This week I helped a friend edit a letter that’s used frequently within her organization and set it up as a template with ‘fields’ for certain data. If I’ve started to lose you, don’t worry about it … the point of this post isn’t the technicalities of setting up merge fields within a Word document.

The point of this post is something that was said during the process.

You see, there were some parts of this letter that didn’t seem quite right to me. There were a couple of fields at the very top of the letter that seemed out of place and I desperately wanted to tidy up the layout.

Anyway, I asked my friend if she’d like me to tidy up the format a bit too and she gasped, “Oh no, please don’t do that! I’ve asked before if I could make changes to the layout but management were very strict and advised me not to.”

Why?

“Because that’s the way it’s always been done. We don’t want to make any changes after all these years.”

What sort of reasoning is that? I’m not advocating that things need to be constantly changed and updated, but isn’t it at least worth considering?

My personal view on change is that ideas and suggestions should always be listened to and should never be automatically dismissed. If there seems to be a good enough reason to try something new, or to make a few minor adjustments – and these changes are likely to bring about benefits of some sort – go for it.

But always test and measure the results. Did the change bring about any sort of improvement or benefit? Did it cause any problems or negative feedback? And at the end of the day, do the benefits outweigh the negatives?

Sometimes you make changes that don’t work and you need to revert back to the old system, or to try another option all together. But you’ll never really know if you don’t at least test different options.

As for my friend’s letter template, it remains in the old “the way it’s always been” format … for now.

When Things Need To Change is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

I’m so excited!

After much time spent planning, we’re ready to launch the Business Breakthrough Magic webinar series!

This is a free weekly webinar series where we’ll be show-casing a variety of guest presenters who are specialists in particular areas of business.  These specialists are going to share with you a range of tips, tools and tactics (most free or low-cost) that – when implemented correctly – will take your business soaring to the next level.

We scoured the world for these presenters and will be bringing to you some of the best of the best in their industries.

Registration is essential!

Full details and registration are available on the Business Breakthrough Magic site.

Business Breakthrough Magic Webinars is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Happy 2011!

The start of a new year is always an exciting time for me. I love the thoughts of what the year ahead might bring … a time for planning for the year ahead and going after my goals – personal and business – with great gusto.

I usually take some time in the first week or two of January to really focus on my own business – reviewing, planning and setting goals.

Something that helps me with this process is a 30 Point New Year Business Checklist that I drew up about 5 years ago, just for my own use. Since then I’ve been sharing it with all my clients and, if you think it might be helpful for you, I’m happy to share it with you too.

No catch … no cost … just click the image below to download my checklist now.

No matter what sort of business you are in, I wish you a safe, healthy, prosperous and, most of all, a very happy 2011!

Time To Plan For The Year Ahead is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Mind mapping and flow charting are great ways to brainstorm and get thoughts down on paper quickly and easily and are a fantastic resource for success in small business.

Many people may not realise that there are several web applications that allow you to create mind maps and flow charts for free. Check out these seven top mind mapping and flow chart programs:

1. Bubbl.us – Bubbl.us can make some great looking charts. It’s a good tool for creating charts that you plan to print and distribute. Using it is not exactly intuitive, however with a bit of playing around it’s not too hard to figure out.
2. Lovely Charts – This free site can make some very attractive charts, too. It has colorful graphics and is very easy to use. It also allows you to make some really cool organisational charts. Their 90 second tutorial will explain how to get started.
3. Mindmeister – This is another online mapping tool that’s very easy to use. I like that it integrates with Twitter and iPhone.
4. Xmind – This application is also quite straight-forward to use. You don’t actually use it online, however. Instead, it’s downloaded to your computer. The basic version is free, or you can buy a one year subscription to the professional version for $49 (US).
5. Freemind – This is another downloadable software tool that helps with mind mapping and general organisation of thoughts and tasks. It is a finalist for the 2009 Community Choice Award in the category “Most likely to change the way you do everything”!
6. Gliffy – Gliffy is a great tool that is user friendly and intuitive. You don’t even have to sign up to try it out. And, in addition to creating flow charts and mind maps, you can draw floor plans, create Venn diagrams and do all sorts of other cool stuff.
7. Mindomo – This program is completely online, and is a great mind mapping tool. I wasn’t sure whether to include this in the list as the free version limits you to seven private maps. However you can purchase a paid subscription for $6-$9 a month. So while the ‘free’ component is limited, I decided to include this in the list anyway as it’s definitely worth considering.

