Here I am, sitting in the car dealership’s office working (happily) along while my car is being serviced. I almost walked out of the house this morning without my laptop. I didn’t think I’d be away from my (home) office that long and I could do some work when I got back home. I’m glad I re-thought that idea and grabbed all of my work stuff before I left home. It turns out that the service department is slammed today and there’s about a three to four hour wait per person. I’m also glad that I’ve learned the art and importance of multi-tasking so that at the end of this long, expensive car-service episode, I can say that I’ve had a productive day (I hope). So, this whole thing sparked the post idea of sharing with our readers the importance of multi-tasking in your everyday lives…no matter where you are!

As women (and some of us as moms), we know the good, the bad, the pros and cons of being multi-taskers. Some experts agree with the idea of multi-tasking and think it’s a wonderful concept while other experts will warn you that multi-tasking can create other problems and be more of a distraction. This great article that I found on Oprah gives some tips on how to multi-task without “losing your mind.” Although I can’t say that I’ve ever felt that I would lose my mind when I multi-tasked, I have been faced with the problem of trying to decide which tasks I’d work on and which one would be the primary task and which would be the secondary task.

Multi-Mom
When I’m at home and doing the wife-mom thing, I multi-task pretty efficently, cranking out a three-course dinner while washing a load of clothes and helping my first-grader with his homework. It’s not a problem for me at all, mainly because I’ve been doing it for a loooong time and have found some great ways to be productive with a busy life and an active family. But since this blog isn’t about homemaking…

As a freelancer, I absolutely love the flexibility that this career offers. You can work when you want, where you want and as much as you want. Sort of. I still have to organize my day and write out my to-do lists. I still do have to get my work done and meet deadlines and keep clients satisfied. So I really have to multi-task and be pretty good at it, as do some of you. Deb has a great article today on her blog about this very topic of working from home, freelancing and disciplining yourself. A good read! Anyway, whether you’re home-based or in a corporate environment, multi-tasking is easy to do and can be adapted to most any situation.

Home Telecommuter
If most of your work is computer-based, invest in a laptop (if you don’t already have one) and take it with you everywhere you go. This has proved to be invaluable to me. I am at a ball field with at least one of my kids two to three times a week. Since practices can last 1 1/2 to 2 hours, there is a lot of sitting, waiting, and more sitting. (Now that almost made me lose my mind, Oprah!) Anyway, I’d sit there for hours and still have my work to do when I got home and back to my desktop. After a while, I got sick of all that sitting, so I started taking my work with me and cranking out material and still be there for my kids. This helps me to be in a better mood later because I don’t have so much work waiting on me for later. Also, for that laptop, make sure it’s WiFi accessible and with a good connect plan to boot.

Minus a laptop and still with tasks to do, you can still multi-task and be productive. Sometimes, I take my paper-based planner and my PDA planner and sync the both up while I’m, again, at a ball practice ( I DO watch the kids sometimes!). I can plan my week, flesh out an article or write out an outline (PDA’s come with word processing documents too.) Minus the PDA, I can still use my paper-based planner to plan my week or even a couple of weeks out.

Business, etc.
Now if you’re home-based with your business, there are ways that you can multi-task too and still be productive. One thing to note is that multi-tasking doesn’t always have to be done simultaneously. In other words, you don’t have to do two or more things at the same time. For instance: if you’re about to go out and do a beauty product demonstration, you can fire off some contact emails before you leave, fax off your product order or return a few phone calls. Things don’t always have to be done all at once or at the same time. The idea with effective multi-tasking is to complete some things while starting or completing other things and being as productive as can be.

Corporate women take heart! I used to be in corporate America too and believe me, they ARE busier than freelancers! There is very little room for flexibility because of their rigid schedules and most of their responsibilities have to be done on a stringent schedule. However, there are ways. When I worked as a staff accountant, there were monthly reports that I had to have done by month end. During the month, I would compile the figures and plug them into an Excel spreadsheet as the figures became available. By month’s end, not only did I have complete figures, but I was also able to get my reports printed and collated before the other pencil-pushers crowded the print room to get their reports out too.

