Time Management | DemGen Inc. - Your Virtual Team - Part 4 :: DemGen Inc.

Archive for Time Management

5 Tips to Becoming a Healthy Entrepreneur

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

Being your own boss can take a toll on your health. With long hours and excessive stress, it’s tough to be a healthy entrepreneur.

The following tips will help you to stay focused on your health.

1. Incorporate activity into meetings.

Entrepreneurs often collaborate virtually. A great way to get your blood flowing (and pumping into your brain) is to incorporate activity into your meetings. Stand up and walk around during phone meetings. Skip the unhealthy restaurants and opt for walking meetings. (You’ll also get much more achieved without your mouth full.)

2. Take a step away from your computer.

As entrepreneurs, we are often chained to our desks. Sitting in the same position all day isn’t good for your posture or health. A new trend is stand-up desks. If you’re not ready to commit to standing all day, consider incorporating your own variation if you have a laptop or simply take a walk at some point each day.

3. Eat right.

The old adage is true, “You are what you eat.” It can be difficult to maintain a healthy diet with a busy schedule, but it’s extremely important to eat the right food to fuel your genius. While caffeine will give you a quick fix, healthier foods will provide long-term energy and inspiration. For more specific ideas, check out our blog post The Entrepreneur’s Diet to Increase Health and Brainpower.

4. Stay active.

Exercise is one of the first things to be overlooked with a busy schedule. Staying active doesn’t require 3 hours at the gym. Simply taking a break to stretch or incorporating a simple exercise routine into your day is a great starting point.

5. Manage your stress.

Stress is unavoidable with an entrepreneurial lifestyle and can lead to multiple health problems. Be aware of your limits and remember it’s okay to say NO sometimes. As entrepreneurs, we often try to do it all, which can become unhealthy and eventually unproductive.

Our businesses tend to be heavily intertwined with our lives. Ensuring you keep your health in mind will benefit your business and your life.

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Motivation, Productivity, Time Management, Work/Life Balance

Comments Comments Off

Can Virtual Teams Outperform Your Employees?

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

Your business has just received an extremely important contract. The work has to be of the highest quality and it’s time sensitive. Can a virtual team out perform your employees? Do you gather your employees together and split up the work or do you step outside of the box and hire a virtual team?

Virtual teams offer the possibility of a 24 hour work day. You have the pick of the best, from many locations. Lack of distraction will keep these teams focused and improve their productivity. By using quality communication tools and spending less time in meetings, they will use these precious hours to accomplish more of what really needs to be done.

With the ability to choose the right tools and collaboration software, virtual team members tend to be much more tech savvy than their brick and mortar counterparts – knowing when to collaborate and how much is extremely important. Their soft skills are kept current while many of their onsite counterparts may lack the newest software and the skills to go with them.

While daily interaction, face to face, builds trust between co-workers, just the fact of having geographical distance between members of a virtual team gives them an advantage because of differing viewpoints. This can result in higher quality results. However, team members of any virtual group need to feel that they belong and share a common goal. This can be done through definitive processes and good management practises.

One problem virtual teams can improve on, is feeling that they have to work in the same way as corporate employees – boundaries should be redefined so as to differ from the office mindset and team members left to do their best work on their own as much as possible. The best virtual team members learn by hands on methods and while video conferencing and video learning has become a large part of some team education, unfortunately this is, for the most part, still reminiscent of employee based learning.

Virtual team members tend to excel at certain skills and managers need to review and reassess upgrading of all skills on a regular basis. While brick and mortar businesses tend to send staff for training there can be a lack of funding for remote workers and this is one area where companies who operate virtually need to improve and where corporate employees may have the advantage.

One thing that is noticeable is that a high percentage of highly valued remote workers tend to be introverts. They excel at this type of work so when looking for the next member of your virtual team, set aside those who do best in the corporate world and take a closer second look at applicants who have spent a large percentage of their time learning on their own. What it really comes down to, is that good employees are good employees, whether virtual or on-site

When the decision is finally made over whether to use local employees or a virtual team for important projects, it will usually fall in favor of a remote team. A virtual team can outperform your employees! The ability to access 24 hour employees who are working within their genius abilities and the best in what they do far outweighs that of accessing what is available at the office just because it is most convenient geographically. Remember that quality employees tend to excel at setting and meeting goals. To get the best possible results, hire the workers who can meet the goals set and give you the highest quality work within the outlined timeframe.

