Management

How many emails do you have in your inbox? Don’t ask me that question. I plead the Fifth. All I will say is that yes, I currently am in possession of an overloaded inbox.

A recent survey by Adobe reveals that 24% of Americans believe that the idea of a “zero inbox” is an impossibility.

I have to admit that I am one of them. My goal is to keep my inbox under 100. Right now, it’s not going so well.

Apparently, there are three types of us when it comes to managing email: the Deleters, the Savers, and the Ignorers.

If you belong to either of the latter camps, here are a few tips to help you get out from under the burden of an overloaded inbox.

It’s An Inbox – Not A Storage Box

I worked at a global nonprofit several years ago with a full IT Department. Our head IT guy was relentless about us keeping our inboxes under a certain max limit. He showed up in the marketing department a lot. With so many large graphic files being sent and received, we got our share of scolding. I can still hear his voice in my head – “Email is not for storage!”

Starting today, stop using your inbox as a storage.

Try to read an email just once, when possible, act on it immediately and delete it. If the email is part of an ongoing project, use the features of your inbox to file it in a project-specific folder or archive it.

Do this with new emails every day this week. Then do it again next week. You’ll begin to form a habit and before you know it, it will be just the way you do business.

Purging An Overloaded Inbox

Now – what about that mountain of “saved” emails – the ones that have pushed your total number into the triple or…ahem…quadruple digits?

You’re going to get rid of them.

Whether you realize it or not, that mountain of stored emails is causing you stress. It’s the virtual equivalent of a giant pile of mail stacking up on your desk. And I know you don’t need more of that in your life.

I also recognize that getting rid of them might cause you stress. But, it’s going to be ok. You can do this. And it’s not going to be the end of the world.

About two years ago, I was trying to do something on my computer that I should have left to a professional and POOF! all of my emails disappeared – every single one of them! You know what? I survived. And the truth is, aside from a few emails I had to ask clients to re-send, I didn’t miss anything.

In a way, I was lucky. I didn’t have to make any decisions. My overloaded inbox problem was solved for me.

Set A Goal – Sort & Delete

If you have a lot of emails to delete, it may get a little cumbersome. You can make it a little easier by first, setting a goal of how many emails you want in your inbox, then using a sort and delete method to get to that goal.

When I approach a mass email purge, I sort my inbox by sender. Go for the low-hanging fruit first, picking off promotional emails, and communication on projects long expired. Focus on one sender at a time and delete as much as you can from that sender, then move on to the next sender.

Don’t try to do it all in one sitting. Do it a little at a time – one sender a day, five minutes a day, a certain number of emails a day – whatever works for you, prevents you from getting bored and/or overwhelmed and keeps you moving forward toward your ultimate goal of saying goodbye to an overloaded inbox for good.

---

Recommended Content: Office Organization For Small Business Success

We all know that there is a whole lot more involved in starting a business than just deciding that you’re going to do it.

You have to think about legal structure. There are financial considerations. And, you need to face hard realities about whether your great idea truly has potential as a viable and successful business.

But having the right mindset is also important. It can make a huge difference when you’re making the decision to take the leap. And, it can come in handy as you encounter challenges along the way.

So, before you leave your day job and take the leap into business ownership, here are a few must-do’s to help you get mentally prepared to start a business.

How To Get Mentally Prepared To Start A Business

Identify Your Why

You may know you want to be your own boss, and you may have some ideas about how you want to make it happen, but you need to dig deeper.

You need to clearly define your “why.” What’s motivating you to take the leap? And is it a strong enough reason to keep you going when you have a pile-up of slow paying clients, a hard drive crash or some other crisis?

Develop A Values-Based Business Plan

Having a business plan is crucial to setting your venture up for success, but take it a step further by asking yourself how your business plan honors your values and the passion that you have for your business concept.

It can be easy to get started or get excited about something new. But, trust me, you will hit roadblocks. Some of them will make you want to give up and go back to your day job. That is, if they’ll still have you.

You have to be able to find the motivation and strength to keep going when you encounter challenges that seem insurmountable. If your business plan is in alignment with your most passionate values, it’s much easier to stay on course and power through whatever obstacle is in your way.

Having this foundation is an important part of being mentally prepared to start a business. If you don’t have it, you may be more inclined to quit.

Dismiss Self-Doubt 

There are many forms of self-doubt, including your own thoughts.  Self-doubt keeps you from achieving your goals by instilling a fear of failure. Learn to identify it and dismiss it before it gets the best of you.