Another tip that corporate biz-chicker’s can try involves those endless meetings she has to attend on a daily basis. If you have a laptop, this is ideal but paper-based planners work as well. Here you go:

Take meticulous notes during any meeting and transfer them directly into an Excel spreadsheet. Create an action list or a to-do list during the meeting. Make FULL use of your time spent there.

What are some other business multi-tasking skills that you have found that work for you? How do you do multiple things at once as a Biz-Chicker?

______________________________________________________
Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Frideas: How To Multi-Task With ANY Business

In this YouTube video from an interview with Sarah Palin when she was being considered as a candidate for the position of Vice-President, she sprinkles her interview with a few “ya know’s” and “kewl”, much to the amusement of the interviewer. I’m sooo disappointed, needless to say, in Mrs. Palin’s presentation. I’ve been somewhat brewing since the announcement on Thursday and have had to re-work my post on it several times, which is why it STILL hasn’t been posted. You know the old adage, “if you don’t have something nice to say…”

Kewl.

________________________________________________
Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Oh Boy – We’re Really In Trouble If Palin Doesn’t Know What She’s Doing

I work from home as a freelancer, and have been trying to get to the four-day work week for about a year now. No dice.

In order for me to get to that coveted four-day work week, I’d have to go up on my rates and work more hours of course during the other four days. With kids in school, activities and other outside family interests, it may not be possible to slide in extended days for the enjoyment of one extra day. But for the trade-off, I’m willing to give it a shot.

I figured I could work four nine hour days and still get the bulk of the work that I need done in that time to get that extra day. If I could get family and situations to be compliant with my idea, it should work. In theory, of course.

As a business person, do you think the four-hour work week is something viable for the type of business you’re in? Is there someone to take up the slack for you in case you can’t meet all of your deadlines or commitments? What would you do with the extra day off?
_____________________________________________________
Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

The Four-Day Work Week – - It Might Actually Work

The mean girl’s post that Kristen made the other week got quite a few folks buzzing. Of course, they were already buzzing before that post, but the topic is what got everything sparking. What’s interesting is the number of people who “agreed” and those who felt like “they shouldn’t have acted like that.” Hmmm. Interesting. Now while I don’t know any of these commenters personally, I have to really wonder if they’re all genuine, you know, if they REALLY mean what they say. I’ll tell you why.

How They Grow Into It
My daughter is a new sixth-grader (today was the 1st day of school…YAY!!) and is also a 4-year veteran cheerleader. Most of her friends who are also in sixth grade are also cheerleaders. In the small suburban town where I live, these girls are everywhere and go everywhere together. They all go to the same middle school, they’re all cheerleaders, they go to the same parties, they take gymnastics at the same place, they all go to the same church, on and on and on. You get the picture. And to finish it all off, they’ve all been together since pre-school. They’ve all always gotten along pretty good until about this year. That’s when the cliques started. That’s when there were subsets formed with the “pop-u-lar” girls and the not-so-popular ones. That’s when feelings started getting hurt and when things started shifting. Oh yeah, things are waaaay different now than when they were in preschool.
How did this happen?

OMG! You’re NOT Pop-u-lar!
My daughter came home in literal wailing tears last weekend after a back-to-school sixth grade party at which the “pop-u-lar” set (consisting of the **best** cheerleaders on the squad) dissed all of the other cheerleaders/friends/classmates. They made a distinction that if you weren’t one of the popular ones, you couldn’t hang out with them. So my daughter, who by the way does NOT have my **what? what?** personality, was quite upset by this and couldn’t understand why they were acting this way with her and the other long-time friends. The popular girls are a set of about four girls and basically, if you’re not popular or invited into their set, you’re not really all that important to them. Sound familiar?

