Everyone wants to be a success in their chosen field, whether that be IT or commercial waste disposal, and no one wants to be the guy who is completely snowed under by mountains of work, unable to get a foothold, and spiralling downwards in a personal crisis.
But it seems like personal crises are still a bit more common than professionals with all their ducks in a row and complete mastery of their situations.
Here’s a look at a few things you can do at once to start taking back control of your professional life and work towards becoming — or remaining — one of those rare “in control” types.
Introduce an effective project management system
It’s a fact that you will have a lot of work thrown your way during the course of your professional life. Some of this will be in the form of major projects that you’re excited about, and which have the potential to move your entire career forward by leaps and bounds, and some of it will be stuff that you find decidedly less inspiring but still need to get done.
How do you keep track of all the different projects that you have to manage at any given time, not to mention knowing what to do next for each one? The answer is that, if you’ve never given this much thought, you probably don’t know.
A good project management system is essential for keeping on top of things, whether this involves following the method outlined in David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”, or your own inspired solution using a Moleskine notebook and an Evernote subscription.
Develop a clear vision of where you want to be down the line
There’s a well known saying along the lines of “if you don’t know where you’re heading, you’ll never get there”. For a business to be successful, we first have to have a clear and coherent vision of what “success” would look like.
It’s essential that you take the time to sit down and really imagine your ideal working situation — then write it down. You should reflect on this vision every day, at least once, in order to keep your eye on the prize.
Think big — don’t worry overly much about being “realistic”. Much of “realistic” thinking is just a lack of imagination or confidence in disguise.
Handle easy tasks on the spot
Not every task which falls into your inbox is going to be big or important enough to assign to a specific project category in your planner. Some are just going to be busywork which your boss has delegated to you because it needs to get done.
These tasks have a frustrating way of draining far more of our time than it feels like they should.
One popular solution is to handle any task which can be quickly and easily dealt with (think 10 minutes or less), on the spot.
As much as possible, try to isolate blocks of time
Peak-productivity requires big blocks of time to work with, so that we can really get into the flow of things and develop some momentum, not to mention make a real dent on our big projects.
As much as possible, try to isolate chunks of time during your work day to commit to your projects. Try and create an arrangement where you’ll be free from meetings or distractions for at least a couple of hours in a row.
Most company bosses would agree that they would love to increase their profits without investing more money. In most instances, people think that idea is impossible to achieve. However, there are lots of strategies entrepreneurs could use to ensure they scrape the most money possible from their efforts. Considering that, you should take the time to read some of the tips below before putting them into action. This advice will apply to most companies, regardless of the inner working of the operation. You just have to tailor the information, so it suits your brand.
Firstly, it’s important to note that real-world advertising techniques like TV and radio ads are expensive. Sure, they might help you to reach thousands of customers, but you will get much better outcomes if you spend that money online. Social media and PPC marketing are the most cost-effective strategies available to you at the moment. So, stop wasting your money on traditional methods and put that cash into your internet promotional budget. The benefits will become apparent within a matter of hours, and you’ll wonder why you didn’t make a move sooner! So, invest your time and money in:
Social media sites like Facebook
PPC advertising tools like Adwords
Recycle anything you possibly can
It’s vital that all business owners make the best use of their produce. So, be sure to think about recycling whenever you encounter waste? Is there something you could do with that material rather than throwing it in the trash? In the food industry, many companies use fish by-products processing tools to ensure they never throw a single scale or fin away. In the manufacturing industry, business owners melt metal down and forge it into new shapes and items they can use to increase their profits. You get the idea, right? The next time you think you have some waste – think again!
There are lots of processes within the average business that entrepreneurs should aim to automate. That might include:
Parts of the manufacturing process
Inventory and stock control
Accounting and financial reporting
You just need to conduct some online research and check out some of the tools and methods used by your competitors. In most situations, automating different jobs within your operation will mean you have more time to work on growth, and your production costs should decrease. That means your profits increase!
Now you know about some basic ideas that should assist you in boosting your income this year, it’s time to put all those concepts into action. Most entrepreneurs will want to begin planning their budgets for next year in a couple of months, and so it makes sense to leave no stone unturned as you research this subject further. When all’s said and done, you didn’t become involved in the business world because you liked the idea of owning a company. You did it to improve your quality of life and become rich. So, use the information from this article to take a step closer to turning that dream into a reality.
You’ve just started your new business, and everything is fresh and new. You’re approaching the launch of your new premises and you need to get your marketing message out there loudly and proudly so that people know you mean business! Trying to stand out in the crowd with your marketing is not an easy feat, but it is one that can be achieved if you do your research. Cutting through the other competitors and getting to your target market can be done, as long as you focus on staying sharp.
Every single day, the public is exposed to new businesses setting up shop on the high street and so pushing through all that new and shiny marketing to get your voice heard means you need to be creative. We’ve put together some ways you can make your marketing message sing as loud as everyone else’s:
Offer a solution and make it obvious. Customers go to new businesses for a solution and when your service is in demand, half of your marketing is already done and dusted. If you are in high demand, you won’t have to wait around to be noticed. Offer an event to showcase what you can do and how you can meet that demand; do it with stage effects and flashing lights if you must. By showing people that they need you, you can keep your customers coming back for more.
