Quick Tips to boost Productivity for Always Busy Women Entrepreneurs

1. First things First. Instead of checking email or Facebook first thing and possibly wasting an hour or two in a blink of an eye, try focusing on a project or task and get it done.

2. Speaking of Email. Do you drop what you're doing every time you hear the new e-mail sound or see that little envelope icon in your system tray? Close Outlook and focus on the task at hand. Better yet, turn off the alerts and notifications in your email program. Try scheduling a specific time of day that you check email.

3. Tracking your Time. Do you have a good idea of how you spend your time each day? If you don't, use a paper time log or track your time in Outlook so you know how your precious minutes and hours are being spent. You might be surprised. This is a great way to see if you are wasting too much time on a certain aspect of your business that might be able to be delegated to a virtual assistant.

4. Best Use of Your Time. In the simplest terms, there are really two sides to a successful business: saving money and making money. If what you are doing doesn't help your company do one or the other, give some serious thought to whether it's a good use of your time.

5. Breakdown tasks. If you are having trouble wrapping your head around a project, make a list of the first few steps to get you started.

6. Guard your time. Manage your time, just like you would manage your budget. Don't just give yourself away to anyone that asks. Be selective.

7. Schedule appointments with yourself. Don't just use Outlook for your daily appointments. If you need to carve out time to work on something specific, put it on your Tasks and block out time just like you would a meeting with a real person. Don't stand yourself up!

8. Break It Up. If you can never seem to get the ball rolling on a big project, think of it as a series of smaller tasks. The work will seem less intimidating, and you'll have a good chunk done before you know it.

9. Group tasks. Don't let small, repetitive tasks repeatedly interrupt your day. Carve out a few dedicated minutes each day to handle repetitive tasks like filing, processing mail, or handling invoices. Get things done in groups.

10. Be decisive. Don't waste time with indecision. It will often take less time to correct a mistake than it does to obsess over the decision. Once the decision's been made, it's easier to move forward.

11. Organize your space. Clutter and confusion will not only slow you down, but it will drain your energy as well. Make the effort to get your work area in order and reap the benefits day after day.

12. End Your Day with a Great Start. Close out the day. Don't waste the last few minutes of the day. Make it a priority to close out your day by organizing yourself and setting priorities for the day to come.

A Healthy Competition or a Deadly Comparison

Have you ever heard the term “healthy competition”? Competition can be a fabulous driving force when used properly. A great motivating competition might be when two or more Always Busy Entrepreneurs get together and see who can sell the most product in a month or who can make the most customer follow-up calls in an hour. Having that competition going can give you something to work for and you may end up accomplishing more than you would have otherwise.

Comparing yourself on the other hand to your fellow Always Busy Entrepreneur friends is unhealthy. If you have found yourself thinking “Wow, she is so successful. I wish I was more like her. My life would be perfect if I could be like her.” You are comparing yourself to others. Do not fall into this trap!

You need to be proud of who you are and what you are doing. You do not have your friend’s life – she may have older children and eight hours a day to work on her business whereas you have a newborn and a toddler and only a few hours a day to work. It is important to set your goals realistically. Remember the old saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day?” It applies to your business as well! And who knows if your successful friend is really as successful as she is? Maybe she is saying she is more successful than she actually is. It is quiet possible that she is comparing herself to you as well!

It is normal to wonder if your business is doing well, or if you are making as much as you could be. Seek out advice from someone who has been where you are now. They can offer an honest opinion and can tell you what they did to achieve their success. Remember to use their advice as a guideline. You need to set your own deadline. It doesn’t matter if it takes you a bit longer to achieve your goals. Building a successful business is not a race – it is a marathon! By working consistently on your business, you will achieve your goals.

Easy Time Management Tricks for Always Busy WAHM’s

From the outside looking in, many people assume that work at home moms have it easy; however, if any of those people have ever lived a day as a WAHM they would know it is far from easy. There are children to take care of, a house to clean, a dog to walk, groceries to buy, dinner to cook and dishes to wash. Oh, and then there’s that business to work!

It may not be easy, but it is possible. By using some simple time management tricks, a WAHM can find time to “get it all done!” One thing every WAHM should have is a planner. Schedule your “me time” and “family time” first! Then schedule in the time you are going to work your business. Once you have your “work time” scheduled, make it a priority to stay focused on your business during those hours. It can be very easy to procrastinate or get off task when you are a WAHM.

If your work requires you to do lots of different tasks, try to group similar tasks together. For instance, if you are in a direct sales business and you have a team under you, designate one day to be your “training day”. Instead of helping various team members throughout the week, schedule all of your mentoring sessions for one day. Set aside an hour in the morning and an hour in the late afternoon to respond to email and/or return phone calls. By scheduling that time in, you will find that you are able to get more work done and feel less scattered.

Outsourcing some of your activities is another great way to manage your time. If you find that you are spending too much time on responding to email, returning phone calls, or updating your website, hire a virtual assistant to do those tasks for you. This will free your time up to work on your business, and by spending more time on the parts of your business that actually bring in money, you will be able to increase your profits.

