The Micro Mastery S Get Productive - Flying Solo · We hope you find some gems for your business. The Flying Solo Crew 3 3 3 3 3. The Micro Mastery Series. Get Productive. 5 Time

Get Productive

PRODUCTIVITY

The Micro Mastery SerieS

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Contents Time management 5

Short-circuit distractions

Adjust to your energy cycles

If you’re an early riser, take advantage

Design your week

To-do lists 7

Learn how to write a to-do list

Allocate a ‘time budget’

Embrace the notebook

Or, type ideas into your computer notepad

Add context to your to-do list

Simplify your to-do list

Smarter processes 10

Don’t work without payment

Pick up the phone

Create instant access to information

Try a shared office for inspiration

Action things straight away

Don’t tidy up

Get moving and turn on music

Find the technology you need

Leverage your actions

Stop multi-tasking

Think laterally to re-evaluate tasks

Continued...

Smarter processes (continued) 10

Invest time to train

Invest time on your business

Stop chasing new customers

Shut down other applications

Ditch unnecessary internet time

Avoid the always available trap

Check email less often

Work smarter, work offline

Outsourcing 21

Only do what is worth your time

Focus on what you’re good at

Delegate and outsource

Productivity tools 24

The Pareto Principle

Producteev

Taglocity

Google Apps

Livescribe – my magic pen

Workflow Max

Final words of wisdom 27

Working solo is working smarter

Productivity = Efficiency + Effectiveness

Self SWOT

Be honest with yourself!

Tips that work for me

A productivity Haiku (almost)

Conclusion 30

The Micro Mastery Series . Get Productive. 4

IntroductionWorking truly effectively as a soloist is a skill that demands

planning and discipline. Whether you prefer emerging

technologies, or tried and tested ‘ old schoo l ‘ strategies,

we’re about to share the best with you.

In Get Productive - the second in our Micro Mastery Series - we tapped into the

wealth of knowledge that resides in our community forums as part of a six-week

productivity challenge.

Members were invited to share their best business productivity tips and their

responses, submitted with characteristic gusto, cover a wide-ranging selection

of ideas from time management and to-do lists to productivity tools and

outsourcing.

We’ve done a bit of editing here and there, but have generally left the thread of

discussion as it originally appeared in the forums.

Grab a pen and paper, sit yourself down and take the next steps to micro mastery.

We hope you find some gems for your business.

The Flying Solo Crew

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Time managemenT

Short-circuit distractionsSubmitted by: Susan

I recently discovered a productivity tool called ‘The Pomodoro Technique’ that I’ve

found really helpful. Actually, it goes beyond that - I love it.

Essentially, the Pomodoro Technique is about breaking your tasks into 25 minute

blocks of time, during which you focus on a single task. Each unit of time is a

Pomodoro. A Pomodoro cannot be shortened or lengthened - it’s a fixed unit. At

the end of each Pomodoro, you take a five minute break, and then start another.

After four consecutive Pomodori, you take a longer break.

I’m sure it’s not for everyone, but it works for me. It doesn’t seem hugely

demanding to focus for 25 minutes, but doing so on a single task makes it an

intensely productive time. It has also made me much more aware of my own

‘internal’ interruptions (‘I’ll just quickly check my email’) and has helped to manage

external ones (there is rarely anything that anyone needs that can’t wait 20

minutes or so).

Reply – watch the clockSubmitted by: Leisa at Alexandra Design

I allow myself a certain amount of time to complete admin tasks, such as

archiving files, paying bills, emails, etc. and stick to it as though I’m on a timer.

That way, I create more time for design work.

Adjust to your energy cyclesSubmitted by: Divs

Apparently psychologists tell us that the period 9 - 12 is the best for making

decisions. I always block this time of the day out to write consulting papers,

proposals and client meetings. After a short lunch, break for a 15-minute walk or

exercise. Try and do something active (but work related) between 2 and 3 as this is

“sleepy time”. It’s amazing, you will “fire up” from 3pm and accomplish all those B

list to-do’s that often get pushed into the next day.

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If you’re an early riser, take advantageSubmitted by: JenG

My tip is for the morning people out there, those who just naturally wake early, and

those who work from home. Use those early hours from 4am to 7am to get the bulk of

your work out of the way. The house is quiet, the world is quiet, the phone isn’t ringing

and you are not being pestered by new emails arriving.

