• Home
  • About Us
    • What We Do
    • Why DemGen
    • FAQ
  • Services
    • Business Development
    • Service List
  • Testimonials
  • Case Studies
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Contact Us

Archive for Time Management

Get More Done in Less Time

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Get More Done in Less Time
Friday, May 13th, 2016

ants

How many times have you started your work day thinking you had everything in place, schedule organized, allotted time for each task written down? And how many times did that same day slowly start to unravel, leaving you feeling frustrated and that you somehow failed yourself?

You look around and see others who have neat and organized home offices, their work areas holding just the things that are needed at that time, everything in its place. Their computers are not holding hundreds of difficult to locate files and their email has not run away with itself after declaring mutiny on its owner. Yet these apparent super humans still find time to eat relatively healthy meals, indulge in their interests and spend time with their families. What’s their secret?

There are three basic steps you can take to get your work/home life back in balance and by doing that, accomplish more in one day than you used to accomplish in a week.

Organize by using available tools.

This is a step-by-step process starting (preferably) with a pen and paper where you first list the things that absolutely have to be done, both in your work area and your home life. Make it a long list because when you’re finished, you’ll find that a lot of these items can be grouped into one category. This list can also include anything else in your life that needs organizing, especially if you work from home. Spreadsheets are perfect for this. External hard drives and flash drives are a good option for keeping things separate, such as work files, finance, household items, appointments, etc. Take one whole weekend and divide up the areas that need work. Keep a folder for each area and separate spreadsheets within the folder. Once you have everything listed, you will just need to update it every week. It may look time consuming to set up but it will be a huge time saver once you have your processes in place.

Work selectively and utilize your peak periods.

This means if you have several tasks to do, it’s sometimes best to break them up into bite size chunks and do a bit of each one, alternating them. This gives you a break from monotonous work and sometimes gives you a fresh outlook on something when you get back to it later in the day. Always try to complete the most mentally tasking items earlier in the day or whenever you are at your freshest. Leaving them until late afternoon may mean that you complete them in a hurry and don’t do your best job.

Make healthier food choices.

Eat more frequently and eat less at once. Large meals can make you sluggish and feel lazy. Make your favourite fast foods things such as yogurt, cottage cheese, fruit, nuts and dates or something similar. They don’t have to be boring and by choosing these, you’ll have increased energy. For larger meals, take time on the weekend to make up one large batch of a staple for the week…soup, chili, pasta sauce…there are lots of options out there, depending on your preferences and the size of your family. Divided up and frozen, this gives you something available when there isn’t enough time for cooking a larger meal.

Following these three steps will help you along the way to greater energy and more time to enjoy the things you love. There are other things you can do to save time e.g. grouping errands together and if you live in a multiple floor home, having baskets at the bottom of each flight so you can bring things up together (or down) instead of making several trips. Saving your energy for the more fun things in life is worth the time it takes to get it organized.

© Chris Draper, 2016

image courtesy of thenextweb

 

Categories : Productivity, Small Business, Time Management, Work/Life Balance
Comments Comments Off on Get More Done in Less Time

How Lists Help Your Productivity

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on How Lists Help Your Productivity
Monday, May 9th, 2016

listFor those of us who wish we could simplify our lives just a little – and which of us doesn’t wish that – maintaining a productive schedule doesn’t always come easy.

What are the most important things you would like to accomplish today? Which things do you really need to do and which would you like to do?

This is where maintaining balance and boosting your productivity cross paths. It’s also where  lists, whether you love them or hate them, are important. Some people are expert list makers. They have lists for everything and if you can manage that and it doesn’t take away time from actually getting things done, then you’re already a step ahead of most of us.

The great thing about lists is that as long as you pay attention to them, they will keep you organized. A master list is a great thing to have; one that encompasses both your work and your home life. For the professional list maker, this keeps everything running on an even keel. If you aren’t good at lists, an online app might be more to your liking, otherwise most of your day will be spent getting started on a list!

For the rest of us, the to do list should become a priority. This is the list that you make at the end of each day with a running tab of everything that you want to get done within the next several days. These are the things which when not written down, will keep you awake at night, worrying that you have forgotten something important. These are the things that you want to focus on and accomplish as quickly as possible and then get out of the way so you have time to enjoy your life.

It’s always a good idea to put a set amount of time beside any item(s) on your list and have a variety of tasks, some which can be finished quickly and others that may take a bit longer. This way, when you have those periods throughout the day when your energy is lagging, you can look at your list and complete one of the smaller tasks. This is usually all you need to get your focus back.