You can also save time by setting aside a block of time each week to do your “regular” errands, such as grocery shopping. If you plan your meals for the week and go to the grocery store once, you will save lots of time during the week by not taking those daily “quick trips to the market”. And while you are planning your meals, try to schedule a few “cook once, eat twice” days. For instance, you can plan on having spaghetti on Monday and tacos on Tuesday. So, on Monday, brown the hamburger you will need for both days. On Tuesday, half of your work will already be done. And if you are making a meatloaf or lasagna, make two and freeze one for later.

Most importantly, do not feel as if you have to do it all by yourself. You are not a super hero. If you have a spouse or significant other, ask them to chip in on household chores. Children love to help out, and depending on their ages, there are multiple things they can do. And when it is all said and done, don’t forget to take out some time for yourself. Everyone needs a break– WAHMs included!

Getting It Out Of Your Head

Are you...

• Inundated with ideas and don't know where to start?
• Running a business but seem to be staying in one place?
• Creative with a vision or analytical stuck without a vision?
• In a career, but want to start your own "business"?
• Searching for help in building your confidence?
• An entrepreneur and your significant other is not?

Have you...

• Always wanted a "coach" but were not able to fit it into your budget?
• Searching for that outside person to give you an out-of-the-box view?
• Wanting help developing a clear vision and steps on how to work backward?

You're invited to experience a powerful, result orientated worshop. This is a personal yet collective venture that provides consulting, coaching and a forum sounding board combined together. It is designed for the woman who has a vision of launching a new venture or is looking to expand upon an exisiting one.

As woman business owners, we understand the importance of "getting it out of your head" and establishing a clear and concise plan. This workshop is designed to utilize our knowledge and tap into our creativity providing the steps to take you to the next level.

The BIZ BUILDER - Segment 1 Workshop Series Focus

GETTING IT OUT OF YOUR HEAD (2-Hr Workshop)

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Thursday, May 14th 6:30 to 8:30pm $45.00
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Saturday, May 16th 9:30-11:30pm $41.00
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Register at http://www.alwaysbusywomen.com/article.asp?id=339 and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Creating Balance in an Always Busy World

Whether we are a married, not married, with kids or without kids we are all always busy. We often find ourselves lost in the busyness of our day. Have you ever thought about what a balanced life would look like for you?

What is balance? Balance is taking care of yourself and all that is important to you.

Because each of us our unique in our own way, we will also have different ways of creating balance in our lives. What may seem crazy and out of whack to one person, may be the perfect balanced schedule for another.

So, how do we go about creating balance in our life? First we have to decide on what balance means to us.

What does your ideal balanced life look like?

· What do you have time for?
· What do you get to enjoy?
· How much down time do you have?

Once you have decided what your ideal balanced life looks like try this great exercise to help with re-organizing your schedule, so that it more closely reflects your ideal balanced life.

Clear the clutter from your calendar: Imagine that your calendar is like a room that you are going to clean out and organizze. Start by removing everything in your calendar. Once you have cleared your calendar, start by inserting what you absolutely must have to survive, like sleep and work. Then start to add things back in order of importance. Make sure to add "me time", just like it is an appointment with an important client.

Special Note: Make choices based on what YOU want and not on what YOU think other people want. Stop doing things because YOU think you "should". Remember that it is OK to say NO!

Today is the day to begin living in balance. Reconnect with your passion and interests and establish a sense of purpose. Remember a good plan and budgeting your time is a fabulous way to maintain balance in your life.

Get Inspired! Check out the Smile & Move Movie

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10 Fabulous Ways for Women Entrepreneurs to Stay Motivated

Running your own business is a lot of work and sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated. We all have days that we feel inspired, on track and powerful and we also have days that we want to crawl under a rock and ask ourselves what was I thinking… why in the world did I go into business for myself?

Here are some great ways to stay fabulously motivated as you grow your business:

1. One of the most important things you can do is focus on your vision for your business each morning. Remember WHY you started your business and WHY it is so important to you.
2. Re-connect with the excitement you had when starting your business. Let the feeling of endless opportunity soak through your body, then harness that feeling to move you throughout the day.
3. At the end of each day celebrate what you have accomplished, even the smallest task. Keeping a positive attitude about yourself and what you have accomplished each day goes a long way to keep you motivated.
4. Read, Listen and Watch. There is nothing like a great affirmation, quote, book or fabulous song to get you reconnected and motivated to move forward. In a slump half way through the day? Throw on one of your favorite songs and dance around for 5 minutes.
5. Educate. Be willing to continuously educate yourself. Continually educating yourself builds self confidence and equips you with the knowledge needed to build your business.
6. Surround yourself with high energy, positive people. The excitement and positive energy of others will rub off on you and get you just as excited about your business.
7. Keep your space organized. Having a messy office space is a quick energy zapper. Before the end of the day straighten up and prepare for the next day by prioritizing your most important tasks to get done.
8. Join a networking group. The right group will keep you inspired, motivated and can be a great place to share and support each other through issues and problems.
9. Take time for yourself. A key factor in losing motivation is not taking time for you. It is easy to get wrapped up in business and lose yourself, but it is vital to your success that you take time to enjoy down time that is just for you.
10. Judge yourself on the progress you’re making and not by the balance in your bank account or by the word success… What is success anyway? It is the continuous progress you are making.
    
    You are an amazing person. Cherish yourself in all that you do and the value you have to offer to others. Believe in yourself and keep moving forward and your vision will come forth.