Today someone tweeted a link to an article posted back in April of 2007 that I think is definitely worth a link here.
If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
And that is apparently a quote from “Sir James Goldsmith, a European industrialist known for his flamboyant and outrageous reputation…”
The other posts from April are also quite interesting, so I guess I’ll be trolling that site for a while.
In this day and age I believe I’m supposed to encourage everyone to take all their notes in their Blackberry and save time and create efficiency by storing all notes and data electronically.
Except if I did that I’d be a complete hypocrite. I am an unrepentant note taker.
Taking notes on the computer doesn’t do it for me. It doesn’t set the information in my brain the right way. That’s not the first place I’m going to look for that phone message I took Thursday. To me it actually seems more cumbersome than just picking up a pen.
And you know what? Thats OK. Because being efficient isn’t always about using the latest and greatest technology. Sometimes is just about having a system that actually works without too much redundancy. A great system you won’t actually use is pointless.
I have 3 kinds of notes. Notes I pass back and forth with customers are all emails and are therefore filed under said customer. I have 2 small note pads I keep by my keyboard in 2 different colors. Quick work notes and personal schedule items on one color, household items on another. No confusion. And then there are my post-its.
These are one of the greatest inventions EVER. All sizes, all shapes, all colors, I have a post-it for every purpose. Need to add a note to a paper file? Put it on a post-it and stick it to the file folder, it will not fall out. Need to note the directions or phone number of a new prospect? Stick it on a post-it and stick it to the prospect note book. Leaving a note for someone who isn’t in the office yet? A nice neon color stuck to their computer monitor is likely to get their attention when they arrive, and yet not leave tape residue on the computer. Absolutely must not forget an item of paperwork before a meeting? Leave yourself a post-it on the door-going-out. That little sticky-but-not-too-sticky strip makes these little guys versatile yet dependable in most circumstances.
The simple, low tech tools can still be really valuable.
This year we decided that it was necessary to find a new accountant who could do our extremely simple (s-corp, 2 schedule k’s, no property) taxes for less than the national debt.
In the past, this task has been very daunting. Sort through the phone book, read websites…but what do those really tell you.
Now that I’m hooked in to the local business community I’ve learned how to make those connections benefit more than just my client list. I called 3 of my favorite well connected people and said “Do you have an accountant you can really recommend?” and of course they all answered “Absolutely!”
The next step is to make calls. What kind of response do I get from the front desk? Do they answer their own phone? If I leave a message, how long does it take to get a call back? Once you get a chance to chat, do they sound grounded? Do they get your personal brand of humor? Are they willing to invest some time in chatting to win you over?
Next step is an office visit with the one you like best so far. How big and fancy is the space? What are the business’s aspirations? Do they want to be huge? Expensive real estate? Nothing wrong with that, but it might not be the best choice for a small business. Do they spend a lot of time detailing their rates? (Free advice. You do not want an accountant you aren’t willing to call with a quick question because the fee is too high. Been there, done that. Ask straight out what they charge for quick questions.) How long have they been in business. Do they take the opportunity to skim through the copy of last years paperwork that you brought? Do they ask sensible questions? Are they rushing you?
Do they have a good vibe? Do you have anything in common? Because seriously, if someone is going to be rifling through your financial dirty laundry basket, you should pick someone you’re comfortable with.
We had great results. We had a meeting. Turns out our first interview had a very interesting background in a small business himself, and he shares our taste in tv. We had plenty to talk about, he was comfortable in chatting, and he found me amusing, which always improves my business relationships.
Once we decided we like him we handed over the 2007 paperwork we’d brought along for copying and shook hands.
I’m delighted. And since I don’t believe in procrastinating, we’ll be handing over the paperwork as soon as the rest of the documentation comes in the mail. Should see a refund by March.
I have plans for it!
Should be a word that one doesn’t use in public.
Its a lot like drug use.
It causes a lot of wasted time, it can take a serious toll on your health, it wastes tons of money, and it lulls you into thinking things are fine when they are most definitely not.
Just say NO!