Build A Support Group

We need people who can hold on to that dream for us when we lose sight of it.

Think of friends, mentors and family members who will be most likely to support your venture and reach out to them when you need a boost.

A support group can also help provide you with accountability and a healthy dose of reality when you need it.

Don’t Reinvent The Wheel

Research what other businesses like yours have done.  Learn from their mistakes and their successes.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for advice from people who have paved the way before you. You may be surprised at how willing other business owners are to help someone just starting out.

When I first considered freelancing, I contacted an experienced freelance writer in my city and asked if I could take her to lunch to get some advice.

I was quite nervous when I made the call, worried that she might just slam the phone down (back when you could do that) and not be willing to help someone she might perceive as competition.

It wasn’t the case at all. She was very willing to share her experiences and offer helpful tips and encouragement. Later on, she hired me to do some work for one of her clients, and today I am delighted to call her a friend.

Put Together An Action Plan And Go

Finally, once you’ve established a foundation for a positive and powerful mindset, put together an action plan and start moving forward. This is where a lot of people stall.

You may have a great concept but it will stay exactly that unless you start moving forward.

Lean on that support group for encouragement and accountability and turn that dream of yours into a reality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If your business negotiation skills are less than stellar, you may be missing out on opportunities to gain more value and save money when you are dealing with other businesses. But, you’re in luck. The art of negotiation can be learned. Read on for seven rules that can help you sharpen your skills for better business negotiations.

Initiate The Business Negotiations

By starting the negotiation process, you will have some control over where it goes and when it comes to an end. This can be a significant advantage.

Do The Research!

Before you begin business negotiations, research what you are negotiating. Make sure you understand its true value, and any advantages and disadvantages associated with it. You should also research the person or organization that you will be negotiating with. Try to develop some intel on what it is that they may really want out of the deal. Knowledge is power.

Aim High

It is almost a given that you aren’t going to get everything you want. But you need to aim high. Ask for a lot, so when you do reach a compromise point, you’ll feel good about what you’re getting out of the deal.

Never Accept The First Offer

If you’re aiming high, you can count on it that the other side is doing the same. It’s pretty likely that the first offer will come in low. Also, they may test your resolve to try to determine if you’re a pushover. Hold out for something better.

Negotiate From A Position Of Strength

If the other side believes that you have no reason to compromise, they are much less likely to ask you to compromise.

Plan Ahead For Better Business Negotiations

You never know how the negotiation process will go. Spend some time before you open business negotiations thinking about everything that could happen. Make plans for each likely possibility, and even for some of the unlikely ones.

Be Honest

You don’t have to tell the other side everything, but don’t lie about anything. It is too easy to get caught, and when you do, you will have broken trust, which will likely wreck the whole negotiation process.

Give It A Shot

Successful business negotiations do require a lot of prep work and confidence. But if you keep your cool and follow the rules, you’ll get better and better at sealing deals in your favor.

---

Recommended Content: Eight Ways To Keep Your Business Competitive

Ok, let’s face it. The topic of office organization isn’t sexy. Or, maybe it is, if you’re a nerd like me who loves nothing more than perusing a glossy, printed catalog of office supplies. Yes, I said printed. I’m old school, and I’m not sorry.

I digress. Back to the topic at hand – office organization. Though a recent study by the University of Minnesota found that keeping a less-than-tidy desk can encourage creative thinking and stimulate new ideas, there are plenty of reasons that having an organized office space is good for business.

It Just Feels Better

First, it just feels better. Messy-deskers, let go of that University of Minnesota study for just a second and give me a thumbs up, because you know I’m right.

Walking into a tidy, organized work space at the beginning of your day feels like a fresh start. It gives you a sense of control even when you have deadlines crashing all around you.

And, while it offers you the feeling of control, if you are in a customer-facing environment, it also gives them a sense that you have your act together. That’s important, because impressions count and, like it or not, a tidy desk just looks more professional than a messy one. Even if you’re sure you know where everything is, a disorderly work space may make a client question how organized you are and whether  you’ll be able to take care of whatever it is that they need you to take care of.

Think Beyond The Desk

While your desk may be the most obvious place to start an office organization endeavor, to really make a difference, your effort should go way beyond keeping your desktop clear. You need to take a close look at the way you manage your business overall. I’d recommend carving out some time after hours or on a weekend to review what’s working and what’s not. Then, start implementing solutions to bring everything in line.

Keep A Calendar

This may seem elementary to some, but trust me it’s not. You need ONE place where you keep it all. And, sorry, your brain is not the place. It needs to be doing other amazing things.