My suggestion is that you try out all these free mind mapping and charting tools and compare them for yourself. You’re sure to find one that you feel comfortable with and may be surprised by how much this can help you with all your business and personal plans and projects.

Top 7 Free Mind Mapping and Flow Chart Programs is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

As a business owner, you owe a duty of care to keep all people involved in your business safe to the most reasonable extent possible. Failure to make your business safe could result in injury, liability, or lawsuits, which could damage you more than financially. Even if you work from home, knowing what you need to be aware of should be part of your overall business management strategy.

Success In Small Business Means Safety For All

When business owners talk about safety in the workplace, the first thought is often for workers or employees. But in reality, small business safety is about keeping everyone safe – everyone from you to your clients and customers, and even to the delivery person. Your level of care and responsibility will directly impact your success in small business, as any injury or accident could easily put you out of business or at the very least impact the rates and fees you pay on insurance and settlements.

When you think about safety in the workplace, think about it from all perspectives. Consider all the individuals, including children and adults, who might come into contact with your place of business, and who might require you to think outside the box a little to keep them safe.

Small Business Safety – Things Big, Things Small

Big, glaring safety hazards may be obvious corrections to make, but it is often the little things that are overlooked that cause trouble and safety issues. Look at every aspect of your business and infrastructure to ensure safety.

• Look at large units like heating, air conditioning, and electrical systems and equipment, and hire licensed professionals for maintenance and repairs

• Look at small hazards like sharp objects, loosened fixtures, uncovered wall plugs, and peeling paint (especially if it is old)

• Take care with chemicals that are used – store away from the public and train staff to use responsibly and safely

• Check and maintain guards and safety mechanisms on mechanical equipment; be sure all equipment is regularly inspected and in good working order

• Properly store flammable liquids and gases and use responsibly

• Be sure poisons and acids are properly used and kept strictly away from the public

• Train staff in their jobs, proper handling, and emergency procedures

• Be sure that emergency equipment such as washes and fire extinguishers are always readily available, and always in working order

• Prepare emergency and evacuation plans

• Provide a safe, healthy work environment

• Pay strict attention to hygiene of the workspace and of staff, particularly where food is involved

• Repair all disrepairs

• Maintain property in the event of storms and weather that increase likelihood of falls and so forth

• Remember that confidentiality and information safety is of equal importance, and always maintain security protocols

This is a general list of considerations for businesses, but local regulations and governmental or trade safety requirements will always trump a general list. Be sure to contact the appropriate authorities and follow their guidelines for safety, and also for liability and insurance requirements.

People working from home are not immune to issues of workplace safety. Any business where people may come onto the property, even if just for a casual meeting, owes a debt of responsibility to clientele and employees, and confidentiality and information security are issues even for the most remote and physically detached businesses.

There is a lot to consider when it comes to small business safety – it’s something that can never be overdone. Make sure that your business is safe and secure in every way so that you protect both yourself and those who do business with you.

Safety In Your Workplace … Even If You Work From Home is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

No matter how well organised you are there are always going to be times when things go wrong, take longer than planned or the unexpected crops up. Sometimes – especially if this happens over two or more consecutive days – it can start to overwhelm you. This is when you start to realise that there’s no way any human can do everything that needs to be done at the moment (e.g. today, this week, before a deadline) and you start to worry, stress and perhaps even panic.

I had 3 consecutive days like that last week. On the first day, where an unexpected technical issue cost me 7 hours from my day, I just rearranged the rest of the week to make up for this. Then some extra, urgent work cropped up the following day – a day where I was already overloaded trying to catch up from the day before. Then on day 3, another unexpected ‘challenge’ occurred and I was starting to stress.

Day 3 was last Thursday. Although I made up for lost time, I also realised that I was now way behind schedule with what I wanted to achieve that week and it was time to take drastic action if I was to avoid a breakdown before the end of the day.

Here’s what I did to ensure I caught up on Friday – even finding time for an impromptu interview with a national newspaper. Hopefully these tips can help save your sanity too.