Make a coffee and sit down at your computer. Start on answering emails that have

come in overnight, and then get on with processing the orders, or whatever else that’s

come up overnight, or leftover from yesterday. The time zaps by and before you know

it, the world is waking up and demanding your attention again, but you’ve wrapped up

an awful lot of work, before most people have opened their eyes.

I get loads of work done in those early hours, in my pyjamas (my favourite business

attire) when my mind is fresh and my brain alert. Try it!

Design your week Submitted by: LeeClark

To stay focused and get all things that are needed to be done in my business I have

created a weekly schedule that I stick to (most of the time). It’s flexible based on what is

going on, but in general terms it ensures I never get behind and overwhelmed by tasks

that are not so interesting.

For example:

Monday – an in day of making appointments, following up clients, confirming meetings

Tuesday – client meetings & proposals

Wednesday – accounts, paperwork, filing

Thursday – client meetings & proposals

Friday – my day to do as I please


To-do liSTS

Learn how to write a to-do listSubmitted by: BB

When it comes to working smarter, I find that it’s important to leave nothing to chance.

Every day needs to have some direction for the tasks of running your business and

achieving your goals.

People talk constantly about having a ‘to-do’ list. And they’re right – it’s important. But

what they don’t tell you is how to make that list effective. I’ve run a to-do list for many

years – it’s what keeps me on track and I religiously give some thought to the next day’s

activity at the close of each business day.

But it was when I changed the format of my ‘to-do’ list that I began to really power

through the tasks which in turn lead to better work/life balance.

1. Buy an A4 sized diary – one day to a page. (these can be purchased at the reject shop

for less than $10)

2. Use this diary as your daily to-do list. It’s also big enough to include your ‘to-call’ list

3. Fill in daily, weekly & monthly tasks/calls as appropriate

4. Write in absolutely everything that you have to do

5. You can allocate time-frames for the tasks if needed (to keep you on track)

6. Cross off each task as it is finished and What doesn’t get done today – must be

allocated another day/time

The advantages of doing it this way?

1. It’s the first thing you see each day, and because it’s in hard-copy your day can start

without any diversions from the computer

2. Is better than scraps of paper & easier to find

3. Clearly shows which jobs/calls you hate and procrastinate with

4. Is a fabulous record of achievement – at the end of each week/month you can

actually see what you’ve done and who you’ve called.

5. Doing it this way took away that feeling of ‘being busy but having nothing to show for

it’. Now I can look back and see which days have been busier than others!

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Allocate a ‘time budget’Submitted by: createdevelop

In line with an aim to improve goal setting and planning in my business, I found one

small “Mind-Hack” that helped improve my concentration and productivity. Basically it

turbo-charged my to-do list.

The problem was that my to-do list was getting longer, as I was adding to the bottom,

and getting through things too slowly to knock it all off in one go. So I decided that every

action would have a time budget, and I would not run over time. My to-do list started to

look like this:

1. Blog Posting 6am – 7am

2. Write brief for designer 7am – 7:30am etc.

If a topic looked like it needed more work, I would still stick the time budget, but move

unfinished actions to the bottom of the pile. This had two effects, one I worked harder

to complete a task within an allotted time (rather than trying to do two things at once, or

being less efficient). It also meant that I started to get through a lot more tasks, as small

tasks were quickly knocked off and moved on from.

Embrace the notebook Submitted by: Propamedia

I have just never been able to work with on screen lists, I use paper and pencil. All of my

scrap paper, single sided printouts, mistakes, letters I receive all get recycled into simple

A4 or A5 note/sketch pads. I write my to-do for the day and work my work through,

crossing out as I go.

Anything that doesn’t get done gets rewritten the following day, at this point some may

say that I’m actually creating more work for myself... true to a point but i find that the act

of re writing my list can sometimes field a new idea. For me it’s much more organic to

scribble an idea next to my ‘to-do’ list than to have to open a file, or organiser program.

The note book sits next to me all day, easy referral and easy access should a seed of an

idea start to form.

I have notebook next to the bed, and one in my bag, one on the coffee table. An idea’s

man needs to be prepared.


Or, type ideas into your computer notepadSubmitted by: JenG

A tip of mine: Use your computer notepad. Whenever you think of something you

really ought to do whether urgent or not, type it into your notepad. It sits there all day

as a reminder of “things to do” that might get forgotten otherwise.

I write both business and personal jobs on my notepad and invariably, they all get

done by the end of day. If for some reason some don’t, save it before shutdown, and

make a habit of bringing it up again the next morning. Simple but effective.