I spent a long, long time comforting my tween that evening. She cried and cried, almost to the point of being physically sick. I realize that a lot of it was hormonal and perhaps she was also over-tired. But, I also realize that the bulk of the tears were because Kensley had her first taste of mean girls. And it hurt. Bad.

Nothing I could say to her immediately was going to help her. It wasn’t until after she stopped wailing and sobbing that I could talk to her. There are little girls like mine who all the time are being nice and trying to be nice to everybody and it’s dissed away. You know, when you compliment someone or try to make small talk and be friendly and the other person acts as if you just came in from outside petting the pigs! While comforting her, I wanted to go punch all of those girl’s mothers in the nose! This was their fault. Sure I am protective of my child but this goes beyond that. These little girls were just being downright rude and mean. But where did they get these attitudea from? I’m glad you asked. Their moms of course!

Mean girls are a product of mean mommies. Period. All four of those girls mom’s are high-falutin’, condescending, hair-flipping, money-is-no-object-I-get-my-daughter-everything-she-wants folks. They draw lines in the sand and anyone who crosses can be in. Surburban living does that to some people you know. At any rate, the moms personalities and ways are exemplified in their daughters and it’s just NOT attractive.

Now on to the business analogy. I’m sure you were wondering…

Have you ever dealt with a condescending client? Or, served on any committees or boards where you felt like everyone was “in” except you? Or what about the client who insists on knowing your pedigree, zip code (90210?), where your husband works/does and how many times a year you do vacation? They want to know these things, not to chit-chat or find a commonality, but really to size you up to see if you’re “worth” doing business with. Of course, if you don’t meet their standards, don’t worry. You’re not in anyway.

Then there’s the good ol’ girl’s club where only the “pop-u-lar” women do business together. This is where they only send their business to other women who fit their own idea of success based on tangibles. More than just girlfriend networking, the good ol’ girl’s club is full of women who are impresed by status and make their choices based on it.

It’s already hard enough in the business world, never mind the drama that some clients can bring with them. Couple that with office popularity contests, brown-nosing luncheons and the bosses favorites, your life becomes even harder. I figure the best way to deal with these types is to don’t deal with these types. Trust me, it’s way better to have two or three normal clients who want to do business than twenty clients who give you grief and think success is only in the Ann Taylor suit you’re wearing. Ugh!

In business, being nice counts for a lot as does being open and flexible. Everybody doesn’t look like you, act like you, drive what you drive, live in a gated community or send their kids to private schools. Nor does everyone want to. The only thing that normal businesswomen want is to increase their business, find new ideas, get you to patronize their business and make lots of money. That’s it. It just takes too much time and energy to impress people who aren’t worth impressing.

Do you have pop-u-lar folks at the office? Have you ever been business-dissed? Do you think you should ignore mean girls or just kill them with kindness? Or, just kill the mommies? OK, don’t kill the mommies, but what about just hurting the mommies really, really bad?

Good. Thanks!

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Copyright 2008 – Bridget Wright

Post from: EveryJoe

Mean Girls Come From Mean Mommies: The POPULAR Set

Yes, it’s true. I get my business tips from a 3-year old.

He stayed home today with a little cough (he has asthma) and the first thing he wanted to do when he found out that he didn’t have to go to school today was, “Can I play the Wii game Mommy, pllleeeeaaaassseee?” So, I said yes. I had/have a lot of work today and figured that would occupy him until I’m done. But before I got started on my work, I wanted to sit there and watch him play. He’s only three. It’s amazing what those darn kids can pick up and learn isn’t it?!

