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How to Create More Storage Space in Your Home Office

October 31, 2011 By 10 Comments

Have you ever heard anyone complain about having too much room to store everything they need to have in their home office? It’s about as likely as someone saying they have too much money, they need to gain weight, or they have plenty of free time. (I wouldn’t mind having more of the first one, less of the second, and plenty of the third!)

Finding extra storage space in your home office can be frustrating and challenging. Before you start stashing extra supplies, products and equipment in other parts of your home (where you’re likely to forget you own them), be creative. Either make use of what you already own or invest in a few storage pieces. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Home office organizing, Home office products Tagged With: , , ,

Look for New Ways to Work With Old Clients

October 26, 2011 By 8 Comments

One of my clients, a business consultant, has worked with the same clients for years. She helps a client solve a problem, the client’s business grows, and then she finds other ways to help that client again. She knows that if her clients are happy, they’ll refer her to new clients…and they do.

When your business is thriving, you may not be worrying about getting more clients. On the other hand, if you’re waiting for the phone to ring, hoping that prospects will fill out your “get more info” form, and you have more bills to pay than clients to cover them, you’re probably thinking about ways to find more clients.

You can go after new clients, which can cost time and money, or you can find new ways to serve old clients. Studies show that it’s less expensive to service an existing client than to market to a prospect.  Consider these tips before you spend more time and money trying to find new clients.

  • Anticipate your clients’ needs. You don’t have to be psychic (although it wouldn’t hurt) to gauge your clients’ thoughts and concerns. Some people use intuition while others use a more direct approach: they simply ask their clients for other ways they can help them. If you ask the same question rephrased differently each time — try not to be annoying — you should get the information you’re missing.
  • Be a resource to your clients. If a client asks you to do something that’s outside your area of expertise, recommend someone else. Your client will appreciate your willingness to help and when they need your help again, you should be the first person they call. Make sure you recommend someone reliable, because if they drop the ball, it reflects poorly on you.
  • Create new products or services based on your clients’ needs. For years I’ve heard from clients who have moved from one part of the country to the other, but still want to work with me individually. Some weren’t able to fly me to their home offices, so I had to refer them to a colleague in their city. The light bulb finally went off and I started offering consultations via Skype. At first I didn’t think the virtual consultations would work, but they do, and have become a large chunk of my business.

Before you give up on a client who hasn’t contacted you lately, ask yourself it there are any other services you can offer them. They’ll enjoy hearing from you, you’ll enjoy reconnecting with them, and the bottom line: you’ll be able to help them again.

How have you found new ways to help old clients?

Filed Under: Making money from home, Working at home, Working with clients Tagged With: ,

Would More Hours in the Day Make You More Productive?

October 25, 2011 By 14 Comments

When my (now 29-year-old) nephew was four years old, I asked him if he wanted to go to the store with me. He told me that he didn’t have enough time because he was too busy.

I don’t remember much about my life at four years old, but what I do remember is that all I had was time. My nephew probably had learned that response from everyone around him.

What would you do with more time?

No matter what type of business you’re in, and whether you’re working from home full-time or part-time, time is a valuable commodity. Take the time to consider what would happen if you had more time.

  • Would you take the day off, spend more time with your family, or work on your personal development?  If so, let go of tasks that don’t need your attention so you can have more time to spend on yourself or with your family. [Read more...]
Filed Under: 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:

8 Secret Fears That Stop Smart Business Owners From Blogging, and How to Overcome Them

October 17, 2011 By 30 Comments
Guest Post by Michelle Shaeffer

Are secret fears holding you back from jumping head first into blogging? Don’t let them! Blogging is nothing to be afraid of, and nothing has done as much to boost my business and my visibility as blogging has.

So let’s talk about some of those fears that might be holding you back from blogging:

1. I’m not sure I have anything to blog about…

Everyone has something to share. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re in business for yourself, then it’s safe to assume you’re passionate about something, right? Blog about that! [Read more...]

Filed Under: Improving your web site, Making money from home, Marketing/Public Relations, Working at home Tagged With: , ,

Bare Essentials: Sights and Sounds

October 13, 2011 By 4 Comments

Get a grip

My exterminator would cringe if he knew I was promoting spiders, but he’ll have to get a grip…actually a grip similar to the one the SpiderpodiumTablet® has on iPads and other Tablet PC’s. Sure, it’s creepy with its 8 legs that bend at all angles, but I always say that function (it can hold your tablet in place or let you view it at any angle) trumps beauty. The Spiderpodium Tablet, made from Advanced Tech “SoftTouch Rubber,” is available in black and graphite.

 

Put on the hog

Working from home can be lonely. Take a break from the silence with the iHog. This hog-shaped iPod/iPhone docking station has 4 speakers that deliver 360 degrees of sound…they’re loud!

Whether you choose the iHog in pink, white or black, consider sharing the iHog with your family. You don’t want them to think you’re a pig.

 

 

 

A functional skyline

Your home office may not overlook a city skyline, but you can get the next best thing with the Skyline Desk Organizer. This laser-cut wood holder has two spaces for mail or letters, and a space for pens and pencils.

This is one of the more interesting and creative supply organizers I’ve ever seen. Its neutral color will match any home office and its narrow design will leave you with plenty of desktop space to work.

 

Filed Under: Bare Essentials, Home office products Tagged With: , ,

Fail First and Succeed Second

October 11, 2011 By 10 Comments

I’m the first to admit when I’ve made a mistake or failed. Well, not right away. But eventually, I’ll accept that I’ve messed up and will do what I can to fix it.

While I used to let mistakes frustrate me, I’ve finally figured out a few ways to take advantage of them.

Look for the good in failure

No one likes to fail or even plans to fail, but face it…failure is part of any business. Some people welcome their failures and see them as battle scars, while others hate to fail. But there’s always something good that can come out of failure. You just have to look for it. And without failure, success wouldn’t be so sweet.

Turn each mistake into a lesson

Products from Post-it notes to Silly Putty were considered “failures” at the beginning, but we all know the rest is history. Before you write off a failure and [Read more...]

Filed Under: Working at home Tagged With:

Plan Ahead Before You Leave Town

October 10, 2011 By 4 Comments

When I was in the corporate world and traveled for business, my assistant booked my travel, handled my calls while I was away and dealt with client requests.

Now that I run my own business, when I leave town it’s up to me to stay in touch with my clients, handle any issues with my business and book my own travel. I don’t miss the corporate life, but I do miss my assistant!

Whether you’re going on vacation or traveling for business, there are few things you need to do before you go.

Don’t play hide and seek

Let your key clients know by e-mail or phone, that you’ll be out of town and let them know how long you’ll be away. Tell them whether you’ll be checking your voice mail, e-mail, both, or none of the above. One of my clients, also a small business owner, decided to “check out” for a week. She didn’t let anyone know that she wasn’t going to be available to check e-mail or voice mail. Two clients were so frustrated that she wasn’t responding to their calls and e-mails, that they [Read more...]

Filed Under: Balancing home/office Life 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: ,
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