1. Make a cuppa. I know this sounds crazy to some people, but when you’re feeling overwhelmed with the amount of things you need to get through, the first thing to do is to ask yourself, “What is the best thing I can do right now?” And if you’re particularly stressed, it may be that by taking some time out for yourself first, you’ll actually function better throughout the rest of the day.

So in my case, I made a cuppa and sat down with a pen and paper and my to-do list and started planning how I was going to handle everything.

2. Next, make a list of everything you need to do today (or this week or by your deadline) – this is what I did while enjoying my cuppa

3. Go through that list and cross off or reschedule anything that can wait until later.

4. Then decide if there’s anything you can delegate. In my case, I called in the pros:

• My darling son took over cooking, cleaning, pet care and all ‘house’ duties for the next couple of days – is there anyone else in your home who can look after these tasks … or at the very least help you with them? That freed up more of my time so I could focus on the things that only I could do.
• I called my assistant and offered her some extra work helping with general admin type duties, not just for the business but also some personal paperwork and phone calls that needed taking care of. If you aren’t blessed with a wonderful assistant like I am, look at hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) for a few hours or a couple of days. They will really help to take the pressure off. Or if you’re in Brisbane, give Kay at Hectic Helpers a call (just program her number into your phone as ‘HELP!’) Kay loves doing all your running around for you
• Look for other areas you can save some running around. In my case, I had to do some grocery shopping as my hectic week meant I hadn’t had a chance to shop for ages! So I went to Coles Online and ordered our groceries in about 10 minutes. They were delivered the following morning. Next, I went to Officeworks and ordered my office supplies … again, all delivered the next day.

By now you should really be getting used to delegating, outsourcing and finding ways to save some time.

• Okay, so next – after all this re-organising, delegating, saving running around, etc – you should have a much shorter to-do list with a greater chance of completing your tasks. So now, wherever possible, estimate how long each task is going to take. Then allocate chunks of the time you have available to the various tasks to be come.
• This next step isn’t always as easy as it sounds, yet it’s extremely important. During those allocated time chunks … FOCUS on the task at hand. If you’ve allowed 1 hour to catch up on emails, start with the most urgent and get through them without letting yourself be distracted. If an email is going to require more time to research or consider your reply, where possible, you may be able to reply just to let the sender know you’ve received their message and that you’ll reply in detail on Monday (or whenever you feel you can reasonable allocate more time to this).

By the end of the day hopefully you’ll be in a much better place – you will have achieved so much, but also be more relaxed knowing that everything is being managed and under control.

Now the last step in this process … grab a nice cold drink and sit back and relax

What To Do When Your Workload Overwhelms You is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

While many people – hopefully most business owners – realise the importance of backing up computer data and doing it regularly, many people don’t realise that some files, such as emails, may require a different back up technique.

If you needed to install a new email program and wanted to still have access to the emails in your existing in-box, sent items, drafts, etc, would you know how to transfer these files over? And your contacts?

Or if your computer died and you had to rely on your backups, would you know how to restore your backed-up emails?

Truly, I’ve lost count of the number of times clients and friends have phoned me because they can’t find or can’t restore their emails. Please don’t leave it until you NEED to do these tasks before figuring it all out. If you don’t already have this figured out, I encourage you to allocate 30 minutes or so this week to ensure your email backups are in order.

The method used varies a little depending on which program you use to access your emails.

Here are some sites that provide a good, detailed run down on how to export emails and contacts from three of the most common email programs:

• Outlook
• Outlook Express
• Windows Mail for Vista

For all other email programs, please refer to the software’s documentation or support area for instructions.

You’re sure to have some peace of mind once you know your emails are also being included in your regular backup procedures.

How To Backup Your Emails is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

If you’re anything like me, life just seems to get busier every year. Yes, you could slow down a bit… do less… be less involved in your various activities, business groups, children’s sports or whatever, but do you really want to cut back?

I lead an extremely busy life but in all honesty, that’s the way I like it.

I enjoy being able to take part in so many events and activities, meeting and building relationships and lifelong friendships with so many people.

Just how do you keep doing everything you want to, plus everything you HAVE to and still keep your sanity?

I’d like to share with you some planning techniques I use to keep me organised and on track.