Getting right to your tasks early in the day will help you accomplish more and if you do hit a period where your energy level drops, it will be easier to get back to your list later in the day if you feel you have already completed the majority of the items.

Remember to take short breaks. Getting up and moving around will increase your energy and also give your eyes a rest, especially if most of your tasks are computer related. Rushing through to finish everything as quickly as you can usually means you aren’t putting your best effort forward. Know when to stop for the day. Not completing everything isn’t the end of the world. Add any remaining items on your list to tomorrow’s to dos. Right at the top so you get to them first.

Another example of a useful list, taken from the master list gurus, is one that you will re-use, such as a grocery list, a travel list or a 4 season list. This last one is a list of the things that have to be done around your home throughout the year. Once the list is made, things can be added or subtracted from it as needed but it will save you time once the original list is there for you.

One final note; remember to keep your list up to date. Remove all completed items and those that are no longer of interest or needed. You’ll notice your productivity increase quickly and at the same time you will get much more from life!

© Copyright 2016 Chris Draper  All rights reserved.

image courtesy of pd4pic

 

Categories : Business Tools, Productivity, Small Business, Time Management, Work/Life Balance
Comments Comments Off on How Lists Help Your Productivity

Taking a Business Break

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Taking a Business Break
Wednesday, April 20th, 2016

taking a break

The average small business owner spends 70 – 80 hours per week on their business. Therefore it’s no small wonder that they either are unable or don’t know how to take time off. Both scenarios can lead to a downfall, either of your business or your health and many times, both. Though most of us can’t say no to extra hours or opportunities due to financial constraints, at some point, the decisions will be made for us, usually through failing health.

Though all work and no play can make you dull, there are worse things in the world than being boring and one of those is being ill. Taking time off is a necessity and one that should be made a habit of, not something that just happens at vacation time, for how many of us out there spend some time also working on the weekends? Signs of needing a break include low tolerance for things that normally wouldn’t bother you; fuzzy thinking where you were once on the ball. You no longer enjoy what you are doing and make more mistakes; you are twice as exhausted doing half the things you used to do, yet you can’t sleep.

For those of us with our own businesses or who work remotely, the percentage working more than 5 days a week is astronomical. Unlike our friends, who may work the typical nine to five job, we are working a variety of hours around the clock, 7 days a week and though we may not always work straight 8 hour shifts, the ongoing schedule of working every day of the week leads to more stress and worsening health.

When a break is what you need you have to figure out how you are going to make it happen and not just this week, but every week so your body has time to relax and not think about work or other worries. If you are in charge of a business, it’s time to call in that virtual team. Though you may not think you can afford it, can you really afford not to? If you also have employees that work for you, this will involve more planning as they need to know who is in charge and what their extra duties may entail while you are away – calling you is out of the question.

Explain to your employees and your customers if you must, that you are more effective when you’re rested and that you will return, better than ever. Once everyone gets used to your taking regular time off from your business, the easier they will accept it and the smoother the transition will be each time. Once you are back, start moving forward at a pace that is more comfortable for you. Not all steps have to be large steps. Understand what it is about yourself that makes you push forward when it’s actually to your detriment.

Be easy on yourself. Everyone needs a break, even you. You don’t have to wear a flag that says you are a martyr to your business. With regular breaks, everyone will know better. They’ll realize you are a successful business person and a smart one, who knows when to take time off.

© Chris Draper, 2016

image courtesy of teamgantt

 

Categories : Entrepreneurs, Productivity, Small Business, Time Management, Work/Life Balance
Comments Comments Off on Taking a Business Break

Does Your Business Know That It’s Autumn?

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Does Your Business Know That It’s Autumn?
Thursday, September 3rd, 2015

autumn tasks  Where did it go? Summer has passed in a flash and most of us are scurrying to get ready for fall when we haven’t even adjusted to the warmer temperatures yet. You, as a small business owner, feel it and your customers feel it too.

Remember, the weather will not be summer like for long. Running your business from home requires that you have access to everything that a brick and mortar business has and if you live in a part of the country where it storms or snows often, you have to ensure that the weather won’t affect your ability to run your business successfully.

How would you, personally, as well as your business, fare, during a loss of power or a shutdown of certain streets or neighbourhoods in your city? September is the best time to make your list of absolute necessities and make sure they are in place well before the weather turns. This is also the best time of year to review your insurance coverage. Find out if your policy covers your needs adequately.