A single calendar is the way to go. Doing double entries across multiple calendars is not only inefficient and time-consuming, it also sets you up for an error or omission.

If you must keep separate work and personal calendars, use an app that allows you to merge them onto one screen view, so you can keep track of everything in one place. Microsoft Office and Mac Calendar both offer this feature.

Develop Easy, Repeatable Systems

It’s important to develop systems for every single business activity, from keeping the physical space in order, to keeping track of all of the details that keep your business running.

Are items in your office stored in a way that makes them easy to find? Do you have a clearly defined work-flow? If you have employees, do their systems fall in line with yours?

Developing easy, repeatable systems will increase your organization’s efficiency and productivity.

Think about where things get stalled in your business. Ask yourself some questions to help identify the problem areas. You want to avoid re-inventing the wheel as much as possible. Develop templates for documents that you find yourself (or your staff) creating on a regular basis. Set up processes for routine tasks.

Accounting and billing can be an arduous activity. Look for ways you can automate some of that. Most accounting and invoicing software programs offer time-saving features like allowing you to post invoice reminders and schedule routine billing.

Find the Right Tech Tools

While we are on the subject of software, there are a ton of tech tools designed to help business owners stay organized. Because there are so many, what may be the next best thing for someone in your networking group, may not be the right fit for you.

Take project management software for example. You could spend countless hours trying different ones on for size. But bouncing from one app to another kind of defeats the purpose of having an efficiency tool to begin with, doesn’t it?

Instead, think about what you really need. What problem are you trying to solve? What features do you think would be helpful? That will help you narrow down your wish list and make shopping for that new tool a little easier.

Office Organization Is Good For Business

Office organization may not be  on the top of your list of things to do, but it is good for business.  A lot of time can be saved by being organized. Imagine how you could spend that bank of saved time on other areas of your business – particularly the ones that make you money!

So, take a little time to put some systems in place, or organize the ones you already have. It will make living your life and running your business so much easier.

 

RECOMMENDED CONTENT: Six Ways To Achieve Better Work-Life Balance As A Solopreneur

Do you dream of starting a business? Or maybe you want to grow your existing business to epic proportions?

Too often, dreams stay just that – dreams.  There are many reasons that businesses don’t get off the ground or don’t expand. Sometimes it’s insufficient cash flow or poor client development. But I’d like to take a moment to talk about an obstacle that’s all too common among women who own or aspire to own their own businesses.

Self-Doubt

Self-Doubt. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that little voice inside your head that whispers all of the reasons that you will not or cannot possibly be successful in whatever challenge you are taking on.

It starts inside your head. But, it is often fed by friends or family members who don’t understand your goals or why you may be taking a risk or trying something new.

These internal thoughts and external influences don’t necessarily mean you harm. Typically, their objective is to keep you “safe.”  They are trying to protect you from failing, embarrassment or disappointment. But, while they’re doing that, they are also standing between you and your ability to move forward.

Two of the most common ways self-doubt emerges are as a perfectionist mindset and as a measuring stick mindset.

The Perfectionist Mindset

When you take on a perfectionist mindset, you will easily convince yourself  that you should not try anything new because you will never be able to do it perfectly. Even if you do have the courage to get started, those thoughts of not being perfect will be constantly nagging at you, trying to convince you that what you are doing is not good enough.

The Measuring Stick Mindset

The measuring stick mindset can also allow self-doubt to control your decision making. This is when you find yourself constantly measuring your work and yourself against others. When you are in this zone, you feel like your work will never be as good as others who are doing what you are doing.

Does any of this sound familiar? Yes? So, what can you do?

Conquering Self-Doubt

The key to defeating self-doubt is awareness. You need to be able to recognize it when it emerges and cut it off before it interferes with your progress.  Because self-doubt seems to have a direct, express route to our psyches, it may not be easy to conquer it on your own.

That’s where a personal coach or a supportive friend can help.  Find someone who can help you recognize when self-doubt or poor self-confidence are getting in your way.

The next time you are facing an important goal and you feel yourself leaning away from it, that coach or trusted friend can help you recognize that the self-doubt you are feeling is unfounded.  They can provide the support that you need to take a stand against the lies of self-doubt, help you own your individual awesomeness and give you the nudge you need to overcome whatever obstacle is in front of you.

---

RELATED ARTICLE: Move Beyond Perfection Paralysis

SaveSave

SaveSave

SaveSave