You are here: Home / Archives for Time mgmt./Productivity

How to Jog Your Memory

April 24, 2012 By 1 Comment

source: ganesha.isis

Some people think I’m extra organized because I always enter notes in my iPhone. The truth is that I have the world’s worst memory. I can remember faces, not names, and directions, not addresses.

Over the years, I’ve taken a few steps to try to improve my memory or at least fake that I have a better memory than I do. By using the simple strategies below, I’m able to finish projects on time, avoid annoying friends and clients, and remember important dates.

Consider these four steps tips for improving your memory.

Add an attachment to your e-mail before you write your message.

Have you had to send a follow-up e-mail after you’re forgotten to include an attachment? I have. By adding the attachment before I write the message, I don’t have to send the follow-up message. The best part is that my friends and clients have stopped sending me e-mails — some of them in an annoying tone — asking about attachments I was supposed to include.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

Filed Under: Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: , ,

When is it Time to Break Up With a Client?

December 8, 2011 By 6 Comments

I think we’re better off as friends.

It’s not you, it’s me.

The timing isn’t right.

We’ve all either heard or used those excuses during a breakup in our personal life.

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it comes to clients. But when a client has been with you from the start and your services are worth more than you’re charging, what do you do? Consider the following three options. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With:

3 Ways to Change Your Organizing Habits

November 23, 2011 By

source: balanced.crafts

A good friend of mine refuses to see a doctor (she hasn’t seen one in years) because she’s afraid that a doctor will find something wrong with her. What she doesn’t understand is that if she never gets a checkup, she may not discover a medical problem until it’s well advanced (and too late).

Change isn’t easy, and some people can’t get motivated to change their habits until they’ve had a bad experience. Or they may hear about something bad happening to someone else, which finally triggers them to make a change.

When you work for yourself, a bad experience could be losing an account, missing an important deadline, or double-booking appointments with two important clients. Bad days are part of life, but you’re a lot less likely to experience these types of setbacks if you take steps to get organized.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: ,

4 Things You Don’t Have To Do

October 20, 2011 By

source: Homini:)

Yesterday while I was waiting in line at a store, a little boy threw a fit. His mom told him to do something and he kept saying, “I don’t have to!” while he stomped his feet. Two candy bars later, the mom convinced him to do what she asked.

That’s one kid who has a strong future in negotiating!

Working for yourself involves having to do things you want to do, have to do and hate to do…even when there’s no candy involved. Fortunately there are a few things you don’t have to do.

To learn what they are, click here to read the rest of my guest blog post on Success…Your Way.


Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: ,

Just Published: Organize Your Home Office for Success

October 19, 2011 By 9 Comments

Today I’m excited to announce that after spending way too much time at Starbucks, on planes, and locked in my home office working on Organize Your Home Office for Success, the new and improved 4th edition is now available.

This is the ideal e-book (it’s also available in paperback) for entrepreneurs, home-based corporate employees, telecommuters, and stay-at-home moms and dads who need a space to manage a business or run a busy household.

How it all started

Eighteen years ago, I wrote the first edition of this book because I started getting two types of phone calls: one from business owners who wanted individual home office consultations, and the other from people who wanted suggestions for books they could use to organize their home offices on their own.

When I looked for a home office book to recommend, I couldn’t find one. It didn’t exist. There were plenty of home organizing books, but nothing that focused specifically on home offices and the challenges of working from home. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Books by Lisa, Home office organizing, Home office setup, Home office technology, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With:

Do The Right Thing But at The Right Time

October 6, 2011 By 2 Comments

source: Ant Smith

Yesterday, I grabbed a sandwich at a deli near my house and the place was packed. While I was waiting in line, one of the employees almost knocked me over. He was busy mopping the floor and putting the rugs back, while customers tried to walk past him to pick up their orders.

The floor needed to be mopped, but did the guy have to mop during the busy lunch rush? He was doing the right thing, but his timing was off.

How is your timing? Consider these questions:

Do you follow up with clients when say you will?

A superstar realtor friend of mine has had a record year. Why? She calls her prospects back on the exact day she promises to call. When she shows that much attention to detail, the prospects are so impressed (and surprised), they hire her to represent them.