Other than emergencies, what else should you be thinking about in order to prepare your business for the fall and winter? After September and before May, there are at least five holidays that your business should be planning for. Now is the time to look at offers for your best customers as well as new marketing plans to draw in new customers. Recessions aside, there will always be services and products that your customers need. Put your best efforts into drawing attention to those.

When it comes to new products, think of what your business can provide that will interest hobby enthusiasts. Hobbies and crafts are of huge interest now and almost any business can come up with something that will interest those who love the indoors or the outdoors over the next six or seven months.

Autumn means a fresh start for many businesses, more so than the beginning of the new year and spring. It harks back to the days when we all started school with fresh notebooks and new clothes.

Going over your business in the fall and preparing for the months ahead is an annual task that small business owners should do and get out of the way so they have the time to enjoy their winter months and not have to worry about finances, the state of their business and organization at a time when they have so much else to do.

Preparing ahead of time for the busy periods and the slower ones will ensure that your business maintains its success.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015

image courtesy of theweathernetwork

 

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Small Business, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on Does Your Business Know That It’s Autumn?

10 Practical Tips to Stop Wasting Time on Facebook Now

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on 10 Practical Tips to Stop Wasting Time on Facebook Now
Friday, January 2nd, 2015
10 Practical Tips to Stop Wasting Time on Facebook Now

by milkwhale.

Categories : Social Media, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on 10 Practical Tips to Stop Wasting Time on Facebook Now

Habits of Unsuccessful People vs Successful People

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Habits of Unsuccessful People vs Successful People
Friday, October 24th, 2014
Habits of Unsuccessful People Vs Successful People

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on Habits of Unsuccessful People vs Successful People

The Ugly Truth About Meetings

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on The Ugly Truth About Meetings
Friday, June 6th, 2014
The Ugly Truth About Meetings

by dianagosi.
Explore more visuals like this one on the web’s largest information design community – Visually.

Categories : Productivity, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on The Ugly Truth About Meetings

The Importance of Taking a Break

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on The Importance of Taking a Break
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014

indexFor some of us, there is still the memory of one day a week when the stores weren’t open, no one worked, went shopping or worried about ‘productivity’ and we took a well deserved day off.

The present reality is 7 days a week, full steam ahead, to do lists, being proud of being busy and stress levels that are skyrocketing.

Living in a world that revolves very much around doing, performing, keeping up, catching up and financial gain has led to most of us losing the art of relaxation or doing nothing. While we may have plenty of distractions – our smartphones, television, computers, video games, etc., none of these do anything to help us relax and actually up the level of stress in our minds and in our bodies. Most people think they are taking care of this with their outside activities: going to the gym, yoga classes, tai chi, pilates, meditation classes, art classes, classes galore, but these aren’t really giving you a break either, they are just other ways to keep busy.

For the few who actually set aside time to intentionally relax or do nothing, the result is a raised eyebrow and comments on how it must be nice to have the time. Yet, these are the people who have it right. They aren’t caught up in the busyness schedule, the doing something just for the sake of doing and also don’t feel they have to explain themselves. They know that having at least one day a week with their families and friends, uninterrupted, is crucial to their health and their relationships.

Having an identity outside of what you do or what you can possible offer others is a healthy way to avoid the stress that seems to be rampant in today’s society. Most of us seem to define ourselves by what we do instead of who we really are. In fact, when first meeting a new person, that is one of, if not, the first question we are asked or ask others. Taking a break from constant activity, whether it be work, classes or other activities that we deem good for us or for our productivity will, in the long run, result in a more productive life because of better health. Your ability to focus and enjoy yourself will improve, your energy levels will increase and you may even look better.

Being in the here and now, enjoying what you are doing, is far more important than keeping busy just for busyness’ sake. Taking a break will bring you back to earth and can even make you a happier person!

 

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

image courtesy of sodahead

 

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Time Management, Work/Life Balance
Comments Comments Off on The Importance of Taking a Break

Time Management – The Four Quadrants

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Time Management – The Four Quadrants
Tuesday, March 25th, 2014

fourquadrants   When Steven Covey created the Four Quadrants of Time Management model, little did he know how much this strategy would affect those who used it, both in business and in their personal lives. According to him most people spend 90% of their lives in Quadrant 1 and the rest of their time in Quadrant 4.
Using the four quadrants to help you not only learn to focus on what is really important to you but also learn what really is important to you can provide the basis of time management for your business.

