon.

It is also one of the biggest TIME HOGS in business today.  Multiple studies on business productivity will tell you that huge amounts of time are wasted on email.

Some will try to tell you that if you have the "right" tool/ e-mail client, you will have all of your worries taken care of.  I'm not of that school of thought.  I don't care what tool you receive your e-mail in, you still have to manage it or it will run you.  (Although, maybe in a future post we will debate over which tool is better!)

Today, 19 of my friends and colleagues have shared their favorite tip for keeping control of the electronic monster.  If you have tips or tricks that work for you, please share them in the comments!

12 Business Productivity Tools They Can Not Live Without!

The most successful business owners and professionals effectively use tools to manage their time, space and information.  I asked some of my colleagues and readers to share their favorites.  Today you will learn about 12 business productivity tools that they can't live without.

You will find that some mentioned physical tools, while other mentioned software and "cloud" tools.  Check out the list to see if your favorites are mentioned.

 

Link Lineup: Time Management, Org Tools, Focus Concentration and Top Mobil Phone Apps

February is Time Management Month, so today I'll share some great articles to help you make the most of the time you have.  Every other Wednesday, I share links to a number of different blogs and sites.  Today, you can see content on: Time Management Top Mobile Phone Apps Organizing Tools Focus and Concentration

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Procrastination, Email, Multi-Tasking, Family Management, Soc Media Backup Etc. Link Lineup!

There is some fantastic content out on the web and I often have clients and readers ask me what I have found.  Every other Wednesday, I share links to a number of different blogs and sites.  Today, you can see content on: Procrastination Single-Tasking/Multi-Tasking Emergency Prep for Online Data Electronic Information - Email smart phones and Social Media Family Management

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5 Tips for Productivity, Organizing and Changing Your Life

Have you ever had one of those days or weeks where nothing goes as you originally planned? Well, if you have, you are not alone.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the average person spends over 150 hours per year just looking for information.  The Esselte company conducted a study of over 2,600 executives and found that the average executive wastes 6 week a year just looking for lost documents and information. 

If your business is not effectively organized, it’s costing you money.  If you are like the average executive, I bet that you have a lot of things that you would like to do, but don't have the time.  You are so busy working you can't even imagine taking time off to enjoy life.  It is not an easy problem to solve – otherwise there would not be so many places with this problem!  The good news is that you can solve it!

Communication Productivity Tip: Don't Make People Search for You.

If you aren't keeping your online profiles complete, you are missing out on some great connections and opportunities.  Today I'll share why you should care and what you can do about it.

Tweet

You Can Steal Time Back From Email

A few days ago I received an email from a reader.  In it he said:

"Great site! I have been reading Productive and Organized for some time and the articles and tips are very effective not only for me personally but also for my business.  Not only has my productivity increased with your strategies, but I have also alleviated quite a bit of stress! The article “Don't Get Your Time Stolen -- 6 Mistakes to Avoid” was terrific [....]

As a busy division manager, I frequently find myself wasting time checking, reading and responding to email. I have finally found a way to shut down email distractions by setting up a task-focused email account connected to my original account."

Email is something that many of us struggle with.  I'm often asked to share email strategies when I give workshops and presentations.  Since Art mentioned he had found a system that worked for him, I asked if he would be willing to share it with me.  If you have challenges finding time to get through the piles of email in your inbox, you will enjoy reading the guest post today.

Personal Productivity, Organization and Mindset #Cinch Podcasts In One Location

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All Productivity and Organization Audio Cinchcasts

 

Personal Productivity

 

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There is an App for That -- Productivity Apps for iPhone and Android

I am constantly amazed at the new and creative applications (apps) that are on the market today for smart-phones.  It seems that every time I give a workshop to business owners there are at least one if not two new companies that are specializing in creating programs for your phone. 

What does that mean?  It means that if you can think of something you would like your phone to do, it probably can if you find the right app!  However, this also means that there are so many apps out there that you may get lost like a needle in a haystack.

