Time management tips for the office

At home or in the office, we all strive to do one thing—save time. Time is critical when trying to put the finishing touches on the monthly reports, or when trying to reach your deadlines. Fortunately, there is hope for even the most disorganized people. By making a few simple changes, you can save the time you need to be able to focus more on the important tasks in your office.

1. Perhaps one of the most frustrating ways we waste time occurs while flipping through phone books or piles of paper as you try to locate numbers that you use on a regular basis. An easy way to avoid this is by having a list of the numbers you frequently use near your phone. You could make up a small list and tape it to your desk, or you could try using a roll-o-deck to keep them in order.

2. Why put off until tomorrow what you can get done today? Don’t let the little things accumulate until there is just so much to do that it will take you hours to get caught up. For example, filing is a small task that when not done regularly, adds up to major time loss in the office. File those papers as needed.

3. Keep the clutter away. Maintain a clean work surface on your desk. If this means having a drawer to keep papers or projects in that are incomplete, then that’s fine. A cluttered work surface is overwhelming. Looking at all those projects that need finished can immobilize you in the office and can make it nearly impossible to get anything done. All you can think about is how you are ever going to get it all done, or where you are going to begin.

4. Take it one task at a time. When you are feeling overwhelmed by all you need to do, order your projects by priority. Stick to the most important project and give no thought to the others until that one is done. For example, if you have reports due the first of every month, and it is the 29th already then make those your priority. Don’t worry about the project that is due the middle of next month.

5. Get into the habit of using a desk clock. Use it for those projects that you are really procrastinating on. Tell yourself that you will work on it for a half hour and stick to it. This will help you motivate on things you aren’t really excited about doing.

6. Don’t be afraid to say no if you already have more than you can handle. If your office mate comes up to you and asks you to file some papers for her because she is short on time, just be honest and tell her that you are too. Often we get more stressed than is necessary because we do not know how to say no.

7. Finally, do whatever you can to make your office as stress-free as possible. Light relaxing scented candles like lavender to make you feel at ease at your desk. If you have a knack for growing plants then set a couple on your desk or somewhere nearby. Plants are surprisingly therapeutic. Just having something close that is alive and growing can bring some sunshine to your day. Bringing pictures of loved ones and decorating for the seasons will also make your area a little more cheerful. The less stressed you are, the better you will be able to focus on your tasks.

If you are disorganized, as many are, you will be amazed at how much these small changes will help you to save more time—leaving room in your day for the more important undertakings you are responsible for.

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Stress Management: Tips for Stress Management

A certain level of stress keeps life exciting because it prevents boredom and provides energy for coping with life's challenges. Stress becomes a factor, however, when it causes the body to pump more adrenaline into the system than one can handle comfortably.

Online resources now provide an instant source of information on how to control and manage stress. You can access sites that feature relaxation technique videos and stress management seminars for business people. Other web sites offer exercise routines that are sure to relax even the most uptight person.

You might choose to start your stress-free surfing session by access sites such as "Stress Management Portals and Stress Management" and "Emotional Wellness Links." These sites focus on job-related stress in case your boss is the one triggering high levels of stress. Other web sites link you to almost any category of stress management, such as humor and mediation resources. Whether you are looking to control your own level of stress or are looking to help someone else, you will not find a larger library of resources than what is available on the web.

By Buzzle Staff and Agencies

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Work at Home Moms: Best Time Management Tips

Working from home provides tremendous advantages for a mom. You're able to set your own schedule, bag the stockings and read at the preschool. You can nap when you're tired or call a friend. What a life!

But challenges also abound. It's almost impossible to work without childcare. The more you're in the house, the messier it seems; domestic projects call from every corner. The mail carrier may be nice, but he's not a colleague. And nobody is looking over your shoulder to make sure the job gets done.

To thrive as a work-at-home mom, you need to set guidelines. What follows are time management tips gleaned from my experience writing from home as the mother of two girls, now 5 and 8.

*Establish boundaries. Don't allow the kids in your office without permission. I set this rule early, and as a result I can always find my stapler. I cannot say the same thing for my hairbrush or lipstick.

*Set a schedule. Notice how your preschooler needs structure? So do you. A regular work routine will help keep you from getting sidetracked by daytime TV.

*Buy a stopwatch. I click my stopwatch on to write and click it off when I leave my desk. At day's end, I log my work hours. Tracking time keeps me focused and helps separate "work" from "home."

*Keep a "small stuff" to do list. Working at home allows you to use spare moments for office work. But to be efficient, you need to keep a list of tasks that can be done in 15 minutes or less.

*Stash toys. I keep a basket of toys in my office for special occasions. Since the kids don't use them regularly, the toys have novelty value. The basket buys me an hour of work time on my children's sick days.

