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It’s spring and my business is in high gear in every way. I’ve got a full schedule of coaching clients and multiple projects on the burner that I’m working with two virtual assistants and two interns with. I think all this sunshine and warm weather has ignited the flame of my inner entrepreneur because I’ve hardly been able to sleep for being so excited about everything.
The way I feel reminds me how it felt to first get my business rolling. Ideas bursting forth, brainstorming, building, tweaking, designing, promoting… :) You follow me.
It feels the same, but the reality is different. Back then it was the me, me and me show. I as doing everything myself. Today, my first task is always to manage my team.
It’s challenging me. It’s easier at first to just do it yourself. But two years of working with my speedy and reliable VA (Tishia of Tishia Saves Time) has trained me to slow up and take the time to train and explain.
It is also different this time because I’m not starting anything new. No new businesses in 2008, that’s my personal promise to me. Rather, my enthusiasm and strategy sessions are all about making what I have more appealing and useful to my target market and more profitable for me.
I started an exhaustive brain dump a few weeks back. I’ve been adding notes and scratching out others since then and had been slowing moving things over onto to do lists.
Today I took all that paper and converted it over to my Netvibes account. I adore Netvibes. It’s super easy to create multiple notes and lists and organize them the way I want. You can have multiple tabs (or pages) for different projects. I’ve got everything up there and I love it that I can access it from any computer.
Some lists are too complicated for their simple set up so I also use Google Docs for some things. That reminds me, my partner Lynette just posted some great tips for using Google tools to manage your team.
My desk is clean, my head is clear and I’m ready to totally chill out for the rest of the weekend :)
See you Monday!
April 20th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I’m feeling it Kelly.
I always got spring fever and it’s no different with my business… doing major spring cleaning and decluttering of my projects this season.
That Netvibes thing is really cool!
April 20th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I love brain draining and I am totally with you on the cleaning binge as well. Clearing the clutter mentally and physically is an awesome feeling! In fact that is what I am working on as we speak. I was organizing my Fav’s.
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April 21st, 2008 at 7:40 am
I am working on keeping my desk paper free too.
I have been using a notepad sized dry erase board to jot down info. while I’m on the phone etc. and then I transfer it to my computer. Using the dry erase is forcing me to get the notes into my computer everyday so I can erase and start over for the next day.
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April 21st, 2008 at 8:36 am
I’m psyched to drop projects, Kel. Finally, after numerous years of working online, I know who I am and what I do. Now, to just get rid of things so I can DO them and focus. :)
Very excited to see your biz grow this year, girlfriend!
Nicole
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April 25th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
One of the things I’ve been able to do to get rid of the clutter on my desk was to switch off of our old PBX and onto a virtual phone system, namely gotvmail. Using it was cheaper than maintaining the old system, and it’s helped us streamline our services. We’ve even established some informational extensions, so we haven’t needed to answer frequently asked questions over and over. It was like a phone-based FAQ.
April 27th, 2008 at 9:21 am
A great virtual office is the way to go these days. A couple of years ago, I took my Brick & Mortar, paper hungry title insurance company and went complete digital with online transaction management software, efax, online order forms, scanning, Adobe professional, the whole nine yards. I even closed the Brick & Mortar location and work from home. I’ve never looked back. My company is now super efficient, saving TONS of money on paper, office supplies, and rent. Plus I’m 100% eco-friendly while my real estate industry cohorts are still shuffling paper, lossing faxes, and paying to store the required 20 year archive of files.
I recommend to any business owner to go digital, go virtual with paper and staff!
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