1. Write lists. When you lead a busy life it’s so easy to forget things. I have lists galore – I should probably even keep a list of all my lists! There’s my daily to-do list, my list of birthdays for the year, my list of household jobs I want to work my way through, my list of Christmas presents to buy, my list of 50 people I want to meet during my lifetime, my list of goals and my shopping list. What’s more important than writing lists is that I actually USE them; I refer to them daily and cross things off or re-adjust them as I go.

When you’re adding tasks to your list, focus on WHY you’re writing them on there. Why do you want to include, ‘Go for walk,’ on your daily jobs list? Is it so you can cross it off at the end of the day? I doubt it. Is it to help in your overall goal to lose weight or to be healthy?

Focus on the big picture and your reasons for wanting to do this task; focus on how you’ll feel once you’ve achieved your goal.

2. Delegate, delegate, delegate! Do you really need to do all these things yourself?

Let’s work with household chores as an example. Grab a blank sheet of paper and write down a list of chores to be done. Now, cross off all those that don’t really need doing, or asterisk those that can be done fortnightly instead of weekly.

Next, what can other members of your household help with? Can you afford to hire a professional cleaner once a week or fortnight? These little things can make a huge difference to your schedule.

If you run a business or are self-employed, look at employing staff or ways of outsourcing tasks. Your main duty is to manage your business, not to do absolutely everything to do with your business yourself.

3. When it comes to planning for your year ahead, begin by looking at the big picture.

Imagine the date today is December 31st 2010; you’re sitting here, looking back at what you’ve achieved over the last year. What are you thinking of? What did you achieve?

Okay, now you can break each of those achievements down into bite size pieces. What can you do each day to work towards those goals?

4. What can you get rid of? Do you really need to do everything you write on your daily list? Remember: life’s too short to spend it doing things you don’t like. Sure, we’ve all got to do things we don’t want to but surely there are some things you can let go of.

I used to be the family ‘neat-freak’ until I realised how much time I was wasting ironing tea towels! (Bonus advice: the creases work their way out after you use them once and hang them up to dry).

A girlfriend of mine recently told me that she wants her children to think back upon their childhood remembering how much fun they had and how their Mum always had time for them, not remembering how clean the house was.

5. Buy a birthday book or use your diary, calendar or organiser to write in the birthdates of all your friends, family… anyone you would generally send a card or gift to.

At the end of each month, see what birthdays are coming up next month and buy cards/gifts as needed. Then you can keep them somewhere handy, where they won’t be forgotten, ready to mail a few days before the date.

6.Focus … and stop multi-tasking! You’ll find you’ll achieve so much more if you stop multi-tasking and focus on one main priority at a time.

Allocate a set time – 30 minutes, 1 hour, 3 hours or however long you feel is required for a specific task. Turn off all other distractions and focus on the task at hand. Then make sure you stop after the dedicated time. If the task isn’t finished yet, allocate more time somewhere to complete it.

You’ll find that by spending this time totally focused and allocating a specific time-frame will help keep you on track.

7. And have fun! Don’t forget to reward your achievements and schedule time for living life and celebrating.

Hopefully you’ve found these ideas useful and they will be simple for you to implement into your lifestyle. Here’s to a wonderful year – your best year yet!

7 Easy Planning Strategies To Simplify Your Life is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

If so, it’s time to organise your email system before it takes over your life!

Email is an extremely convenient mode of communication; perhaps too easy, as it seems to invite people to contact you for sometimes barely any reason at all.  With all that email coming in needing attention, it can be hard to get anything else done.  So how can you get a grip on your business emails before it gets its grip on you?

Gaining Control Of Email

Success in small business relies on discipline and good time management. Often, however, necessary tasks like checking, reading and responding to emails can start to overtake productive work time and decrease your productivity – and in turn, your profitability.  That is why it’s important for you to be managing emails, rather than letting emails manage you.  Here are some pointers from the experts:

• Schedule time for checking emails; this can be once, twice, or three times daily at times that fit into your schedule.  Block out time and when the time is up, move on to other pressing matters.
• Do not use email for emergency contacts; inform clients and business associates that you are not available immediately via email, and that they should phone or contact you via instant message, etc, for pressing matters.  This makes it possible for you to handle emails in chunks rather than constantly dealing with them throughout the day.  Be careful who you give emergency contact information to, though, so that it is used for its intended purpose.
• Turn off automatic alerts – both audio and visual – so that you are not tempted to immediately respond every time a new message comes in. This breaks into your productive work time.
• Deal with emails during your ‘down time’; do not schedule your most creative and productive times of day for organising emails.  Put email management into your schedule where it makes sense – those times of day when you need to slow down, or that do not take away from more complex activities.
• Use tools for organising emails; get to know the features of your email client and use them to prioritise emails.  For instance, use the ‘rules’ or ‘labels’ function to automatically separate emails into folders according to priority levels, clients, or subjects.
• Respond to emails when read; many people will read all emails before responding, and then go back and start with the most important ones. But this only multiplies the time it takes to get through the lot.  espond to emails as they are read, and you will not have to begin all over again sifting through them.
• Separate business and personal emails; do not give out business email addresses to friends and family that do not have a business reason to contact you.

Email is a very useful and important business tool, but if you don’t learn how to efficiently manage your emails they will begin to take over your life.

Of course, everyone’s situation is going to be different and it may take a little while to find what works best for you, but if you start putting some of these tips into practise you’ll soon get control over your email. If not, perhaps it’s time to consider getting an assistant to help you respond to emails.

Are You Drowning In A Sea Of Never-Ending Emails? is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins

Sometimes you are not your own best employee.

Sometimes you are not the most cost-effective choice for handling certain aspects of your business.

Sometimes success in small business relies on recognizing where you could use some help and investing in the things that really make a difference to your productivity and profitability.

Sometimes, small business outsourcing is just a better idea.

Plain and simple.

Should You Outsource – Business and Personal Factors

Outsourcing certain business tasks is often the best strategy for small business management, both personally and professionally.

In every business’ life, there comes a time when, for one reason or another, it is in your best interest to bring in some outside help. The motivation can often start as personal in nature, but in truth the impact of successful outsourcing cannot be entirely separated from either side of life; the result of successful outsourcing should benefit you in your personal and business life.

The motivation behind outsourcing can very basically be broken down into one of two factors – time or skill.

• Outsourcing for time management; when there is just not enough time in the day or the week to complete the essential functions that your business demands – and in truth, relies on – then you need to look at where you can benefit from some outside help to get the job done.

• Outsourcing for skill and expertise; if you can’t do it well, you shouldn’t really be doing it. Someone who can do it better can. Spend your time where you can give the most value to your business, and rely on the skill and expertise of others to add value to other aspects.

Personally, if either a lack of time or lack of skill causes you stress and strain, thereby spilling over and affecting your personal life, it is time to get some help.  Being dedicated to your business is not the same as letting it rule your life.  Remember why you became a small business owner to begin with and look at outsourcing as a way to maintain a balance between your personal and business life.

Good Help Is Hard To Find – Or Is It?

They say good help is hard to find. This old adage keeps many small business people from outsourcing and improving their business and personal lives. However, if you know what to look for, you can find good help in short time, and start enjoying the benefits right away.

Here are a few tips to help you find good outsourced service-people:

• be clear on the scope of a job or project and what you need

• evaluate outsourced employees as you would any other – interview, read resumes or evaluate samples, and ask questions (NB: while many business professionals won’t have a resume as such, you should sticll be able to ask for and see some relevant samples, a portfolio and/or references or testimonials)

• look for specific skills or experience relevant to the job

• do not choose based on cost/payment alone (sometimes you get what you pay for…)

• draft a written contract that clearly defines roles and responsibilities

• agree to a small project first to trial this outsourcing relationship, before committing to any long-term contracts or major projects

• look for freelancers who are part of a recognised professional body for their industry and/or for freelancers in general. While this won’t guarantee that you’ll get the best person for the job right away, however many of these organisations have certain standards they require from members.

If you are outsourcing a project, also consider your needs after completion so that you can get the ongoing support you need. Work to build a relationship with good freelancers so that you can readily come back again for subsequent projects and issues. In this case, also consider correlating pay to milestones throughout the project as an incentive to see the project through to completion.

Whether it is a virtual assistant you need to relieve the burden of record-keeping tasks and communications, a programmer, designer or writer for marketing campaigns, there are plenty of great agents out there waiting to fill your need. When business and pleasure begin to suffer, use these tips to ease your burden and increase productivity, all the while making your small business thrive.

How To Improve Business Through Outsourcing is a post from: Donna-Marie Coggins