Social media marketing needs to be precise. There is no point in flyering and e-shotting out to the wrong people. If you specify your marketing to your target market only, it’ll be interesting, effective and actually get you the interest that you need from the right people.
Typography and colours matter. Your marketing materials – whether posters or online – have to be bold, bright and eye-catching. You want to have people stop and take notice in what you have to say and how you say it undeniably matters. Advertising needs to be informative as much as it is creative, so don’t be afraid to experiment!
If you haven’t heard of “extreme marketing”, then you need to look at this article. Getting the attention of those around you often means sending out an opposing message. Being negative to grab clicks is a smart way to do this.
Don’t be afraid to go big with your marketing. Is there a billboard in your part of town that’s up for rent? Design your own billboard and purchase the advertising space for it. The number of people you can target simply by doing that can really make a difference to your open day numbers. Rope in the local press, hold a VIP event on social media – whatever it takes.
Your marketing strategy may not necessarily be thought up by you, especially if you have a team working alongside you. However, as long as everyone is on board with the same message, you can ensure that you get your business message across in style – one that people will talk about for years!
It’s always tough when life doesn’t go your way. If we lived in a perfect world, then nothing bad would ever happen, and we would all live your lives happily in peace. Sadly, that’s not the world we live in and, like it or not, sometimes disaster is going to strike. Not only that but, knowing the cruel sense of humor that the universe so often has, it usually strikes right at the moment when you’re least equipped to deal with it. When that happens, it can feel as though your whole world is falling apart, but that’s not the case. To help you deal with disaster a little bit better, here are a few sadly common disasters and how you can make sure that they’re not the end of the world.
An accident
Being in any kind of accident is traumatic enough without having to worry about the fallout from it. Sadly, the fallout can often be worse than the accident itself. If you get hurt at work, then the pain that it causes could well be the least of your worries. After all, if you’ve had an accident, then that could mean that you’re unable to work which leaves you unable to earn a living. This is especially unpleasant when you know that it wasn’t even your fault. That’s where organizations like https://www.fmelaw.com/queens-workers-comp-lawyer/ come in. If you’ve been injured or left disabled by something at work, then they can help you avoid falling into financial ruin because of it. After all, there’s no reason why you should pay the price for someone else’s negligence.
Unemployment
There are few things worse than losing your job. Just like with an accident, if you’re not working then you’re not earning, which can lead to some serious financial issues. The best thing that you can do if you end up losing your job is to get right back on the horse. It might be tempting to sit around feeling sorry for yourself, but that’s not going to do you any good. Make sure that you’ve got a fully updated resume and that you’re consistently looking for work that you might be suited for. Job hunting is never fun, but it’s something that you need to do.
A household crisis
Waking up in the morning to discover that half your home is underwater is one of the most common nightmares for a lot of people. Again the only real way to avoid letting this turn into a total disaster is to be prepared. Make sure that you have plans in place in the event of any kind of household disaster so that you and your family are always as safe as possible. Having some sandbags in the basement and knowing the ways to get out of the house in the event of a fire might seem like overkill but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Sure, these kinds of things are never going to be easy to deal with. But if you’re prepared and you know how to deal with them then it’s going to be much harder for them to make you feel as though everything in your life is falling apart and it will be that much easier to get back up and move on with your life.
Got a road trip coming up soon? Whether this is for leisure or travel to get to your next business, you might already be dreading the long journey. Not many people enjoy sitting in the car for a few hours on end, even if the route does pass some awesome sights. Add to Flipboard Magazine. All that boredom is really nothing to worry about, though. As long as you know all of the following ideas and tips, you will be able to banish boredom in no time at all!
Research The Route
Don’t just set out on the road trip with just the basics of the route. It’s much better to do your homework and spend your time researching the route. That way, you will know exactly what there is to say along the way, and you can spend some of your time trying to spot the sights. You will find that this makes the road trip a lot more inspiring and entertaining.
It will be necessary to bring some entertainment with you for the long and winding road, and a tablet device is perfect for this as they are so portable. You will be able to play casino online and stream YouTube videos while you have Internet data, but it’s also a good idea to download some apps and install programs so that you have some entertainment options if you don’t always have Internet. For example, you could always download a couple of movies or episodes of your favorite TV show.
Take Some Detours
This might not work if you are traveling for work and are on a tight deadline but, if at all possible, you should try and take as many detours as possible. That way, you can keep your journey interesting by heading to nearby sights and attractions. By taking the scenic route and as many detours as possible, you will see some magnificent sights that aren’t always visible on the highway.
Traveling with little ones? Then you are probably worried that they will start to complain and cause trouble as soon as they get bored. There’s one way around this – you just need to give them some simple jobs and responsibilities while they are in the car. For instance, you could hand older kids a map and ask them to help you navigate.
Read About Road Trips
Why not relax with a good book while you’re in the back seat? There are lots of popular novels and books that are all themed on road trips, and these will be the perfect accompaniment to your journey. One of the most famous road trip books has to be Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. Don’t worry if you are driving; you can still enjoy a good book on the road – you just need to find it in an audiobook format so that you can listen to it.
Boredom and road trips don’t have to go hand in hand, especially when you use the above ideas!
.JPG){kind=link}
Recent Comments