Right now I’m willing to guess that most of you are current procrastinating on dealing with all your end of year paperwork. Why is that.
Is the government going to magically decide that the paperwork is no longer required? Are you magically going to have ‘more time’ next month, or the month after?
Unlikely. In truth all procrastinating is going to do is waste your emotional energy pretending it isn’t hanging over your head like a cartoon piano just waiting to fall. Its going to require you to fit a months worth of taking your time and doing it right into 10 days of rushing, doing a half-a$$ed job and swearing. Its going to cause you to spend extra money as your accountant has to fix all the mistakes you made from rushing.
In a really special year you’ll misplace some piece of really critical documentation through leaving it on your desk ignoring it.
What, exactly does this gain you?
When we work for ourselves there can be a temptation to maximize every possible work opportunity. And financially this may be a good thing most of the time.
Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs forget the importance of balance, a life after work, and the need for intellectual down time.
I love my job most days, which makes me more fortunate than most. I generally like my clients and the work I do. But I never forget why I do what I do. That is to allow me to live my life on my own terms and to get the most possible out of if. You can’t do that if you allow yourself to be permanently chained to your computer, no matter how beautiful the view. Real, actual downtime is critical to enjoying the rest of your job.
In our house we enjoy the winter holidays. Personally I’m all about twinkly multicolored lights, snow I don’t have to drive in, and a universally accepted excuse to eat with abandon things I usually shun. So one of our permanent, long standing holiday traditions is to close the office, check email only once or twice in a week (or, you know, maybe once a day but don’t tell anyone) and cast off our servitude to the business phones.
With proper advance planning there are very few businesses where a vacation isn’t easily arranged. If you’re Brian Harris and run a heating and air conditioning repair service its likely that an extended winter holiday vacation may not work so well as heat is a critical function, but there’s always June and September, before a/c and after heat on the seasonal calendar.
Personally I’ll be back in January all the better for a week or so of sybaritic abandon.
Excuse me. Referral groups. One popular group makes a big deal of the difference.
What difference? A ‘lead’ is “I heard that my brother’s hairdresser’s plumber needs your service, I think his name is Bob.” A ‘referral’ is “My plumber, Tri-Lakes Plumbing, needs your service. His name is Howard, here’s his number, he’s expecting your call.” (Yes, that is really my plumber. He’s great!)
So there is a considerable difference technically. But idiomatically, ‘leads group’ is the popular term.
A good group is a huge benefit to your business. They are absolutely worth the time (and money where applicable) in terms of business return on investment. But for the very small business the social aspects can be just as or even more valuable. When we work at home alone its easy to get bogged down in details, discouraged about a bad day, overwhelmed by a tough project or question, there is a whole list of incidents where the opportunity to bounce an idea off another small business professional is invaluable. Your referral or other professional networking connections can give you the social benefits that were one of the positives of more traditional employment.
Visit around and find one where the people and format suit you.
If you’re in Colorado Springs, check out BRAIN (Business Referral and Informational Networking). Its an amazing group of people. And someday we’ll even have a website.
I am currently studying social media marketing, a field about which I knew nothing as recently as September. Its an extremely popular topic and there are tons of blogs about it. Today I found this one and was interested enough to read most of the posts.
Too many of the blogs I’ve found so far assume you know too much, get too technical, or just plain use too much jargon.
No, seriously, colored file folders are my very favorite and most basic organizational tools.
Manila folders with neatly typed tabs are great if you work in a lawyer’s or doctor’s office where professional appearance is extremely important. Most solo entrepreneurs work from home specifically to enjoy the freedom that brings.
So why not go colorful and use an ability inherent in everyone who isn’t color blind to help stay organized.
On top of the filing cabinet I have a file sorter with 3 folders. Red for bills to be paid. Yellow for bank and credit card statements to be reconciled and paperwork to be returned to the accountant. Green for items to be filed whenever the folder is too full to hold any more paper.
Inside the file cabinet corporate paperwork gets red folders. Household accounts get green. Medical records are blue. How many times have you filed the business bank statement into your personal banking folder?
Both times you caught up on your filing, didn’t you?