source: miss.killer!

For years, I’ve worked with clients who’ve tried everything to organize their home offices, but then have finally given up. Either they didn’t know where to start or were overwhelmed by the process. They also started to believe the negative comments their family and friends were telling them about getting organized.

If you’ve tried to organize your home office and have given up, or have started to believe what others have told you for years about getting organized, it’s time to change your thinking. When you stop believing old organizing myths, you can move forward and get your home office organized.

Myth #1 You have to be born organized to be organized

We learn both good and bad habits at an early age and you can change any bad habit, including disorganization. When I was in the corporate world, co-workers who had organized offices told me that their homes were a mess. They focused more on their workspace because that’s where they generated their income. By the time they came home from work every day, they were too exhausted to organize anything. The bottom line is that you can learn to be organized, and it’s easier if you’re motivated to make a few changes.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

source: Horia Varlan

When my sons were younger, I was at the top of the volunteer list (translation: sucker). Whenever someone called me to help with an event, class project or anything else to do with school, I said yes. I did the same thing with two professional associations I was in.

One day I had a revelation. I was spending more time volunteering my time than growing my business. I’m all for helping others but eventually you have to say no more often than you say yes.

How many times have you said yes when you meant no? There are only so many hours in a day and if at some point you don’t say no, you’ll never get ahead (or get any sleep!).

Before you say yes to everything, consider a few questions.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, click here.

This time of year, many businesses slow down and take care of the annoying tasks they haven’t had time to deal with all year. Some people are still wrapping up loose ends, finalizing contracts and planning ahead for next year, but for the most part, businesses are getting ready to enjoy the break between Christmas and New Year’s.

Those few quiet days are the perfect time to clear out your home office and get organized. Start with these tips:

• Don’t try to organize everything in one day. Your home office didn’t get to the point where it is now, overnight, so it will take time to get your office back in shape. If you try to do everything at once, you run the risk of getting discouraged and giving up altogether.

• Break the job down into manageable chunks and tackle one thing at a time. Toss (recycle) old magazines and papers you’ll never refer to again. Also, move extra furniture, old sports equipment and anything else that isn’t helping you with your business, out of your home office.

• Make a list. Take note of everything you want to accomplish during your organizing project and reward yourself for each task you finish. Chocolate can be a strong motivator.

• Make a list of supplies you need including extra printer cartridges and printer paper. While you’re doing a mini inventory, take out any supplies that you haven’t used in years and donate them.

The most important tip of all? Pour yourself a cup of coffee, take advantage of the slower pace of each day, and enjoy the holidays.

Source: Betsssssy

Someone who works in a cubicle or a corporate office can leave his or her mess at work. Yet when your business and personal life are under the same roof, it’s more difficult to keep home office chaos to a minimum. By following a few do’s and avoiding the don’ts, you can keep your home office under control.

Do

Set a schedule

When you work for yourself, it’s important to make every minute count.  Each day set a schedule, but make it flexible. If you wait for the right time to work on something, you may never get started.  Your schedule may change based on the appointments you’ve scheduled or the tasks you need to complete, so focus on the top five tasks you need to accomplish each day. Otherwise it’s easy to get sidetracked.

To read the rest of my guest post on Startup Nation, click here.

Starting a business can be exciting, terrifying and a dream come true, especially when you have a cheering squad — your family — behind you. When your family is on the opposing team, though, your new business venture can be a nightmare.

Before I left my last job, I designed my new business so that when I was ready to have kids, I would be able to work from home and raise a family. I wanted to be able to grow my business and see my kids grow up at the same time.

It hasn’t always been easy to juggle my business and personal life so that my family doesn’t resent my business. Ask anyone who works from home about being pulled in all directions and they’ll admit it’s not easy to give your business and family 100% of your attention, all of the time.

To read the rest of my guest post on Success Your Way, and to learn tips for including your family in your business and making them part of your team, click here.

(I’ve closed comments on this post so you can post a comment on Success Your Way.)

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.

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.

Sometimes ignorance pays off

After at least a dozen calls from home-based business owners looking for a home office book, the light bulb went off (finally). I realized I needed to be the one who wrote that book. I also knew that I was going to need a literary agent to sell it for me.

A few days later, I read an article about a literary agent who worked from home (and would understand the audience for this book). I sent her my proposal, she agreed to represent me, and within three weeks she had bids from three major publishers. Everything happened so quickly and easily.

When I look back, I realize how naive I had been to think an agent would take an unknown writer’s book and sell it to a publisher. I later found out that publishing doesn’t work that way! I’m glad I didn’t know better because fear of rejection probably would have kept me from approaching the agent.

New and improved

From the time my first book was published until now, the book has been through three revisions. Considering how much technology has affected the way we work from home, along with new challenges that those of us who work from home face, I knew it was time to do one more update, especially since the last update was in 2002.

The goal of this book is to help you organize your home office (of course), but in a way that makes sense and fits your working style. Think of it this way: I could come in, change your office, tell you to come back in, and watch as you struggle to find the papers you need, search for the notes you wrote last week, and try to make sense of your new filing system. That would be a waste of your time and mine, and the bottom line is that your home office wouldn’t stay organized because you wouldn’t have played a part in the organizing process.

When you take the time to organize your home office using proven methods in this book (the same ones I recommend to my clients and audiences), not only will your office get organized…it will stay organized.