Little Things Really Can Make a Big Impact

Have you ever thought about how the simple and small things you do or don't do can add up to really big numbers to impact your productivity?  My buddy Paul Burton does all of the time.  It is one of his productivity specialities. 

Consider this one.  On Wednesday I posted this tweet tip:

StephCalahan  Constant interruptions with the e-mail notification sound make it difficult for anyone to complete other tasks.

I turned off my email notification a long time ago (about 15 years) because I did not want to be taken out of the important state of concentration when working on projects.  I have never missed it.  Paul shared this commentary:

QuietSpacing   @StephCalahan: 4 seconds of lost productivity with each ~ping~. 100 emails a day x 220 work days a year. Well, you do the math!

OK!  So let's really do the math! 

4 seconds times 100 emails = 400 seconds

400 seconds time 220 work days a year = 88,000 seconds

88,000 seconds divided by 60 = 1466.666667 minutes

1466.666667 minutes divided by 60 = 24.44 hours!

HOW LONG? 24.44 HOURS A YEAR LOST TO EMAIL PINGS!

You got it. If you receive more than 100 emails a day it gets even worse. You have lost productivity hidden in the very simple things that you do.  So consider turning off that email notificaiton and do something more worthwhile with all of that time.

What do you think?  Share your thoughts in my comments section (If you are reading this in email, click on the title to this post to be taken to my blog to comment.)

To your success!

PS -- If you've enjoyed this post and want to see more, why not subscribe to our daily emails (Feedblitz) or through the RSS Feed (click here)?  Or, follow us on Twitter!  Or connect on Facebook!

 

Productive Social Networking-Making the Most of Your Twitter & Facebook Experience - Do You Use Lists?

Social media sites like Twitter and Facebook are growing in popularity for not only those that want to get in touch with family and lost friends, but also for business professionals.

One of the challenges as you get going with these sites, however, is the massive amount of infomation that starts coming at you.  If you are like me, you follow/friend people for a number of reasons.  When everyone's information is jumbled together, it is hard to focus and build relationships (that is one of the main reasons for the sites afterall -- building relationships) or gather knowledge.

One great way to cut through the clutter and stay focused is to use the lists function.  Both Twitter and Facebook give you the option to "list" your connections.  Today I'll share more about why you may want to do that as well as share some thoughts from my friends on Twitter.

Top 9 Mistaken Organizing Statements

There are a number of statements that I have heard people say over the years with regard to their organizing projects.  They are the top mistakes that you can make when thinking about getting your space and time under control. 

This is the Year & NOW is the Time - Take the Self-Assessment to See If You Qualify for a F'ree Strategy Session

"I'm not making excuses anymore.  I'm tired of looking for important papers.  I'm tired of wasted time.  I'm tired of not focusing on my business like I should. This is the year and now is the time!"  That is what I heard from a new client as I was talking to him this week, and I could not agree more!  2009 was rough on a lot of us.  2010 is the start of something new, something better.  Success IS in your grasp!  Do you feel it?  I hope you do.

I want to support that success, so I've decided to open my calendar and offer a limited number of f'ree strategy sessions via telephone or skype.

Interested?  Then start by taking this self-assessment:  http://www.calahansolutions.info/self-assessment.html

You will get your results online and via email immediately and if you qualify for a strategy session, we'll contact you to set up a time to talk. 

What are you waiting for?  Make a change to make 2010 your best year yet.

To your success!

 

Clean up the Clutter on Your Facebook Newsfeed

From a Reader:  Steph, I love all of the connections that I can make on Facebook, but I am so sick of the goofy games.  I don't care about virtual pillow fights or mafia wars or what color underwear you are wearing!  Is there a way to cut the clutter and still stay in touch with my friends?  Thanks - Tamera 

Tamera, I'm with you!  I love the ease that I can connect with people from all over the world, but I am not a game player.  I use Facebook to build new relationships and reconnect with people.  Playing games keeps me from my priorities. 

