2011 February

Find Other Ways to Serve Your Clients

February 28, 2011 By Lisa Leave a Comment

Melinda, a designer friend of mine, has worked with the same clients for over ten years. Every time she finishes a project with one client, another client calls her to transform a different room.

I’ll take clients like that anytime.

She knows that at some point a few of her clients won’t need her services, so now she offers a service called “Design Plan.” It’s for the do-it-yourself client who wants design help, but isn’t willing to pay for an interior designer. This new service is keeping her busy.

Are there any services or products you can add to your business? [Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: Home Office Tips, PollDaddy, SurveyMonkey, working from home, Working with clients

Silence Isn’t Always Golden

February 25, 2011 By Lisa 2 Comments

When my sons were little and I had a project deadline but no babysitter, we’d head to Chuck E. Cheese. I can hear a collective groan from parents everywhere, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

They stamped our hands at the front door and then my kids would play games for at least an hour. They were safe — the checkout system there is like Ft. Knox — so I could work on projects and still see my kids from my table. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Working at home Tagged With: creativity, distractions, The Wall Street Journal

Know-it-Alls Don’t Know What They’re Missing

February 24, 2011 By Lisa 2 Comments

I have a friend who knows everything.

Well, she thinks she does.

If you can stand being around her you have to ignore her “I knew that” comments and try not to roll your eyes. Her “No, you have to do that another way” suggestions can put anyone over the edge.

You probably know someone like that. We all do. Without realizing it, you may be spending less time with someone who knows it all and more time with those who don’t.

What a know-it-all doesn’t realize is that her or she is missing out on a few things.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Working at home Tagged With: know-it-alls

Making the Most of Home Office Technology

February 22, 2011 By Lisa 2 Comments

When I was in the corporate world, I had the perfect assistant. She was never late, took care of the tasks I didn’t have time to do, and was always in a good mood. When I started my first business I couldn’t take her with me, but since then I’ve relied on a few other assistants, my home office equipment.

The cost of equipment and the size of anything with an on and off switch (to borrow a phrase from flight attendants) drops all of the time. So having access to the equipment you need to help you stay productive is easy. Knowing what to buy can be tougher, but it doesn’t have to be.

The Crucial Computer
Keeping up with the latest computer is as easy as changing the tires on a moving car. You can either wait until you think the [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home office products, Home office technology, Working at home Tagged With: Brother, Fellowes, Home office technology, iosafe

Bare Essentials: Hot Home Office Products

February 16, 2011 By Lisa Leave a Comment

Taking a stand
An iPad is handy when you travel and you don’t want to take a bulky laptop. But trying to watch a movie, read an e-book or even type on an iPad isn’t as easy as on a laptop. The A-Fold iPad® Stand holds your iPad either vertically or horizontally and stores flat. You’ll see your iPad at a whole new angle.

Just what the doctor ordered

Finding a thumbtack when you need it isn’t always easy and storing them loose in a drawer is risky and painful. The Essential Vita-pins Push Pin Set is the perfect cure. Each plastic pill pulls apart and becomes two separate pushpins. The apothecary jar makes it easy to store them until you need them.

Let it grow

I’m notorious for killing plants (either too much water or not enough) so when I get flowers, at least I know they’ll last a few days. The USB Flower Hub will last even longer and serve more of a purpose than just looking nice and smelling good. The 4 USB 2.0 high-speed ports are Windows and Mac compatible and the hub doesn’t take up much room.

Filed Under: Bare Essentials, Home office products Tagged With: Home office supplies, hot home office products

4 Ways to Simplify Your Home Office Life

February 14, 2011 By Lisa 2 Comments

I wish there were more hours in the day.

If I can work on something a little longer, I know it will be perfect.

As soon as I finish this project, I’ll have more time for family, friends, and even more projects.

Does that sound familiar? I thought that way for years until I realized that I can’t do everything and that actually, I shouldn’t. I was focusing more on how much I could accomplish instead of what I should accomplish. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Making money from home, Time mgmt./Productivity Tagged With: Home Office Tips, Simplify your life, working from home

How to Meet With Clients When You Work From Home

February 11, 2011 By Lisa Leave a Comment

When I started my first business, there weren’t many places to meet with clients unless you could convince a friend to let you borrow her company’s conference room. Starbucks wasn’t the meeting place it is now.

One day a Japanese reporter called to tell me he was coming to Dallas to interview small business owners.

I panicked.Where were we supposed to meet?

My only choice was to invite him to my home office. The interview went well (I think). I’ll never know because the article was in Japanese.

Holding a client meeting in your playroom or trying to make your kitchen look like the [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Working with clients Tagged With: home office alternatives, Working with clients

You Don’t Have to Spend a Fortune to Find a Good Graphic Designer

February 9, 2011 By Lisa 4 Comments

Hiring a graphic designer to create business cards, logos or a Web site can be expensive, unless you trade out with a friend or call in a favor. And finding the right designer to handle your project and stay within your budget can be a challenge.

In honor of Working Naked Day, I wanted to create a t-shirt with the words “I’m Working Naked…Are You?” and a graphic. Rather than spending weeks trying to create the perfect design on my own and still not coming up with what I wanted, I turned to 99designs. They’re reasonably priced, have a 7-day turnaround and their site is easy to use.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With: 99designs, hiring a graphic designer

Small Changes in Your Home Office Can Make a Big Difference

February 7, 2011 By Lisa Leave a Comment

Last weekend I figured out why some of my friends invite me over to their homes more often than they used to. Yes, I bring over appetizers, desserts or whatever dish they want me to bring. It’s not that. I’m not a very good cook.

They invite me over because they know I can’t stand to see a disorganized home office that could be arranged better. Here’s a perfect example:

A friend I’ve known for years invited me to her home. I took the obligatory tour that ended with her home office. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life, Home office organizing, Working at home Tagged With: Home office organizing, Home Office Tips, working from home

Being a Perfectionist Can Keep You From Being Organized

February 3, 2011 By Lisa 3 Comments

Back when I was in the corporate world as an event planner, I worked for a boss who was a perfectionist. She revised proposals until they were perfect and almost missed a few deadlines.

On the day of events, she would drive the set-up crews crazy. Everything was set up according to our plans, but she still didn’t think the set-up was perfect. She focused on the small details of each event and forgot about the parts of the event that really mattered.