Spring Clean Home Office Tips from Evernote

Spring Clean Home Office Tips from Evernote

Spring has sprung and I'm setting aside part of my Sunday afternoon to give my home office a deep cleaning.

• Receipts and other papers that have been sitting on the desk waiting to be scanned and filed.
• Books shelves and file cabinets to be clean out and sorted
• Computer files to be better organized
• Microsoft Outlook to be cleaned up (contacts, archive emails, etc.)

By removing the clutter that's is in the home office, you will see a increase productivity and you will enjoy a more relaxing work environment.

The above link is to the Evernote blog that offers some great tips that you can apply, evenif you don't use their awesome free product.

Quick Tip: Keep a pen & notepad handy

If you spend your days at a cubicle farm, you'll often have somebody passing by who want to leave a note for the coworker that is not at their desk.

Be prepared for the less prepared coworkers. Leave a pen and a sticky note pad on the end of your desk.

Others can use it without interrupting you, or pillaging through your desk if you're not there.

There's A Reason You Were Fired For No Reason

Recently, at the day job, a little "house cleaning" took place. Two employees were fired. Both had been with the company for many years and there really was no shock that they were let go.

Both put very little effort into their duties and both do not work well with others. One spent more time trying to  look busy, than actually being productive. The other spent most of the day gossiping and complaining about the company and the job.

As no surprise to me, the one who spent most of the hours at work complaining is now telling the world that she was "fired for no reason." That is a statement I, and I'm sure you, have heard many times. Fired for no reason.

The simple truth is people are rarely fired for no reason. Any small business owner, HR professional, or recruiter can confirm that the hiring (and firing) process is a huge expense. Just the man hours alone in setting up payroll and benefits. The time invested in training. The fees involved  if a temp or recruitment service. Not to mention the dip in productivity and other expenses occurred until the new hire comes up to speed.

That investment does not want to be wasted by any company large or small. When a employee is not working out, most of the time every chance is made to improve things. From candid discussions on what is expected to changes made in the job description, usually something is done to prevent a firing. Besides, firing some one is a huge expense in itself.

Both of the people that were recently let go had several chances given to them, but things did not change and they were let go.

Now, just because some one is fired from there job, doesn't mean they can no do that job. Just not at that company. Companies can be compared to professional sports teams. While some do the same thing, they do things in their own way, capitalizing on their strengths, resources, experiences and skill sets.

Just as a Quarterback or a Pitcher can struggle on one team and be a superstar on another; an accountant, machine operator, or salesman with two different companies.

Yes, this is no absolute and there are some times when someone could be fired for no reason. And if you feel  that has happened to you, considered it a lucky break. Because know you are not wasting your talents at a place you weren't welcome at.

Press One For Aggression

I've been spending a good chunk of this Saturday afternoon caught in a Catch-22 type loop. I've been trying to setup an admin email account for a domain I recently purchased from a new provider. I get an error message every time I try to set it up. After a few attempts, I put my pride aside, took three deep breaths and called the toll free helpline.

As expected I got an automated system, which will always raise my blood pressure. As I pressed numbers for the category of my problem, preparing myself for a conversation with someone who speaks broken English with a heavy accent, I hit a dead end.

I was asked to enter my PIN. I don't have a PIN for the account. Creating the account PIN is the next step after creating the admin email account. I sent off an email and posted a question on a forum, so this minor set back should be resolved shortly. I'm sure it's just a simple error on my end.

This is a perfect example of why I can't stand automated call systems. While they can help your customers reach the person who can help them without being transferred and placed on hold, nothing beats a human voice. Personally I would rather have my call answered by a human and be placed on hold, than dealing with a automated system. If your company has an automated system it should have a "press zero for an operator" option announced right away.

If  a customer or potential calls you and can't get through quickly to someone who can answer their questions, or take their orders; you may lose them without even knowing they called.

New Year QuickBooks

When I started my home business, designing plastic injection molds, I did what most people who start a home business do. I used a computerized spreadsheet for my accounting. I created and kept track of quotes and invoices in MS Excel. For just starting out, it worked just fine.

I had been using Quicken for keeping track of my personal finances, so after about a year or so I upgraded to Quicken Home & Office. Seemed like a logical step and worked out great. While Excel is an extremely powerful tool, using Quicken Home & Office was a vast improvement and I was very happy with it.

Then this fall I took a class on Computerized Accounting and the course used QuickBooks. As expected I quickly found that; while Quicken Home & Office was a vast improvement over Excel, QuickBooks is a much more powerful tool for tracking finances.

After the second class, I told my instructor that I was already sold on QuickBooks. I told her I planned to purchase the software for my business and go back to the standard Quicken for my personal finances. She made the recommendation of instead of buying the two software programs, just get QuickBooks and create a  separate "company" for my personal finances.

Besides teaching business classes at the local Technical College, my instructor also has an accounting and consulting business. She told me one of her clients started doing this and has been quite happy with the results. So the idea was in the back of my head through out the course.

Well the course is over. I bought QuickBooks Pro, and last week, while on "use it or lose it" end of the year PTO from my day job, I got both my business and me set up in QuickBooks. I don't need to go into detail on how to use QuickBooks for your small or medium size business. Many of you already know this. But I'm pleasantly surprised how well it works for personal use.

I'm just getting started and have a few things to try out; but I know QuickBooks is going to great tool for me.  It is going to be very useful for budgeting and planning finical goals. I will be sure to post tips and cool things I find while doing this here.

This could be a lot of fun!

Office Phone Etiquette for Snoogins

Someone recently made a comment to me about the protective case I have for my mobile phone. It's a "Jay & Silent Bob" case. I'm a fan of Kevin Smith's movies and the characters of Jay & Silent Bob in particular.