There is good news!  If you are among the growing crowd of people that avoid Facebook because you just don't have timeor don't care to scroll through the myriad of games your friends are participating in, today I'll share how to get rid of the clutter.  Read on to learn how to clean up your Facebook stream -- getting rid of the games, while still seeing the funny/engaging things your friends talk about.

The Great Organizing Giveaway is Here!

The new year is a great time to think of ways that you can improve your life -- Getting Organized always lands in the top 10 lists of New Year Resolutions.  There are many outstanding resources available help you, but I often hear that it is hard to find them.  Our solution was to get the resources available in one spot!

The Great Organizing Giveaway is Here!

AboutOne is About YOU! Win a chance at an iPod Touch!

I am quite honored to share that the founders of AboutOne contacted me earlier this year and asked me to sit on their advisory board.  After hearing Joanne Lang's extremely professional presentation and vision for an on-line tool that would help busy moms get and stay organized, I was hooked.  Of course I was honored to be on their board!

Up until this point, the AboutOne team has been diligently in the background planning and programming the awesome new tool.  They are now needing your input to ensure that they are spending their development dollars in the right place.  (One of the things I like about this company is that they really care about what YOU think!)

If you have a few minutes, I'd love it if you would go to www.AboutOne.com and take their market survey.  It won't take long and it will help the team tremendously. 

A little about AboutOne:

Coming early in 2010, AboutOne is designed to help busy moms get organized, ->> it is a highly secure, on-line service that helps you quickly enter, track and organize your information and your household information, share pieces with family members and give you the ability from any location, 24/7 to find what you need in seconds.  

 

In addition to helping moms (and yes, dads you will love it too!) the AboutOne team is all about "giving back" too.  Here are three ways that they contribute on a bigger scale:

• free access for our Heroes (army, navy, fire etc) program
• sponsoring children in need
• giving time at events to raise money for cancer.  

Please help the team ensure that the product meets YOUR needs by taking the survey at www.AboutOne.com- it takes less than 10 minutes and you can win an iPod Touch every month too.

Oh!  They will be participating in the Great Organizing Giveaway too!

To your success!

PS -- This is the last post for this week.  Next week be on the look out for my guest posters.  Please show them some love and comment on the blog. :-D

 

The Great Calendar Debate - Paper or Electronic - 21 Experts Weigh In

We are in the home stretch of 2009 -- bring on 2010!!  One item frequently purchased at this time of year is a calendar or planner for the upcoming year. 

But, what is the right kind of planner to use?  Some say the traditional paper planner is the best, while others swear by their smart-phone or on line tool.  How do you decide what is best for you? 

Keep reading to learn what my colleagues and friends had to say about the "Great Calendar Debate."   They provide tips to help you decide as well as some recommended tools.

Twitter Tuesday - My Tweeps Share Their Favorite Online Productivity Tools

Every once-in-a-while, I fire a question out to my Twitter friends.  This time, I asked:

What is your favorite online productivity tool? 

Check out the great replies that I got from my "Tweeps."  If you like what they have to say, make sure to follow them for more great ideas!

How much time does Web 2.0 take and Preview of New LinkedIN Prod. Tool

Today's post is really short, but I wanted to share a great post that talks about how to look at your social networking.  The author gives some fantastic resources and perspective on how long various social networking activities take.  Check it out!  http://virl.com/dbdb3/

Also, LinkedIN just came out with a new way to manage your contacts on LinkedIN.  Check out this short video to learn more.

To your success!

Tumblr as an Organizing Tool? Sure! Says one of my readers

 

I've told you before that I'm on Twitter.  I share all kinds of short bits out there, but I also ask questions.  The other day, I asked "What is your favorite on line productivity tool."  I got some really great responses and you can find them all marked in my Twitter favorites. 

Anyway, my buddy Vikki aka @snootyvixentold me that Tumblr was her favorite.  That had me curious because I knew Tumblr as an on-line bookmarking site.  Never thought of it as a productivity tool.  So I asked her and she shared her strategy with me.  Now, I'll share it with you!