Image courtesy of wideteams.com

Categories : Productivity, Time Management, Virtual Teams

Comments Comments Off

Working From Home With Kids

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Wednesday, March 6th, 2013

If you work from a home office and have children, you will eventually have to work with the kids around at some point.

These days many entrepreneurs and business owners make the choice to work from home, either on full or part time basis. Even if their children are old enough to be in school – there are still holidays, breaks and sick days to consider…

If you have the support of a team, you may be able to take time off while the kids are at home, but what about solopreneurs or business emergencies that only you can rectify?

Plan in advance.

By planning ahead, you can aim to address everything essential on your agenda to get as much off of your plate in advance as possible. This will help to free up your time to spend more with your children.

Emergencies may still arise, but you’ll be better suited to handle them with a clear agenda.

Try to schedule for work time and play time to achieve a healthy work and family balance.

Educate your children.

Your children may not understand that you are working when you’re at home. They see you as parents, not entrepreneurs or business owners.

Educating them about what you do will engage them in the process, and help them to understand what you are doing and why sometimes you can’t be disturbed.

By helping them to understand the world of business at an early age, you might also inspire them to become the next Steve Jobs!

Keep your office space separate.

If you are working in the same place where you have family activities, it can be hard for children to understand when you are working versus when it’s their time.

Having a separate office space will help your children to understand that when you’re in that area of the house, you are working.

Not playing where you work will also help you to separate from your work.

Have fun!

Our families are a blessing. Make sure to schedule time for family adventures whenever you can.

Getting out to have some fun with your kids will give you a break from work and allow you to come back feeling refreshed. Your kids will also work off some their excess energy, so you’ll have time to catch up on any outstanding work if need be.

If you ever start to feel frustrated by interruptions or distractions, remember that you are blessed to be able to spend as much time with your children as possible. They really do ‘grow up so fast’. Not everyone is lucky enough to have the opportunity to spend extra time with their family.

Tamara Smith

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Management, Work/Life Balance

Comments Comments Off

Save Time and Money Working With DemGen’s Virtual Team

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Friday, February 22nd, 2013

Here at DemGen we’re keenly aware that entrepreneurs and business owners can save time and money by working with a virtual team.

This Working in a Virtual World infographic is a visual representation of how virtual teams will save you time and money, compared to traditional practices.

Working in a Virtual World

Working in a Virtual World infographic

If you’d like to know more specific information about how our virtual team can save you time and money, while helping you get results, download our free report 101 Ways a Virtual Team Will Grow Your Business or schedule a no-obligation Discovery Call today!

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Management, Virtual Teams

Comments Comments Off

How Virtual Teams Provide the Best Customer Support

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Wednesday, February 20th, 2013

Wondering how virtual teams provide the best customer support and service?

Not since the Industrial Revolution have businesses seen the types of advancement in work styles that have brought on the birth of virtual teams and with them, customer support has flourished.

With constantly evolving innovations in technology and an economy in recession, more businesses than ever hire outsourced virtual support for their customers. If you are outsouricing customer service or support, here are the core questions to ask yourself: How can you give customers the best service and maintain a high level of integrity? What are customers looking for? What can your business and virtual team provide that no one else can offer?

The most important request that is heard repeatedly from customers of our clients is to have support staff in place and available. Customers should not have to wait. They want someone to converse with them in a way that they understand, while also taking the time to ask pertinent questions and listen to the answers without interruptions. If there is something they don’t understand, it should be explained fully, especially if it involves payment for services. This means in depth knowledge of the product or service that you are offering.

The second concern with many clients is confidentiality and security. They need to know that any information they pass on will remain within the company and only be available to those who absolutely need it. Access to private information needs to be limited. It is important to go over system processes and ensure that the customer’s account information will not be compromised at any time.

Finally, a measure of excellent virtual customer support is a team that follows up, preferably by phone. Many customers at some point will call back with questions or problems about your service or product. The best way to retain customers is to always follow up, whether they have made a purchase or not. This helps your customers to feel recognized and important, even if they didn’t immediately make a purchase yet.

Retention of customers who make ongoing purchases will provide the backbone of any business. Having a process in place to ensure they receive excellent customer service is the best way to do this. These customers, the most important, loyal customers, will help to increase the customer base by word of mouth.