My friend commented "cool phone case, but you don't bring that to work do you?"

I replied "thanks and of course I do. It's my personal phone, I'll have whatever case I want for it."

Shocked my friend said "But you meet with customers and vendors. Shouldn't you maintain a professional appearance?"

Of course I maintain a professional appearance. I am by no means stiff-as-a-board having tea with the Queen über proper, but I am a professional who has good manners. Part of good business etiquette, is concentrating on the conversions and presentations involved with meeting with customers; not checking my email on my phone or taking a call.

In fact most of the time, when I'm meeting with someone with someone outside of the company, I leave my phone behind. My focus should be on the people who traveled to meet me and the topics they come to discuss.

Of course the phone comes out if my tablet isn't at the ready to check a date on the calendar, or find something I have on Evernote. But it's a brief appearance and my hand usually has awesome graphics covered up.

The point I'm trying to make is: when you meet people face to face, meet them face to face. Not face to face with your eyes on your phone checking email.

By the way, snoogins. It's one sweet phone case. Snootch to the nooge.

It's a Case Mate brand case, and I highly recommend them.

The model I have is a two part case. Soft rubber inner part with a hard plastic outer.

Time Budget

When you're the busy bee type, who finds themselves working from home on multiple projects and trying to live a normal family life. Time management is the key to keeping your sanity.

Whether you have multiples jobs or one job that involves working on multiple projects at the same time, you may consider creating a time budget. It's a little trick that helps me out quite a bit.

Just like how I sit down each month and write out a budget for my money, during the busy periods I sit down each day and write out a time budget. I follow similar steps and rules in this process.

• Start by determining how much time I have to work with
• Schedule the big items that I can't compromise on first (large projects, lead time sensitive, etc.)
• Limit time amounts I can spend on a project each day

By limiting time ,such as for me 45 minutes of time per day for blogging or updating my blog sites, can help improve efficiency and productivity. Putting a limit on the time I can work on a project helps me stay focus. Knowing I only have a specific time and a specific amount of time gives me a sense of urgency that keeps me motivated and helps me concentrate.

Before I would let my ADDS (or whatever) take over and I would bounce between project and project. Starting, stopping, starting, checking Facebook, forgetting what I was doing, starting. That was how my evenings would go. Now, with the self imposed time limit, I stay more focused.

Also when you are working on multiple projects, it can help moving forward by switching gears and working on a completely different project altogether.

Even if you are working on one project, you can use this time management technique. You can break up large projects into smaller tasks and dedicate blocks of time to each task. For example, when I design a plastic injection mold; I will dedicate time to work on key items, such as gates & runners, cooling, ejection, and mold base.

Of course I can't always stop and switch tasks when a buzzer goes off. Sometimes I stop a few minutes early or work a few minutes late until I come to a clean breaking point. But overall, setting a time budget can help me work through multiple tasks and stay focused and efficient.

Cunctando Regitur Mundus

It seems where ever you work, from time to time you will have to deal with office politics. It may be someone in a managerial position that has no business being there, or someone who is trying to advance his or her career by what I call "the aft career path" kissing butts and stabbing backs. We all need to deal with it, to a point.

I have a very low tolerance for the practice of politics in the workplace. But I also like having a job, so I do my best to stay out of the way of the "politicians" and avoid being involved in their little game.

One thing I've learned over the years is that a majority of these aft career path takers end up having to pay the piper. You can't always BS and brown nose your way entirely through your career. Eventually you'll have to back the buzzwords, empty promises, vague directions, double speak and delegations  If you do your work in a honest, professional manner eventually you get there. Don't get me wrong, sometimes you have to cut your loses and go to a different company to be treated the way you deserve.

I recently read a book with a passage in it that included the Latin phrase Cunctando Regitur Mundus. Please don't ask me to pronounce it. Basically it means the patience will rule the world. I've found this to be a very helpful approach to how I view things at my current office. As I post this, we "waiting a few things out" so to speak at the office. Major long over due changes are looming. And to be completely honest, it's kind of entertaining to watch. Frustrating, but entertaining nonetheless.

Sometimes I have to say it (most likely pronounced not even remotely close to correct) in my head over and over. It does help. And it has a way more classy ring to it than "stick to the plan" or "keep your eye on the ball."

If someone hears you mumble Cunctando Regitur Mundus in a meeting, when a company kissass says "that's exactly what I was thinking, great idea boss!" they may be impressed with your intellect. Even if they can't understand it, Latin has a very distinguished, classy sound to it. Somebody could stand at a podium and read the phone book in Latin, and I would think it was some scholarly words of wisdom.

So as you patiently wait for people to get what's coming to them, Cunctando Regitur Mundus.

Mr. Rogers' Office

One problem I have with both working a full job, plus working from home is keeping the two jobs separate. I used to rush home from work, grab a sandwich or a plate of leftovers, and immediately start working again while eating at my home office desk.

I've found that I need time to regroup, recharge and refocus. Now I take at least an hour break in between work sessions. I will take the dog for a quick mile long walk, make dinner and actually eat it at the dinner table, and (if time permits) do some household chores or projects. Since I stare at a computer most of the day, I try to avoid watching TV. Doing this has really improved my productivity when I start working again from home.

The past month has been busier than normal for my already normally busy life. Even taking an hour or two break has not completely helped me switch gears, so I've started a new routine that really works from me. After my time of between work I change clothes and put on a different pair of shoes. It's weird, but it really works.

I guess Mr. Rogers was really a trend setter.

Quick Tip #5: Make Your Own Paper Notepad