 

It is More than OK to Hit the DELETE Key - Learn How Now

 

Hit the DELETE Key Often!  With the ever increasing amounts of electronic mail that we get, it is OK to hit the delete key.

I have found, however, that there are many people that are uncomfortable with that action.  Today I will share how one client and I worked through her barrage of email to put systems in place and manage a backlog of 1,000s of emails.

Tools for Organizing Life -- Check out these great resources & tell me what you think

Photo by Tom Adriaenssen

Life gets hectic!  Today, there are so many things we can do with our time.  There are also slews of tools we can use to help us manage everything.  Trouble is, there are so many that it TAKES TIME to figure out what we should use!  Truth is, alot of these tools do similar things in different ways.  Today I'll share some resources and see what you think.  Find simplicity today!

 

Automated Delegation - Good or Bad? Answer: Both! It depends on how you implement.

Yesterday, my brother commented to one of my time tips and it really made me laugh.  

He brought up a good point -- Facebook and other social networking sites can be real time-killers if you are not careful.  Then, I realized that I have not really shared my experience or the tools that I use to stay productive online.  That will begin to change today by sharing one of my "secret weapons."

Put a smile on your customers face... How a GREAT tool can benefit you and/or your business

Recently, I have had a lot of colleagues and readers ask me how I stay in touch with people that are important to me and I realized that I had not talked about this tool in a while.  When I first learned about this tool, I thought it had to be too good to be true.  Boy was I wrong!  The company continues to impress me with their ability to upgrade and keep costs low and value high.  Keep reading to learn the benefits and how this tool has helped me.

Computer Crashed! 400 Gigs Gone! Don't Let this Happen to You!

Like many small companies, Calahan Solutions is not on a big corporate server environment.  The company is ran on PC desktops and laptops (OK MAC Lovers, I know you are going to have comments for me, but at this point we don't have MACs).  The hard drives of those computers are the life-blood of the company. 

Then it happened... the unthinkable!  I went to my desktop computer about a week ago and turned it on.  It made a really odd whirring sound and I thought to myself "this can't be good..." 

AAAAhhhhh! and Other Utterances Because of Computer Slowdown

"I WANT TO THROW MY COMPUTERS IN THE LAKE AND START OVER!!!"
 

I'm sure you have felt this way at one time or another... Computers are fantastic when they work for you and about the worst thing on earth when they don't do what you want them to do.  Did you know there is more than one way for your computer to get cluttered?  This clutter can lead to significant slow down in operating performance, or a significant slow down in your ability to find information you want.  Today I'll share some tricks to speed things back up.

Productive Phone & Website Tool -- Get Human!

If you are like me, you can get pretty frustrated calling a customer service line only to spend hours going in technological circles and you either speak or press a variety of numbered choices just hoping that you will get to a person that will speed things up for you!  Today I will share a great online tool to help you speed up the time you spend waiting around on automated telephone systems and other customer service challenges.

Articles in the News on Organizing

There are great articles and blogs all over the net, but sometimes it is hard to determine which articles are worth the time to read and which ones are better left alone.  So, I've started a new posting on this blog.  As I find great content, I'll share it with you weekly.  Keep reading for this week's great items.

There are great articles and blogs all over the net, but sometimes it is hard to determine which articles are worth the time to read and which ones are better left alone.  So, I've started a new posting on this blog.  As I find great content, I'll share it with you weekly.  Keep reading for this week's great items.

Organizing in the News - Clips from Across the Globe

There are great articles and blogs all over the net, but sometimes it is hard to determine which articles are worth the time to read and which ones are better left alone.  So, I've started a new posting on this blog.  As I find great content, I'll share it with you weekly.  Keep reading for this week's great items.

There are great articles and blogs all over the net, but sometimes it is hard to determine which articles are worth the time to read and which ones are better left alone.  So, I've started a new posting on this blog.  As I find great content, I'll share it with you weekly.  Keep reading for this week's great items.

Delegate Bookmarking to an Automated System

Sometimes when I talk about delegation, I am referring to taking a task and giving it to someone else to do.  Today, I'm talking about taking a very mundane task and delegating it to automation! 