*Distinguish breaks. Two hours spent cleaning the playroom is not a break, it's a morning. Start the day with work, not chores. Keep breaks short, work hours long. Ignore the dust bunnies.

*Set the handyman straight. Chat and then make it clear that you have to go back to work. Tell him that you're on a deadline -- even if you're not. He'll get more work done, and so will you.

*Get out. Working at home can be isolating. Schedule events that require you to wear clean clothes and interact with adults who are not relatives, contractors or delivery people.

*Know thyself. It's confusing. You're a working mother but you're mostly around stay-at-home moms. Deadlines call, but you're constantly asked to volunteer. Consider your work commitments before accepting outside obligations. Remember, you're a working mom, even if you don't commute.

*Take advantage. What's the point of working at home if you don't enjoy the perks? Sneak in a siesta. Check in on Oprah. Shop for shoes. Celebrate the "free" in freelance, and the "independent" in independent contractor!

(c) 2006 Jennifer Bingham Hull.

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Money Management Tips

"Tanya had been taught to save the money she received as birthday gifts, so every year she would watch the transparent piggy bank on her desk fill up and dream about what she would buy with it. It was on her 10th birthday her parents announced that she could open the piggy bank and buy whatever she wanted with it. Tanya counted the money, put it into the nice pink purse that her parents had bought her, got into the car with them and headed out to buy herself the cycle she had been eyeing for a few months."

Money Management Tips for College Students

* First of all, always remember to use your student I.D card to ride the bus, watch a movie or even order a pizza. Even while traveling long distances ensure that you check fares for student discounts.

* Do not share your Social Security, credit card or bank account number with anyone else. Also remember to memorize your pin.

* Check your credit statements, bank statements and other bills for unauthorized use at regular intervals.

* Use your credit card sparingly and set your own credit limit irrespective of the credit limit of the card. Pay back the credit card amount whenever you have a little money to spare.

* Make a personal budget and round up all available cash such as gift money, scholarship money, student loans, money from summer jobs and money from your parents. Designate types of money for certain uses, for instance, keep the student loan for your education and future. Use the money you receive from home to pay for grocery and phone bills.

* Keep a track on your spending. This will help you find our where your money goes and help you draw the differentiation between wants and real needs. You can do this by making a budget for a week.

* Save money in a piggy bank or jar. Believe me it really helps in difficult times!

* Pay bills on time, this will help you save money and ensure that you don’t have any of your facilities such as electricity and water revoked.

* Buy books only when you need them. While doing so compare online prices with the prices of the books in the campus bookstore. Also check bulletin boards and school newspapers for used books.

* Include your roommate in your financial planning. You can split most of the expenses, which will help both of you save some money.

* Sit and discuss expenses with your parents and find out what you can count on them for and what you will be responsible for.

Money Management Tips for Working Singles

* First of all learn to live within your means. To do this, avoid spending on unrealistic purchases.

* Keep a journal in order to keep track of your spending and make smart changes on a regular basis.

* Keep an emergency fund by stashing away some money in a high-yield savings account.

* Leave your credit card at home to avoid temptation.

* Pay all your bills on time and review statements from services and credit card providers monthly.

* Buy a nice file folder and keep every receipt, warrantee and invoice that you receive in it.

* Keep away some money for retirement.

Money Management Tips for Couples

* When creating folders ensure that both of you know where is stored in it. Choose a certain place for checkbooks, receipts and other information about financial transactions.

* Do not spend money on things you don’t require and avoid using your credit card to make payments.

* Keep details of your monthly payments such as health club membership, renewal of auto insurance etc written down in a journal.

* Put away some money into a savings account.

* If you have children, put aside money for their education.

* Discuss your finances with your partner on a regular basis. Arrange information about what bills are due, how much is due and the due date of each payment. Remember to compare your monthly expenses with your monthly income and brainstorm on ideas that will help your increase your income.

* Avoid getting into an argument about the finances.

By Rachna Gupta

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Survival tips for managing during tough times

Periods of economic decline have direct impact on your profitability and on relationships with vendors, customers and even employees.

Yet the fact that conditions are changing opens up opportunities for resourceful companies to outsmart larger competitors who, during a downturn, carry on business as usual or are unable to adapt quickly - except to fire employees. Entrepreneurs who survive and even prosper during hard times must be able to look beyond the present, to see their business from a new perspective, and do business differently.

Here are 14 specific recommendations for small business owners and managers to follow during economic upheavals:

1. Watch your inventories carefully, but don't hold them down so tight that you'll lose sales. Typically during a slowdown, there is an imbalance between slumping retail sales and bloated inventories - don't be saddled with leftover merchandise that ties up your cash flow. One possibility is converting inventories into cash. Keep an eye out for those products that can tolerate even leaner inventories or that should be eliminated from your stock. This way if sales nosedive, less of your cash is locked into unproductive assets.