Virtual teams providing customer support need to be twice as organized as on-site customer service representatives. They usually use their own CRMs and other in-the-cloud management software. All members of the team should be focused on making sure they are up to date with the latest technology as they are competing with other virtual teams that are available. The virtual work style is here to stay and forces accountability. Diverse abilities and enthusiasm for excellence will pave the way for increasing opportunities in virtual support.

“It is a funny thing about life: If you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it.” -W. Somerset Maugham

Chris Draper

Categories : Customer Service, Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Lead Management, Quotes, Small Business, Time Management

Comments Comments Off

The Pets That Support Our Virtual Team

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Sunday, February 17th, 2013

For those of us that have the pleasure of working from a home office, we all know that there can be many distractions. Are these distractions welcome? Well, when it is a furry member of our family sometimes these distractions can be fun!

Our virtual team here at DemGen has a family full of pets to either enhance our days or cause those little bumps in the business world. February 20^th is Love Your Pet Day so we wanted to share how we at DemGen manage our day to day work lives, while also including our cuddly creatures as well.

Pets can make it hard to get things done through the day. Do they want a walk when you really feel you don’t have the time? Do they walk across your keyboard as you try to type an important document? Do they bark for no reason just as you are starting a call? Is your desk covered with dog treats and cat toys? Is your lap full of lap dogs and not a laptop?

All of these things can be also viewed as needed productivity. If it is time to walk the dog view this time as a needed break for you also. You can come back rejuvenated and full of new ideas. If the cat is filling up your desk space view this time as a time to stay at your desk and push forward getting more and more done. Who knows what that frisky feline will get up to if you leave him alone with your computer! The comfort we get from our pets is as therapeutic as it is hectic at times. When you are having a day that you feel is just not going well, a soft cuddly snuggle with Kitty or a game of fetch with Rover can be all that we need to help get our day back on track.

Giving our pets their own area in our workspaces will often help. Keep their beds or crates in the same area you are but not right beside you. They will enjoy the comfort of being near you but hopefully without too much distraction. Keep a ball or a play toy near or on your desk. As you are on a call, maybe a quick toss of the ball to Fido may just keep him distracted to keep the call going successfully.

We all love and cherish our pets as parts of the family and working from home can make that connection even better. Some of our DemGen family pets can be viewed below and remember Feb 20^th is Love Your Pet Day…. But so is every other day!

Harry – Ragdoll/Persian cross cat. Owner: Chris Draper of DemGen. Harry is known for lending a helping hand when it really isn’t needed. His favorite pastime is to hit the redial button or even the speaker on Chris’ phone at most inopportune times!

Harry

Slink the mini dachshund and Charlieferb the Himalayan beauty. They are the best of pals that entertain Lisa Messervey of DemGen throughout her work day.

Slink and Charlieferb

Smokey and Busta are the beautiful rescues of Tamara Smith of DemGen. Smokey is a tiny kitty that thinks she’s huge. She has stared down dogs and may think she is one, given she loves to fetch. Busta is an overly social character that loves to bring friends home to hang out, much to Smokey’s chagrin.

Smokey

Busta

Maggie May (yes named for the Rod Stewart song, as she already had a cousin named Maggie) came to the home of Dan and Pam Christie, both of DemGen, as an 8 month old rescue chocolate lab/beagle mix. Initially she was scared of everything from brooms to people. Now 3 years later Maggie May has adjusted to and loves the stream of people in and out of the busy business-based house each day. As you can see she is a Detroit Red Wings Fan and her never ending love is a blessing to this family. Just watch the tail go when you say T R E A T!

Maggie May

Introducing Shih-tzu’s Tucker (left) and Willow (right) owned by Kim Miller of DemGen. Tucker is 10 years old and loves to spend his time napping during the work day when Willow lets him. Willow is a typical 10 month old playful puppy and she loves to spend time on a lap in place of a laptop!

Tucker and Willow

Thanks for taking the time to enjoy our pets as much as we do!

Kim Miller

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Time Management, Virtual Teams, Work/Life Balance

Comments Comments Off

Time Management Tips for Fall (and all year round!)

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

What are you putting off that you should be completing before the weather turns colder? And not just now, but throughout the year, how often have you procrastinated over both small and large projects?

Check your list of goals for the year – update them and cross off those that are completed or that no longer work for you.

Time to Enjoy the Autumn Weather

Make a new plan. Look at what you wish to accomplish in a different way. Besides your work goals, what other things would you really like to be doing? What interests you that you haven’t been spending time on? Make those things a priority.

