By: Denise Willms

The Problem with Clutter

Did you start your workday with an already cluttered desk? If so, a recent survey conducted in the UK by Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products indicates you weren’t the only one. More than half of the survey participants couldn’t remember the last time they saw their desks. But, does all this clutter really pose a problem? Sometimes it seems that cleaning up the clutter is more time consuming than working around it.

Clutter interferes with office productivity on a few different levels. First of all, clutter is a time waster in an already full day. Think of the wasted minutes and extra frustration spent sifting through piles looking for that document you had in your hands just yesterday. Secondly, a disorganized environment can leave your mind feeling cluttered too. Being surrounded by so many tasks all requiring your attention makes it difficult to focus on one task or to prioritize your projects properly. And finally, a job doesn’t feel finished until it’s cleaned up. Putting away a finished project provides a feeling of closure, freeing you to fully concentrate on your next task.

The Real Reason Your Desk Is Cluttered

Take heart! Despite your messy desk, you’re not lazy, nor are you a slob. Habit, time management, and your office furniture are all culprits when it comes to desk clutter.

You may be able to place the blame for your cluttered desk on your office furniture! A small desk can feel cluttered just by spreading out your current project. Or, you may not have enough shelving for the books you refer to throughout your day, leaving you no choice but to pile them on your desk. Do you have enough filing cabinets and are they easily accessible? If not, extra files will end up on, you guessed it, your desk. Appropriate office furniture and enough storage space are essential to maintaining a clutter-free work environment.

Almost everyone procrastinates on tasks that we don’t like to do. If certain types of routine work regularly accumulate on your desk, it’s usually work you don’t enjoy doing or that you don’t have time to do. You may need to reexamine your workflow and give these tasks to someone else in your office who either likes these tasks or has more time for them than you do. If that’s not possible, consider outsourcing these specific tasks to a virtual assistant or someone who specializes in that type of work. You may even want to enlist the help of a professional organizer to help you find more efficient ways of working.

Most often, clutter is simply a habit. It’s easy to fall into the habit of leaving items lying on your desk and not taking the time to put them away. If habit is the cause of your clutter, you can break the clutter cycle by establishing new habits and new daily routines.

Now that you have examined the real reasons your desk is cluttered, it’s time to do something about it. The following steps will lead you to a cleaner desk and help you make changes that will prevent your desk from becoming so cluttered again.

Easy Steps to Decluttering

Small changes made each day will ease the decluttering process as well as establish new habits. For the next five days, take five to fifteen minutes out of your workday to work on one part of your clutter. By the end of the five days, you will have a clean desk and will be on your way to establishing new habits and daily routines.

Day 1

Congratulations on your decision to declutter!

For today, simply determine if your office furniture is suitable for your needs. For example, if you normally work with a lot of paper spread around you, a larger desktop may resolve your clutter problem. Do you refer to books throughout the course of your workday? A hutch for your desk or a bookshelf will lessen the chance of these books piling up on your desk. If your desk is not suitable for your needs, or if you need some additional office furniture, spend some time today shopping for what you need. Shop online for greater convenience, and to avoid the additional clutter of office furniture catalogs on your desk.

Day 2

Today you’re going to remove all non-paper, unessential items from your desktop. Prepare three boxes and label them Keep, Return and Toss. Remove all non-paper items from your desk and place into the appropriate boxes. This includes items such as stuffed animals, pictures, empty coffee cups and other odds and ends that are not used in your daily work. Find a more appropriate place for the items you would like to keep. Pictures, for example, can be hung on walls rather than placed on your desk. Stuffed animals can be placed on shelves. Recycle or throw away the items to be tossed and return the items that need to be returned. You’ll still have your piles of paper for now, but the only other items left on your desk should be the items necessary for your daily work.

Day 3

Today you’ll be attacking the crux of the clutter problem: paper. Dealing with paper is the hardest part of tackling clutter because there is so much of it and it accumulates very quickly. Depending on how much paper you have, use either your boxes from Day 2 or simply separate it into separate stacks.

Begin clearing one side of your desk, and, paper by paper, make your way to the other side. As you pick up each piece of paper, decide if you should keep it, return it or toss it, and then place it in the appropriate pile. You will need to make two separate piles for documents you’re keeping, one for active and one for inactive documents. If you’re scared to throw something away, that’s fine. Place it in the inactive pile to be dealt with later. Don’t let a little fear stand in the way of your clean desk.

Finish off the task by giving your desktop a thorough cleaning. Leave your desk ready for the next day with only essential items you need for your workday. This was probably a draining task, so we’ll do something about the piles of paper tomorrow.

Day 4

You saw your desk when you came into work this morning! That’s great progress. It’s time to finish up with that paper. Recycle or shred the paper in the pile to be tossed, and return other people’s items. Your active files can be placed on your desk in a file holder, and your inactive files placed out of the way to be filed later. Spend some time at the end of your day putting things away so you can come in to the same clean desk tomorrow morning.

Day 5

You did it! You’re desk should now be decluttered. To keep it this way, get out your appointment book and make some appointments with yourself.