 

Quadrant 1 – Important and urgent

Quadrant 1 would be urgent events,  a crisis, such as a health emergency or in the case of your business, an emergency deadline, which wouldn’t be an emergency if you had prepared for it. Spending more time on relevant items and being organized keeps you out of this quadrant.

Quadrant 2 – Important but not urgent

This is where you should usually be. Planning, improving, educating, realizing new opportunities when they are available. This helps you to stay disciplined and in control of your business, leading a balanced life with less stress.

Quadrant 3 – Not important but urgent

Spending a lot of time here means you have confused urgent things as important things. Focusing on short terms goals without the insight to spend your time looking ahead at the long range means you will be disorganized, confused and not really accomplishing anything. Constantly reading email, answering texts and calls on your cellphone are things that usually aren’t important but we treat them as urgent and waste a lot of time on them.

Quadrant 4 – Not urgent and not important

These are the things that waste your time. Time spent on the internet or your smartphone, not really doing anything but pretending you are working or involved in some important task when you are  just posting unimportant comments on Facebook or Twitter; watching tv when you could be doing something you actually enjoy.

The four quadrants of time management are only useful to you if you have set goals, know what’s important in your life, know where you want your business to be and will work with it, otherwise it is just another tool that you will not really make use of but intend to get around to at some future date.

Defining what is important to you, what has value and what represents the best way to spend your time is the best way to use the four quadrants. Becoming selective in your activities, who you spend time with and who you don’t spend time with, responding to your own needs instead of always committing to the needs of others, and more than all of that, taking a break, should all be items in your quadrants. It’s up to you which quadrant you feel best represents each of them.

© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2014

image courtesy of czarto

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on Time Management – The Four Quadrants

Using Systems to Ensure Your Business Flourishes

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off on Using Systems to Ensure Your Business Flourishes
Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Start From Day One!

The beginning phases of starting up a business are always hectic. You never feel that you have enough time to do all that you need. This is the most important time to create an operating system. You need to think about everything you need right from day one. Tracking and recording everything from the start will pay off in the end. What seems small and unimportant may in fact be a vital component of running your operation successfully. Details, details, details!

Documentation is Crucial!

Diarize everything from how/where you save files right up to how your full company operates. Ensure that all staff/employees/workers do the same in each aspect of their job. Knowing all procedures within your company will keep it running smoothly. If you don’t feel you have the bandwidth for these procedures, hire professionals to do it! The money you invest will ensure your success!

Foreseeing Problems

Avoiding future issues within your company can be tackled by making notes of steps and procedures. All team members will find value in knowing they can rely on systems put in place to make their job easier. Problems always arise and the availability of how to handle any situation is invaluable.

Develop a Manual

A specific company Operations Manual is a wonderful tool that will benefit the present and future success of your business. Being proactive with this is essential.  Document specifically, all procedures within your company. This can be as simple as outlining how to answer a phone call to tracking strategies to grow your business. Each time you hire a new person to your team, you should be able to have them step right in to that position with systems already in place. An Operations Manual will make your small business run like a fine tuned machine!

Implementing and Revising Your Systems

Once you’ve created your systems you will need to revisit them often. Decide what is working and what isn’t. Ask yourself, ‘Have we missed anything?’ Do we need a system for: Opening the office? Booking appointments? Marketing meetings? Etc, etc, etc. Any system that you create, as long as implemented properly, will ultimately free up your time to ensure your business is growing as it should!

 

© Kim Miller, DemGen Inc. 2014

 

Categories : Productivity, Small Business, Time Management
Comments Comments Off on Using Systems to Ensure Your Business Flourishes
Next Page »

Get Blog Posts Via Email

          

Recent Posts

  • Moving Your Business Forward
  • How Learning Can Help Your Business
  • The Long Term Entrepreneur
  • Get More Done in Less Time
  • How Lists Help Your Productivity
  • How Much Productivity is Too Much?
  • Learn to Say No
  • Taking a Business Break
  • How Successful People Succeed
  • How to Simplify Your Business (and your life): The Basics

Search The Blog

Tags

awareness blogging tools business business plans Canadian history Christmas Coaching communication in business customer management customer service entrepreneur Entrepreneurs entrepreneurship growing your business home office innovate internet life motivation origin of business passion positive habits productivity remote workers remote working Small Business social media starting a new business Time Management Time Management Tips tribe virtual assistant virtual teams web tools Work/Life Balance work at home working for yourself working from home

Archives



        





Latest from the Blog

Connect With Us

DemGen Inc. © 2023 We Respect Your Privacy and Practice Ethical Business
Privacy Policy  |  Contact Us  |  Blog