Kyle’s favorite Wii sport is the tennis game. Mine too. I feel like Serena Williams when I’m playing! Alright, I’m not that good but I do enjoy playing it. But while I was sitting there watching my son play, I noticed how he deftly maneuvered himself and the balls just to make a score. He made the computer Wii man work very hard to return those really fast balls that Kyle was giving him. I was definitely paying attention. I asked Kyle just how did he do it. This is what he said – -a three year old:

“Mom, I hit the ball really hard to make him (the Wii man) go to one side. Then, when he’s over there I hit it really hard to the other side and I make a score! If he tries to come up to the net, then I hit it soft so the ball doesn’t go away. Then I win!!”

Amazing, huh? Strategizing techniques from a pre-schooler. But, what does that have to do with business? Everything! Kyle’s techniques really helped me see some things in business that would help me “step up my game”.

1. He never hit the ball prematurely. He waited to see what his competitor would do before he took action. For business, that means, don’t jump the gun before you know exactly which direction your competition is aiming towards. Now I don’t mean wait too late, but study them and assess where they’re going so you can counteract them, if at all possible.

2. He stayed focused the entire time. Although I was “whooping” and “wowing” him (his cheerleader section), he never once got so excited that he took his eyes off the game. In business, that means staying focused and paying attention to what’s going on in front of you… right now.

3. Never give up. Kyle kept playing the “Best of 5″ series, and a couple of them he lost horribly. But, at three years old and with the emotional development of a three year old, he never once cried, pouted or threw down the nunchuck when he lost. He simply started over and gave it his best, again. In business, that means just that. No matter how things go and how things work out, just keep on going. Continue to strategize, analyze your competition and give it all you’ve got.

So as you can see, I learned a lot in that space of time that I watched him play Wii. What’s also funny is while he was playing, he didn’t cough one time. So maybe the Wii game has healing properties too? Nah! Just maybe that’s what successful people do when they have problems. They are so focused on making something work that they forget about what’s trivial or what’s insignificant or of no consequence. They are so determined to make their business work, that they give it all they’ve got to ensure it’s success.

I think I’ll go play a quick doubles game to get myself motivated. Just call me Serena!

Post from: EveryJoe

What I Learned About Business Strategizing By Watching My 3-Year Old Son Play Wii Tennis

“Sadly, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig and other leaders and owners of baseball have been willing to ignore what others have suspected in order to sell more tickets, hot dogs and memorabilia.”

Businesses that capitalize on the profitability of sports games rely on the popularity of the players that fuel them. When their behavior is called into question, people are reluctant to give their support through their attendance and with their funds. Over a period of time, this can become a definite problem within the game of baseball. Since the main goal of the sports advertisers is to make money off the backs of the ball players, with few quality ball players or ethically questionable ones at that, the fans’ enthusiasm wavers as will tickets sales to the games and memorabilia purchases.

Hopefully, the report that was released today along with details of their findings, Allan Selig, the baseball commissioner will find a way to make these recent findings sit well not only with advertisers but also with the fans. Besides, there’s a lot of business at stake.

Post from: EveryJoe

The Major League Baseball’s Mitchell Report Affects ALL Businesses

• Determine if you have a work from home frame of mind. Do you mind being by yourself for long periods of time without human interaction? There are days when I’m at my computer for hours with absolutely no human interaction. Aside from chat rooms and message boards, it’s just me and my glass of iced tea. Although it has never really bothered me, everyone is different. If you have to have someone to talk to, re-think the work-at-home life.
• Are you disciplined enough to work even when no one is watching you? Can you be counted on to meet deadlines, make telephone calls, turn in sales reports without having to be asked to do so? The freedom of doing as you please can sometimes be too much for certain personalities to handle. I used to be real bad at getting certain reports done because I felt like I had all the time in the world to do them. Not so. Paperwork must be completed in a timely manner as well to avoid being late. Remember, if you don’t do it, it won’t get done!
• Do you have the support of your family and friends? By this I do mean their full support. If your spouse is adding to your to-do list every day because you’re “at-home”, you’ll find yourself becoming resentful. Make sure family and well-meaning friends understand that you’re at home working, not just sitting there.