Remember routines. Though this may sound boring, a routine for the tasks that must be done every day or every week helps to establish a rhythm. This is the way to get things done and out of the way that may not be fun or interesting but still need to be completed.

Focus on what you’re doing. If your mind is on something else when it really should be on the task at hand, re-focus and concentrate on finishing just this one things before moving on to something else.

Take a look at where you waste time. We all do it, whether spending too much time on the computer,(after all, how much information do we really need?) watching television or endless hours shopping. Taking a closer look at where the majority of your free time goes can be a rude awakening for most of us.

Decide what time of day and which day of the week is the best for you to run errands. If you’re an early bird and have a 24 hour grocery store in your neighbourhood, maybe it’s best for you to get your shopping done early in the day, before work. Many things can be purchased online and for a small fee, delivered to your home. Figure out how much time and money it costs you to shop for other essentials and take advantage of online shopping for these items.

Stop regretting what you haven’t done and stop worrying about what could happen next week or next year. The past is gone and the future is already here. Worrying is a total waste of your time. Look back over the last week and see what stands out for you. If nothing does, then you need to make some changes.

Organize your work space and your home. Clearing out clutter should be your first step. Having a storage area where you can store special items that are only needed for certain seasons is helpful and everything should have its own place. Knowing what is important to you is a big help here. If you don’t use it and don’t like to look at it, give it to someone else.

Use simple online tools to manage your tasks. Now Do This and Rescue Time are easy to use and can help you stay on top of things while showing you how you’re spending your time.

image courtesy of Ryk Neethling

Categories : Time Management

Comments Comments Off

The 3 Top Ways to Stop Wasting Time

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Thursday, August 9th, 2012

It’s a common scenario. An enthusiastic entrepreneur has started their small business, however, almost a year later, the business is beginning to lag. The entrepreneur is flustered and beginning to think that maybe they are in over their head. They can’t seem to accomplish in a week what used to be completed in a day. Their concentration is gone and they find themselves looking for ways to avoid work.

Sound familiar? Time is one of the top concerns of most entrepreneurs – how to use it wisely, how to have more of it, how to stop wasting it!

Don’t put off what you can do now.

Sometimes a result of having too much to do, putting things off until later that should be done now can lead to your falling short of your goals. The best way to deal with what looks like the inability to focus is to find out what is causing you to leave things undone. Make sure you aren’t being unrealistic about just how much you can accomplish.

Another reason certain tasks are put off is dislike or a lack of know how. Outsource administrative tasks and anything else that you don’t like to do or don’t do well. Business solutions which involve outsourcing your tasks to a virtual team will help you to avoid the jobs that you really dislike or are not particularly good at, which results in their taking up more of your time.

Develop a routine of good habits. Willpower will only take you so far. Cultivating good habits may be difficult but once you gradually make each of these habits a routine, you will find your stress levels dropping. Most of the routines we have are not productive, they are our way of putting off what we have to do, in other words – procrastinating.

Minimize distractions.

Deal with distractions as they come up. For many, social networks and email are the top distractions. By not connecting to the internet unless necessary or shutting down your computer completely, you may find it easier to concentrate on what needs to be done. There is time management software available that can block certain websites for a stated length of time if this is something you have trouble with. If you work from a home office, turn off your phone if necessary and let everything go to voicemail. Distractions from your work cause a loss of concentration and momentum which can be costly if you are trying to reach your sales goals. Keep track of what causes you to lose focus on a daily basis and learn coping methods for each. We all have different things which distract us and different ways of dealing with them.

Organize, organize, organize.

Take a block of time and organize your workspace. Start with the top of your desk and go from there. Move on to your email and other programmes and bookmarks which are on your computer. Organizing your workspace is the first step in running a productive business, allowing you to keep your free time for yourself and not worrying about what has or has not been completed.

Once your office and supplies have been put in order, take a look at your business practises. Don’t re-invent the wheel. Doing the same things over and over with each customer instead of having one standard way of dealing with frequent questions is a waste of your time. Take a look at most websites and you will see a FAQ page – frequently asked questions. Create a standard list of the questions your customers ask more frequently and familiarize yourself with the answers.

Productivity and making good use of your time are learned habits, part of a routine. Starting with these three steps will make a big difference in helping you to reach your goals and stop wasting time.

Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way. ~ Pink Floyd

Chris Draper

image courtesy of Flickr

Categories : Productivity, Time Management

Comments Comments Off

101 Things To Do With More Free Time

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Friday, April 6th, 2012

Golden Egg DemGen’s mandate is to help entrepreneurs and business owners work on their business, instead of in it…

We have experts on our Team to take care of that ‘extra stuff’ that is not within your unique skill set. (In other words, all of those business activities you hate doing.)

What would you do when you only have to focus on your favourite income generating activities?!

Here are some suggestions from our Team:

1.   Finally start that one thing you’ve been putting off forever
2.   Take a day off
3.   Skydive
4.   Learn how to salsa
5.   Swim with dolphins
6.   Take some pictures
7.   Spend more time with your family
8.   Write a poem
9.   Knit a sweater
10.   Volunteer for charity
11.   Grow your own vegetables
12.   Make a list of your goals
13.   Play with your pets
14.   Watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy back-to-back
15.   Read a book
16.   Sleep under the stars
17.   Go for a hike
18.   Research your family tree
19.   Go swimming
20.   Start a blog
21.   Bungee jump
22.   Draw something
23.   Send a message in a bottle
24.   Shower under a waterfall
25.   Do origami
26.   Take a course
27.   Learn a language
28.   Go away – far, far away
29.   Exercise
30.   Swim in the ocean
31.   Learn about astronomy
32.   Plant a tree
33.   Catch a fish
34.   Eliminate your debt
35.   Make a hole in one
36.   Play in the rain
37.   Walk bare foot in grass
38.   Play in the rain
39.   Visit a new country
40.   Learn how to play an instrument
41.   Eat slowly and really taste your food
42.   Mow the lawn
43.   Sponsor a child
44.   Drive a convertible with the top down
45.   Watch TV all day (the good stuff – no talk shows!)
46.   Learn how to sail
47.   Start a mastermind group
48.   Bake special brownies or cookies
49.   Take up croquet or crochet
50.   Start a nudist colony
51.   Make a stranger smile
52.   Fly a kite
53.   Clean out your closet
54.   Look for shapes in the clouds
55.   Write your story, the true one
56.   Dance
57.   Skip rocks
58.   Make granola
59.   Mediate
60.   Learn how to say no
61.   Walk your dog, twice
62.   Give a foot massage
63.   Whittle
64.   Pick up litter
65.   Watch the sunrise/sunset
66.   Rock climb
67.   Have a baby or play with one
68.   Fly first class
69.   Take a nap
70.   Turn off all electronics
71.   Ride a unicycle
72.   Make your own clothes
73.   Play board games
74.   Make friends with your neighbours
75.   Go camping
76.   Write a short story
77.   Take the scenic route
78.   Buy a crystal
79.   Learn a random new fact online
80.   Mow the lawn
81.   Take a trip around the world
82.   Be a mentor
83.   Go whale watching
84.   Ride in a hot air balloon
85.   Draw on a wall
86.   Have a candle-lit bath
87.   Make music
88.   Paint a picture
89.   Visit Area 51
90.   Learn how to mix a fancy drink
91.   Test drive your dream car
92.   Visit the house you grew up in
93.   Try stand-up comedy
94.   Write a script
95.   Go tobogganing
96.   Make a YouTube channel
97.   Go to Disneyland
98.   Tell someone you love them
99.   Visit a wonder of the world
100.   Give thanks
101.   Be yourself

Categories : Entrepreneurial Lifestyle, Motivation, Small Business, Time Management, Work/Life Balance

Comments Comments Off

Why Not Boost Your Productivity?

Posted by: admin | Comments Comments Off

Thursday, February 16th, 2012

For 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 want 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.

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!

image courtesy of Flickr

Categories : Motivation, Time Management

Comments Comments Off

« Previous Page

Archive for Time Management

5 Tips to Becoming a Healthy Entrepreneur

Can Virtual Teams Outperform Your Employees?

Working From Home With Kids

Save Time and Money Working With DemGen’s Virtual Team

How Virtual Teams Provide the Best Customer Support

The Pets That Support Our Virtual Team

Time Management Tips for Fall (and all year round!)

The 3 Top Ways to Stop Wasting Time

101 Things To Do With More Free Time

Why Not Boost Your Productivity?

Get Blog Posts Via Email

Recent Posts

Search The Blog

Archives

Connect With Us




First Name Last Name Email Please indicate your profession to help us serve you better: Where did you hear about us?

Archive for Time Management

Get Blog Posts Via Email

Recent Posts

Search The Blog

Tags

Archives

Connect With Us