When you get something (postal mail, e-mail, assignments, general work, etc.) you can:

1. Do something with it
2. Delete it
3. Delegate it
4. File it
5. Do something, but not right now

I have this list typed up and taped to my desk. It serves as a nice reminder to not let piles of work build up on my desk..just do something with it!

The key is the fifth item “5. Do something, but not right now.” - these are the things that pile up on your desk and distract you each and every day.

My solution to this: I have 12 folders in my office - listed January thru December. If I have something that I need to do something with - but it’s not important and is something that can wait a few months - I put it in the appropriate months folder. It’s now filed and organized…

Let’s say it is the first week of September - you grab your September folder and review the contents. Take action on items or refile items to future months.

This keeps your desk organized and your mind clear.

How can you “5. Do something, but not right now.” with e-mail? That’s a little trickier - but I have a great solution. See this post.

Everyone has e-mails that are important, but not urgent. These are the e-mails that fill up your inbox… And leave you feeling overwhelmed and behind. Your inbox is never clean!

At times, my inbox has ZERO e-mails in it…

Don’t be jealous - join me! I couldn’t do this without GooToDo (not a Google product).

Once you have used the program for a little while (and get in the habit of using it) it will become your best friend.

To give you an introduction to how the program works - follow this link.

This program is an amazing way to increase your productivity and peace of mind.

A nice Label Printer can save you a lot of time…

I have used the Dymo LabelWriter 400 for the last year to print Mailing Addresses and love it.

It prints in black and white - the labels are a little pricey - but the printer itself and it’s ease of use is as good as it gets.

It beats the socks off hand-writing the address or running an envelope thru your printer.

Here’s an interesting idea for you….

Do you have competitors that go out of business? If the answer is Yes, go to the next question…

Do they have listings (and even better) ads in the Yellow Pages? If the answer is Yes, go to the next question…

Now that they are out of business - who is going to be answering the calls they receive? They will be receiving calls from the phone book, business cards, their invoices…their previous and potential customers will be finding their phone number in any number of places.

Why don’t you do this?

1. Go to the phone book, start calling your competitors…look for numbers that are “out of service” - AKA: Company is out of business.
2. Call the phone company and ask if the number is available to purchase.
3. If it is….spend $20/month and BUY it.

You will now be receiving all the calls from this company’s previous and potential customers. They may be confused when you answer instead of the company they expected - but you can simply tell them, “We are happy to now be servicing their customers, how can I help you today?”

Give it a shot….I have seen this work numerous times. It’s an inexpensive way to generate leads and sales.

You need to read the book “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber. The “E” stands for “Entrepreneur.”

It’s a rock solid book – the core message – Systemize Your Business!

If someone walked through your door today and said “I am ready to open 5,000 ______________’s” (fill in the blank with your business name) – what would you say?

A lot of business owners would reply with – “Uh oh! We fly by the seat of our pants, we just “get it done,” it would be tough to duplicate what we do”….That’s the truthful answer, but it’s a bad answer.

To hammer this point home, why is it that 80% of regular small businesses fail within the first five years and only 20% of franchises fail in their first five years?

Because of the SYSTEM. Procedures are in place…the trial and error has been completed…there is a well documented and followed way of doing business.

The book does not say that you should go out and buy a franchise…it’s not like that at all. It states this simple, but extremely powerful theme – Systemize Your Business.

Give it a read – It’s mandatory reading for all my small business clients.

I’m interested in learning more about their product/service. They don’t give a phone number to call. They give a long form to fill out and tell me:

“One of our knowledgeable representatives will call within the next seven to ten business days.”

In this day and age, 7-10 days doesn’t cut it. I’m not driving my horse and buggy to work…this is the computer age - the age of fast service and quick response!

I was interested in their product/service…if 7-10 day response time is the way they operate…no thanks.

My client, Ron Goch, is a Sports Ticket Sales guru. Here’s a recent post from one of his blogs:

Our kids received a Ron Jon Surf Shop sticker when they visited the Cocoa Beach shop and this is what the back of the sticker states:

“Congratulations! You are now the proud owner of a Ron Jon Sticker. The coolest and most recognized sticker on the planet. The Ron Jon Sticker won’t make your car get better gas mileage but it will say something about who you are and how you live your life. So stick it on. Enjoy it! You’ve made the passage to the World’s Most Famous Surf Shop! Be sure to honk and give a friendly wave the next time you see someone with a Ron Jon Sticker on their car, RV, moped, motorcycle or riding lawnmower!”

The same type of message could be shared with your sports fans on the back of stickers you distribute to your season ticket holders and fans as they attend your sporting events.

Stickers are inexpensive and a great way to extend the visibility and awareness of your sports team.

Other uses for stickers can be thought of for your business…take a page out of Ron Jon’s playbook and make your stickers unique…memorable. Tell a story…people love a story and SHARE stories with their friends (that’s what Word of Mouth Marketing is all about…)