First, set a date to begin going through your inactive file box. You may need to schedule several appointments to take care of these properly. Then, at the end of each workday, schedule five minutes for yourself to clear off your desk and put everything where it belongs.

Stay Decluttered

It can take six to eight weeks for a new behavior to become a habit, so force yourself to clean off your desk daily with that goal in mind. Take one day a week to thoroughly clean your desk, including dust it (hint: in order to dust it, you have to be able to find it!). If you still aren’t able to make time in your day to keep your desk clean, you may need to enlist the aid of a professional organizer. If routine administrative tasks continue to pile up on your desk, think about different ways of handling this work. Outsourcing to a virtual assistant or other professional may help you resolve the issue.

Now that you have come this far, you can apply these five steps to the rest of your desk and your office. Good luck!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Denise Willms,a homeschooling mother of two, helps work-at-home-moms get targeted traffic to their websites through copywriting, article writing, and press releases. Subscribe to her newsletter, WAHM-Articles Ezine, and receive 105 Power Tips to Get Your Online Business Noticed and Profiting.

By: Jenn Givler

I hear it all the time. Entrepreneurs are not convinced that they need a plan. And, I have to admit, when I started my first business back in 1999, I didn’t think I needed a plan either. I just figured I wanted a successful business and that was enough to move me forward. I started working with a business coach who gave me quite a few reasons to write a plan. I broke down and wrote the plan. And you wanna know what? It helped my business take leaps toward my goals.

See, before I had a plan, I was just out here floundering around. I couldn’t even really articulate what success meant to me. Once I had a plan in place, I knew exactly where I was headed, and I had a pretty good idea about how I was going to get there.

It doesn’t matter what kind of business you have – your own, or a direct sales business – you will benefit from having a plan. A business plan includes your long-term goals for your business, as well as a short-term plan to get you there. Still not convinced you need a plan? Here are three good reasons to have one.

1. It’s not so much the plan document itself that is important, but it’s the process of going through and creating a plan. When you create a plan for your business, you really get a chance to pull apart your idea and look at each facet of it. You have the opportunity to decide if this is something you are truly passionate about. And, you get to clearly define your business. When you have a Crystal Clear picture of what your business looks like (on paper, and off) you can articulate what you do to your customers. If you can’t tell people what you do and what your business is about, you’ll lose them.

2. Do you know for sure that you have a viable business idea? Creating a business plan will allow you to see how feasible your ideas are. If you do an in-depth plan that includes financial and market research data, you can see in cold hard numbers how your plan will work. You’ll know exactly how big your market is, and you’ll know exactly how much money you need. You will also be able to see if there are places that you need to make adjustments.

3. Your business plan is your road map to success. Without having a clear picture of the end result you’re seeking, how will you know when you get there? Your business plan will allow you to set longer term goals, and it will give you a plan that you can follow to achieve them.

It’s possible to create and follow a very simple plan. In fact, your plan doesn’t have to be longer than one page. A good plan includes your vision, mission, your objectives (or goals), and the strategies you will use to reach your objectives.

If you are not seeking financial backing, you can create a simple plan simply by outlining the sections mentioned above. Once you’ve set up your plan, take action. It’s not enough to just write everything down. Follow your plan and update it often. Before you know it, you’ll have a Powerful Business!

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Jenn Givler is a Business Empowerment Coach. She specializes in teaching new entrepreneurs how to get started in their business. Jenn can help you find your passion, create your business plan, and begin effectively marketing your business. For weekly business tips and advice check out her e-zine: www.jgivlercoaching.com/newsletter.html.

By: Barbara Ryan

You all know the drill, you sit down to get some work done and within minutes your engrossed in non-business emails or checking the previous days website traffic stats. Next thing you know, an hour has passed and the kids are up. You’ve gotten little to nothing done and now there are diapers to change, sippy cups to fill, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to make.

Getting your work done on a daily basis means staying focused. How do you stay focused?

Set a work schedule, write it down, and stick to it.
Determine when you can work most efficiently when the kids are in school, napping, or a time of day when they can play well independently. Most likely, it will be a combination of the three.

Limit email and stats checking.
Check business emails at scheduled times and determine this based on the importance of email to your business. Limit checking personal emails to specific times after your work is done or when you need a mental break from working. Check stats only once per day.

Get caller ID.
Yes, screen your calls. You are working and should not be answering calls you know take up your precious work time un-necessarily. Let friends and family know you schedule and that they should not call during these times.

Working from home can be very challenging. Balancing being a mom, a wife, and a business owner is no easy task. Staying focused and keeping a schedule will help run a more productive and successful business, get more done, and have more free time with the kids, which was the whole point of working from home to begin with, wasn’t it?

Article Source: http://www.wahm-articles.com

Barbara Ryan is publisher and co-editor of Mom2Mom Magazine, an online magazine written by moms for moms. Barbara is also owner and designer of Cherish Collages, a custom Photo Collage Design business developed from the love of a digital photography hobby.

By: William King

Commencing a new business can be easy or difficult and the most essential step when starting a new business is to have an effective business plan. So the question arises, what actually is a Business Plan?