I found a cool new tool recently while surfing TipsGuide.com. It is called OnlyWire.  OnlyWire lets you bookmark articles/posts that you find and like to multiple bookmarking accounts all at once. 

An Easier Way to Share Documents

Finally!  A low cost way to share big files without locking up your friend's email.  It is called Box.net and according to their site it is used by nearly 2 million people worldwide. Keep reading to learn about the testing I did today and what I think of the tool.

Spending Time on Social Networking - Make it Count!

Have you set up a Web 2.0 strategy for your business?  Do you use social networking sites to build your prospect listing?  Do you know if the sites you have chosen are a fit with your target market?

Before you take a lot of time managing various social networking sites, make sure that the people using that network are in your target market!  Today I'll tell you about a great tool that will help you figure that out.

Keeping E-mail Under Control

"Some firms report that e-mails account for up to 40 percent of data-storage costs, with an estimated one in five defined as non-business-related"

-- Source: Hitachi Data Survey of 630 IT Directors, via vnunet.com

Are you like most executives?  Statistics report that the average exec averages at least 100 emails daily.  Add to that, the National Association of Professional Organizers reports that e-mail has added one to two hours to each person's work schedule per day compared to 10 years ago!

Today I'll cover some tips you can use to keep your in-box under control.

Dont Recreate it Find that Computer File Quickly

Can you find the files on your computer or smart phone, or do you find it easier to just re-create the document?

Whether you work at a Fortune 500 company, a small to medium-sized business, run a business out of your home, or run your household, vast amounts of electronic information are now part of the typical workspace. "eClutter" affects productivity and increases stress in much the same way that paper clutter does.

Here are 6 tips to help you find what you need on your computer.

Find it on Your Computer in 5 Seconds - Stephanie on WCIA

We were thrilled to be asked back on to WCIA to talk some more about do-it-yourself projects.  Today we talked about a great software program that I use and many of my clients love. Keep reading to see the recording of the segment.

11 Tips for When When You are the Receiver of Email

Computers have made our world a much more information rich society, but they have also created so much information that it is sometimes hard to track it all.  Most executives average about 100 pieces of e-mail per day!  Additionally, according to the National Association of Professional Organizers, e-mail has added one to two hours to each person's work schedule per day compared to 10 years ago.  Here are a few tips to lighten your in-box.

Delegate Today! Social Networking

There are a number of things that you can do to increase your profits and have hours in your day that you enjoy and prosper! Even if you do not have employees, there are things you can do to delegate activities. Don't let activities you cannot stand or are not money makers chew up your time!
Today, I'll talk about social networking.

Twitter - a time waster or not?

Do you tweet?  I do now.  I am just learning because one of my favorite advisers Joan Stewart suggests that Tweeting is a good way to grow your business.

You can subscribe to my rss: http://twitter.com/statuses/user_timeline/14114393.rss
You can follow my tweets here: http://twitter.com/StephCalahan

If you are not familiar with Twitter, it is a site that you can use to tell the world (or at least the world of twitter users) what you are up to.  Read Joan's article above to learn more.

So here is my question:

E-Mail: Formatting and spacing make a difference

When you are writing your emails, are you considering the reader's ease of reading?  Think about the types of emails that you respond to quickly vs. the kind you put off until later.  Are there any commonalities to the ease of reading?  I bet in many instances there are. 

It is all too easy to mix important points with extra information.  This can make your communication confusing to the reader.  Separating the content and questions, rather than having it all roll together makes a big difference in the individual's ability to process what you are saying.

Let's go with an example:

What is on your desk? Does it help or hinder?

There are different articles in the news every day that cover the topics of organization and productivity.  Some are good and some are not so good...  However, today I read an article that shared a tip I had never heard of before!

Organizing CDs, DVDs, Software and other Discs

Do you struggle with organizing your discs?  Many people do!  If you are like a lot of people, you have tried the disc books and other popular organizing strategies.  Today I'll tell you about a different alternative.