One of the few times a prospect she was working with decided to sign with another realtor, was when she responded to the prospect’s text at 3 am. The client had sent the text at dinnertime the night before and didn’t appreciate the text in the middle of the night. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: ,

5 Ways to Fix Your Files

September 6, 2011 By 8 Comments


Have you ever noticed that filing a piece of paper is easy, but finding it later is a bit more challenging? If so, you’re not alone. Several of my clients tell me that they have no trouble tossing papers into files, but waste time trying to find the piece of paper again when they need it.

Does that sound familiar?

There’s always the option of having a completely paperless home office, but that may take time considering old habits are hard to break. Until you’re ready to go paperless, consider these common filing mistakes along with a few simple solutions:

Forgetting where you’ve filed something

Give your files names that you’ll remember by using word association. Whatever word will help you find a piece of paper when you need it is what you should name a file. Considering that you’re probably the only one [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home office organizing, Home office setup, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: ,

15 (more) Actions You Can Take in 10 Minutes or Less to Move Your Business Forward

August 25, 2011 By 19 Comments


In a previous guest post, Michelle Shaeffer shared 10 proven strategies to help you improve your business. The response from readers was overwhelming. In this guest post, Michelle shares 15 more tips.

Guest post by Michelle Shaeffer

1. Write a testimonial.
Think of a product or service you’ve recently received that was fantastic. Now write a testimonial for it and send it to the business along with name, business, URL, and city/state. Include a statement of your permission to reprint it on their site, in their newsletter, etc. If you don’t feel like writing, record it as an mp3 and send. Most (all?!) businesses love to get testimonials or positive reviews and will happily use them on their websites and include your business name and sometimes even a live link to your site.

2. Record a quick how to video and upload to YouTube.
YouTube is a huge source of traffic for many websites.  Using Jing (there’s a free version) or similar program you can quickly and easily create a short how to video with a tip or step by step use of a product or service you offer. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Improving your web site, Marketing/Public Relations, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With: , ,

An Inspiration Vacation Can be Good Motivation

August 22, 2011 By 11 Comments

I travel often for business and pleasure, but my last trip didn’t involve packing, booking a flight or even asking someone to water my plants while I was away.

The last trip I took was an inspiration vacation.

It wasn’t a planned trip. It started one morning when my alarm clock went off and I didn’t want to go to work. That can be a big issue when you work for yourself.

When I had a corporate job, I used to dread going to work. Now that I work for myself and set my own hours, I don’t have a good reason to feel that way. But sometimes, I do.

So instead of feeling stressed, which was going to further destroy any enthusiasm I had for working, I quit pushing myself. I decided to soak in as much information as I could.

I knew that no one was going to answer emails for me, finish the guest posts I committed to write or work on the next seminar I was giving in two weeks, so I took care of what needed my immediate [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working at home Tagged With: ,

When Do Business Favors for Friends and Family Go Too Far?

July 25, 2011 By 2 Comments

Would you do a favor for a friend or for someone in your family?

Depending on the favor and the friend or family member, most of us would. Sometimes, though, the favor isn’t worth the aggravation it causes.

Last year, a friend asked me to look at the plans for her new house and to give her ideas for improving them. As a favor to her, I spent two hours reviewing her plans and gave her several suggestions. After her architect made the changes, she asked me to look at the plans again. I spent another hour looking at them (still part of the favor) and made a few more changes.

When she called two months later to ask me to help her pick out lighting, with an offer to buy me lunch, I said no. She had crossed the line from asking a favor to taking advantage of my time and expertise.

After that experience, I’ve changed the way I do business with friends and family. Consider these tips for avoiding a similar (uncomfortable) situation. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Time mgmt./Productivity, Working with clients Tagged With:
« Older Posts
Hide me
Sign up now for an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success!
Name Email
Show me
Sign up now for an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success!
Enter your e-mail address below to get an excerpt from Organize Your Home Office for Success. You'll also receive updates and occasional promotions that are available only to subscribers. We respect your privacy and will not share your information with anyone.
Close