A business plan includes an outline of the goals, expected expenditures, promotion materials and even the exit plan. As the business proceeds, these aims serves as a map and measure and it also helps the company be continuously reminded of their priorities.

The fundamentals of making the business plan will depend on the type of business being ventured on. It will also depend on what is proposed by the capitalist.

Here are some of the guidelines that might help in coming up with an effective plan especially for a start-up or a new business: -

Taking care of Vision and Mission:
In any organizational venture, the vision and mission is the first thing to take care of. This shall indicate the direction of the company’s business, what are their goals, purpose and expected achievements.

Giving an Introduction:
Give a brief and comprehensive summary of how the plan or company came into existence. On what basis is the idea for the business? Who are the people linked and in charge of the idea? Why did you start a new business?

Define the Goals and Objectives of the Company:
Define both the short-term and long-term goals and what are the factors to focus on immediately? In long-term period which areas will have to be addressed? How long will be the expansion time of the company? When is the expected date of realizing the profits?

Special attention to Products and Services:
It is vital to give special attention in presenting the products and services the company plans to offer and discuss the features of these products or services. Describe how your products and services will compete in the market and how the company shall react to the needs and demands of the market. This factor will be best supported by a market research that includes the appraisal and evaluation of the requirement for the product and services.

Short Biography of the Management:
The plan should also include a short biography of individuals in the management. It should provide the names and backgrounds of every person and indicate the positions and responsibilities they have to fulfill.

Implementation of Marketing Strategy:
An effective plan must also show the marketing strategy that shall be implemented. This will indicate how business is maintaining its place in the market. Promotional materials should be properly defined, whether it will utilize the print, television, Internet or the combination of all three.

Financial forecast given for a target period:
The usual periods taken are three-year or five-year terms for the forecast of financial period. It includes spreadsheets, formulas, statements and even some assumptions that involve technical assistance. This part should be prepared carefully and professionals should be consulted if required to ensure that this is properly worded and presented.

Strategy of Alternative for the Company:
This is often be called as the exit strategy. It is a section that defines the alternative of the company. It also lists down the standards and situations when the company will have to end. Specific income generation, a target figure or even some actions that will be decided upon by the company leaders are the basis of this strategy.

Thorough Revision of the Factors Defined:
When the plan is developed, now it is time to give it a thorough revision. Examine the people and their responsibilities related to your business, on what basis is your business going to start and the possibilities of the challenge the business would have to face in the market? This will help in making an effective and efficient business plan as it ensures cohesiveness of ideas and an intuition that one knows the business well.

So with these quick tips, plan for success, prepare a thorough business plan and good luck in your chosen endeavor!

Article Source: http://www.article-buzz.com

Information about the Author:

William King is the director of UK Wholesale Suppliers, Wholesale Suppliers, Dropshipping Directory, and www.zameen.com- Pakistan Property Portal. He has 18 years of experience in the marketing and trading industries and has been helping retailers and startups with their product sourcing, promotion, marketing and supply chain requirements.

By: Pamela Catey

Do you feel like your time management skills are lacking? Feel overwhelmed, stressed, or like you are losing your life as each day quickly passes by?

In this article, I will share with you the top 5 ways to improve your time management skills to regain control of your life. There is a great quote by Business Philosopher, Jim Rohn “Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.” Are you investing your time in things that are producing the results you desire? If not, read on.

Plan Your Day

Another great piece of wisdom from Jim Rohn is to never start your day until it is finished on paper. It is great advice. You can piddle away so much time when you are not focused on how you are going to spend it. Have you ever noticed how you can waste a whole day before you even really started it? Plan it before you start it, and you will get more accomplished.

Prioritize

Are you clear about what your short-term, mid-term, and long term goals are? If not, get to work, eh? Every day is an opportunity to be taking action toward your short-term goal, which should be furthering your mid-term goal, which should be leading you down the road to achieving your long term goal. Taking even small actions on the things that matter will you give a sense of accomplishment and control.

Before You Go to Bed

Write down the 3 most important things to do tomorrow on a 3 x 5″ index card. When you wake up in the morning, all you need to do is read your index card and schedule when you will do these 3 most important things. And of course, they should be in alignment with furthering your short term goal.

Be Relentless

Keep your eye on the prize. Stay focused on the objectives of the day until you have completed them. Be steady and persistent on the task at hand and only focus on one task at a time. When one is completed, focus fully on the next.

Value Your Time

No one will value your time as much as you do. So, it is vital that you relate to your time as the valuable asset that it is. It’s only when you regard your time as valuable, that others will do so. It has to start with you first. It is your responsibility because we train people how to treat us. If you want other people to value your time, you have to value it first.

I hope these 5 ways to improve your time management skills proves valuable for you. Let me know your results, I’d love to hear your wins!

Article By:

Pamela Catey, MA is a Best Selling Co-Author, Professional Life Coach, Musician, and Inspirational Leader. She holds a masters degree in Counseling Psychology and is a Licensed Massage Therapist. If you are ready to live a life you love or are interested in learning more about time management skills sign up for her Free “FunLightenment Newsletter” and www.FunLightenmentCoaching.com