Find a business or contract work that you’re passionate about. Without that passion, that fire, you will quickly give up or become discouraged. DO NOT choose a work-at-home position solely on how much money you can possibly make. Sure, if you make millions while having fun, that’s cool. Choose a home business that you can and would do even if it took months or years to turn a profit. Hopefully, that won’t happen, but you get the idea. Passion turns a profit.

While working from home is definitely a life that I wouldn’t trade for anything, I would like to hear from you what motivates and empowers you in this wonderful, work-from-home entrepreneurial life. Do tell…

Post from: EveryJoe

Working From Home – - A Dream Come True

I had been in meetings the entire day, not able to make any phone calls, send any emails and do anything that was conducive to my business. I got quite frustrated with my day and was annoyed at how everyone else was absorbing my time. I had a conference call to particpate in late that afternoon, after the kids were home from school, and before I had to pick up my son from daycare. Things were looking bleak for me.

I got the kids situated, made the daycare run and was back at my computer just in time for the conference call to begin. All set. The kids were occupied (translated: fighting), had eaten dinner and I was sitting on ready for the conference call to begin that was to last 90 minutes. The call was going smoothly, everyone was participating and there were things getting ironed out. The call had lasted roughly about 55 minutes with about 35 more minutes to go. Then I got a phone call from a dear friend who asked if I could do her a huge favor. Huge. She was stuck in traffic and couldn’t get to her kids to pick them up from their after school care. She wanted to know…you guessed it. Could I pick them up for her? What was I to say? I said yes.

So not only did I have to leave the conference call early, drop off in the middle of a discussion (they had to be picked up by 6 and it was 10 til 6 then), but I also forfeited my compensation for the conference call. Aaggh! So I felt like my whole day was wasted. Yes, I helped a friend, yes I made someone’s else’s day but I feel that I ruined mine.

As a work-from-homer, what is an example of a wasted day that you’ve had? Anyone ever had one? Do you ever feel as if you’ve wasted time? Ever had a day when you felt as if you got NOTHING done but you have the fatigue scars to show for it?

I probably won’t let another day like yesterday happen again because I’ll be better prepared. Emergencies do happen but there are ways to even prepare for those. If I had to do yesterday all over again, this is what I would do differently:

• Schedule the meetings/conference calls that were earlier in the day in 30 minute blocks instead of hour long blocks. That way, I have time to do other work in between telephone calls and be productive.
• Schedule the conference calls before 3:00 p.m. when school lets out. This only works if you are in control of the call or if you’re the moderator. If not, you have to just go along with the group. If you can’t avoid that and the kids are around, make it clear that you may have to drop out of the call after, say, 30 minutes and perhaps pick back up the last 30 minutes.
• Let people know who call for favors that you ARE working and that you will help them IF you can. No need to be rude but be firm in letting them know that you’re at work too. Stuck in traffic is no fun, but neither is losing money for dropped conference calls!

Share with us any experiences you’ve had with wasted days. Let me hear you whine! 

Post from: EveryJoe

Wasted Days

I signed up to receive more information about the business-to-business offer that JerriLynn made so that I could see if my professional services are a fit for that organization. I keep myself always in a state of ready to grow my business. You never know where the next opportunity lies.

Let me know how this works out for you. Good luck!

Post from: EveryJoe

Finding (One) Of your Business Niches

So even though I wasn’t so much fed up with the 9-to-5 grind as it were, but just having to jump through corporate hoops, kiss corporate butts and make corporate a ton of money with my skills and knowledge just caught up with me. After working 10 hour days and making sales calls on weekends and client calls at 5:00 in the mornings just began taking its toll on me. And although I did make significantly more in corporate American than I do now, my fatigue, low checkbook, early mornings, late evenings, weekend work, iffy clients and messy house are now all my responsibility and I love it.

Guess I was then. Fed up that is.

Post from: EveryJoe

Fed Up?