Without sounding too infomercial-like, here’s what others are saying:

“Lisa – where have you been all my home-office life? As a ‘not naturally organized’ person who loves working at home, I’ve been ‘surviving’ my workspaces for years! Chapter 3 alone is worth the price of the book. Honestly, this book is the next best thing to having you come over and ‘get me sorted!’ As a coach to thousands of work at home professionals, I will absolutely be recommending this resource to them! I am breathing easier already!”

—Carrie Wilkerson, Author, The Barefoot Executive: The Ultimate Guide for Being Your Own Boss and Achieving Financial Freedom

“Your office is a reflection of you. If it’s a mess, then so are you. Lisa’s no-nonsense approach to decluttering your home office, will in fact declutter your entire business.”

—Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

“Filled with real-life scenarios, tips and strategies, Organize Your Home Office for Success is more than just a book, it’s a complete guide to setting yourself up to achieve work-at-home success. Lisa not only shares the pros of working from home, but she discusses the cons, and offers up solutions to some of the most common challenges that home-based workers encounter. This book is a must-read for all telecommuters and home-based entrepreneurs alike.”

– Holly Reisem Hanna, Publisher of The Work at Home Woman

“I was thrilled to read Lisa Kanarek’s newest edition to Organize Your Home Office for Success: Expert Strategies That Can Work for You, that included a chapter specifically on clearing off your desk. What’s most helpful about the book is that Lisa recognizes that when it comes to organizing, one size does not fit all and she provides a variety of tips and tools so you can use strategies that work best for you. Lisa gives you the information you need to set up a home office designed for productivity and profitability. “

— Leslie Truex, Author of The Work-At-Home Success Bible and Jobs Online: How To Find and Get Hired to a Work-At-Home Job, and Founder of Work At Home Success

Without giving away too much of the book, it definitely has a tidy ending.

Click the link below to order Organize Your Home Office for Success!

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.

Do you respond to e-mails within a few hours or a few days?

So many of us are spoiled. When we send an e-mail, we expect a response within hours (I know I do). If we wanted a response days later, we could send letters via snail mail. Who does that? Even if you don’t have the information your prospect or client wants, send him or her an e-mail to let the person know you’re still working on the project.

Do you focus on tasks that need your attention this week instead of ones that you could handle a week from now?

Whether you put off tasks because you don’t want to handle them, or you wait until the last minute to finish a project, you open yourself up to making huge mistakes. Focus on the tasks with the earliest deadlines and, while you can throw in a few easy tasks that may not due for a week, go back to the tasks you need to finish right away. Keep in mind that even though you may be busy, that doesn’t mean you’re being productive.

Do you expect clients to respond to you during the weekend?

Unless you’re a realtor or someone who has to work on the weekend, don’t expect your clients to answer your e-mails or take your calls until Monday. A friend of mine was angry with one of his clients because the client hadn’t answered my friend’s e-mail right away. He had sent the e-mail to the client after 6 pm on Friday and by Sunday night, he still hadn’t heard from him.

In life and in business, timing is everything.

A good friend of mine used to use a paper-based planner to write her to-do lists.

As her business grew, she quit using her planner and switched to sticky notes that she plastered all over her monitor. Her system broke down when she started covering older notes with newer ones. She tried to improve her sticky note system by using different colored notes, but that didn’t help.

Now, instead of using her new smartphone to record tasks, she writes her top to-do’s on her hand. She admits that her “organic” way of tracking tasks is a little unreliable, especially by the middle of the day when she’s washed her hands a few times, but she’s out of ideas.

Whether you’re like my friend and you’ve exhausted all of your options, or you’ve used the same planning system for years, take a close look at how you’re planning your days. There are a few ways you can make your system more effective.

Be willing to change what isn’t working

Decide whether or not your planning system is still working. If not, decide whether you want to use a paper-based list within a daily planner, a program on your computer or an app on your smartphone. Whatever system you pick, make sure it’s easy to use and that it fits your needs. A program that has more features than you need or more than you’ll ever use, will help you waste time, not save it. In this case, less is more.

Keep your list readily available

Your to-do list will be easier to use if you’re able to find it when you need it. You shouldn’t have to dig through layers of paper to find your list or search through your computer to find a planning program you use often. As with anything in your home office, including equipment you may have had for years, if you can see it, there’s more of a chance that you’ll use it.

Break your list down into “calls” and “tasks”

A long list of tasks and calls can be overwhelming. If you want to combine your personal and business to-do lists, use the headings “personal calls,” “personal to-do’s,” “business calls” and “business to-do’s.” You could also label each task according to the type of task. When you break a long list down into smaller lists, it’s easier to manage.

Move it forward

At the end of the day, look at your list and either move uncompleted tasks forward or delete them. This will give you a head start on the next day’s tasks. Realize that you can’t do everything, and at the end of the day if you’ve accomplished even five or six items on your list, give yourself a pat on the back.

A final tip is to keep your list manageable. Most of the time, quality matters more than quantity.

What type of planning system do you use, and why? Share your comments below.

Have you ever quit a job, quit working with certain clients, or quit a sport or hobby because it took too much time and was no longer fun? If so, does that make you a quitter?

Not necessarily.

There’s a difference between quitting and being a quitter.

What’s quitting?

When you quit, you give up because you’ve exhausted all of your options and you realize it’s time to go in a different direction.

You’ve spent time, money and emotion trying to succeed, yet you keep running up against a brick wall. At some point, enough is enough, and you quit.

What’s a quitter?

When you’re a quitter, you don’t ask for, or listen to, anyone’s advice. You’re stubborn and won’t try to do things any other way. Although friends, colleagues and maybe even clients try to help you, you’ve checked out and moved on to something else. That’s being a quitter.

Click here to read this entire post on Success…Your Way