2. Monitor your cash flow very diligently, and forecast it monthly to ensure that expenses and planned expenditures are in line with accounts receivable. Make sure your financial statements provide information that is timely, relevant and accurate. Negotiate with suppliers, contractors and landlords for better prices or short- term reductions, and even consider trading goods and services on a barter exchange for credits instead of for cash. Take advantage of supplier discounts for prompt payment, and don't pay for no-discount bills before they're due. If the cash bind has already surfaced, talk to creditors before the bills are past due to persuade them to extend payments of your current bills.

3. Separate the 'nice to do' from the 'have to do,' and eliminate nonessential expenses as much as possible. Ask yourself, is that activity necessary? If not, don't do it.

4. Reduce or stretch out debt, and build up your capital reserves. Watch the credit-worthiness of your customers, even bread and butter accounts. Remaining close to existing customers, and checking to see how they are getting on during the economic downturn, not only helps avoid unpleasant surprises but could also lead to new opportunities.

5. Get aggressive with collections. Assume that the average collection period for your industry is 45 days, but your company is at 51 days. After bringing that collection period down to the industry average, keep working to get it down to 40 days. Being tough with customers may be unpleasant, but it's an important safeguard against the effects of a prolonged economic slowdown.

6. Look hard at capital spending. Consider delaying both the purchase of high ticket items and expansion plans that take a long time to pay off.

7. Strengthen your banking relationships, which includes letting lenders know the company's financial position. Banks are looking for business to boost their income, but are also trying to minimise risk, so they are careful about what kind of loans they undertake.

8. Look for opportunities to reduce rented space. If you acquired space in anticipation of staff expansion that ultimately proved unnecessary, this may be a good time to sublet that space - thus reducing overhead and generating extra income.

9. Now is the time to be prudently aggressive in the marketplace. Actively seek out new business, and perhaps add a salesperson or two or an extra service to give you an edge over competition.

10. Similarly, don't skimp on service and quality by being understaffed. Options include freelancers, consultants and part-time employees. One advantage of a slowdown is that hiring gets easier because there are more candidates from which to choose due to layoffs and other cutbacks.

11. In strategising how to build your customer base and getting current customers to buy more, the importance of good service cannot be overstressed - especially as their buying power or willingness to spend is lessened during tough economic times.

12. Historically, many businesses reduce advertising and promotional expenditures rather than slash fixed costs during hard times. However, studies have shown that those maintaining or increasing ad outlays during slowdowns wind up outselling rivals who cut back. Savvy marketers can boost sales and market share, even if the industry in which they compete is in a slump, by focusing on short-term tactical techniques such as sales and price promotions (including cents-off coupons and rebates), and tailoring advertising in response to the shaky economic climate. Survival guidelines include:

* Monitor your competitors' advertising. If they're cutting down, seriously consider increasing your ad budget and hitting harder. This will provide a great opportunity to capture - and retain - a larger share of the market.

 * Avoid gimmicky and clever advertising. Center your message on the benefits and advantages of your product or service - such as convenience or energy efficiency - rather than making emotional appeals.

* Use direct-response advertising techniques. Use hard-hitting copy with simple but convincing language, a special offer the prospect will find hard to pass up, and a strong call to action.

* Avoid ads that look like ads. Make them appear to be vital messages to the consumer offering them the most for their money.

* Stress quality and durability. Consumers are looking for as much value as possible in a weak economy. But don't actually use the words 'quality and durability,' as they have degenerated into advertising clichés. Show, don't tell.

* Study advertising research thoroughly. Know which page positions pull best, which copy factors work effectively, which colors do the job, and so on. Spend every ad dollar carefully.

* Re-examine your marketing mix to ensure it is the most cost effective.

* Keep in mind that perceptions play a major role in a week economy. If people believe money is going to be tight, they will behave as if it is - even if they have money to spend. Your ads have to convince prospective customers that your product or service is a wise investment.

13. Another mistake during recessionary times is to reduce training budgets. Training can best be conducted during slack periods.

14. Get employees involved in policy choices as well as tactics and implementation - asking, for example, if costs can be cut 15 percent without layoffs. If layoffs or a significant reduction in work hours are unavoidable, let employees take a lead role in designing the programme. Shortened hours, job reassignments, job sharing and other alternatives may surface. Meet with staff regularly to exchange ideas on boosting productivity and other issues. Create an incentive for good suggestions, and foster a team spirit for survival.

While economic downturns are difficult, and increase the obstacles small businesses face in trying to survive and grow, it doesn't necessarily mean companies have to slash earnings and compress market share. Resourceful entrepreneurs can capture the available opportunities, and take steps during today's hard times to lay the groundwork for tomorrow's prosperity.

Originally published in Her Business magazine

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