Add context to your to-do listSubmitted by: chamtang

My productivity tip is “to-do” lists based on CONTEXT.

E.g. Create a “Travelling to-do list”. E.g. I might schedule business or personal phone

calls for when I’m walking down the street or driving my car.

Create a “Low Energy To Do List”. This contains all the tasks you can do when you’re

tired, but still want to get stuff done...like data entry, paying bills etc.

Simplify your to-do listSubmitted by: Diane

I find the simple “to do” list in BIG CLEAR letters, in front of you, is a surefire way of

getting the work done quickly and efficiently. No need to start with the first task on

the list. Choose the one that needs to be done first, and then keep going. BE SURE to

cross each task off the list when it’s done to give you a BOOST to keep going. It’s not

as sophisticated as some suggestions, but it WORKS!


SmarTer proceSSeS

Don’t work without paymentSubmitted by: Bullet Web Studio

For: Soloists who work in, or request work from, the creative services industry.

The creative services industry includes designers, photographers, illustrators,

typographers, translators, writers and those in marketing, branding, advertising,

and broadcast media.

Problem: There’s a misconception that creative service providers should work

without payment e.g. a client specifying that payment will be made on fulfilment

of a brief, or more commonly, inviting creatives to ‘pitch’ creative work in

response to a proposal, without compensation. This creates problems with

effectiveness of work (no payment!) and efficiency (arguing over payment instead

of making a quick transaction). It’s a productivity problem that carries negative

consequences for the creative industry.

Why you shouldn’t engage in spec work: It establishes a negative business

relationship and devalues the creative industry. Designers risk no payment, client

risks poor quality, and both parties risk legal issues. It robs creative professionals

of income, and as spec work continues the creative industry outlook worsens. Are

chefs expected to cook without payment? Do builders pour a slab before signing

a contract? No way. The creative services industry should be no different - no

work without payment.

ReplySubmitted by: The Internet Bloke

Yes, that’s good advice Andy. I learnt it years ago when just starting out. I worked

for days to develop and present a strategy, and then it was pretty much stolen and

the work done by someone else.

Instead of jumping up and down about it and going legal, I chose to view it as

“tuition fees” which taught me a valuable lesson.

I’d suggest the practice of getting 50% up front, and the balance on completion of

the finished work. Or in the case of a website, payment of the balance before the

site goes live.


Another trap is the people who want you to; “Do it for me real cheap, and I’ll get

you lots of work from my friends”

Be careful when agreeing to do work on this basis. In most cases, no additional

work will eventuate so quote a price that will cover your costs and time. If you

DO get additional referrals, treat them as a bonus. And be aware that they will

probably want the same deal as the original person!

Pick up the phoneSubmitted by: AlleD

If there is one thing that I have learnt in both my life in corporate world and my

slow crossover to soloist is that if I really want to get things done - pick up the

phone.

Don’t email - actually talk to a real person. I spend a lot of time researching via the

web but if I find what I need and want to contact someone - I try to always use

the phone. The amount of time I spend typing replies to inane questions or simple

problems that could be solved with a 30 second phone call can simply get out of

hand.

Sure, always follow-up with an email to confirm if necessary but you will find a 2

minute phone call can save hours of back and forth via email or IM.

Probably old-fashioned (and I am NOT old!) but it works for me.


Create instant access to informationSubmitted by: King

If you have information that you need to refer to often, it can be laborious,

involving several click or more to go to a file or address book to locate it.

A very simple solution is to put information into a spreadsheet then take a screen

shot of the table. You then paste and crop that image in any graphic program

(even Paint). Save the image, then go to your desktop, right click, select properties

and desktop and browse to where you saved the image.

I use this desktop image to instantly access (one click on the desktop icon on my

toolbar) retail prices for, in my case, caricatures (spread over 3 currencies) and

percentage discounts for multiple orders.

Try a shared office for inspirationSubmitted by: Mei

I’d highly recommend trying out a shared office for a short period to see how

this brings in new work and helps you make new connections and increases your

productivity.

I’ve recently spoken with someone who tracks their time and he noted a 20%

increase in productivity when working from a shared office.


Action things straight awaySubmitted by: Donkey

I think if there’s one important productivity tip to follow, would be to either action

something straight away (under 5 minutes), file it as “someday” or put it on a “to

do list”. Your to do list software should contain only what you can do in the day

(or what you set out to achieve).

You should work on the most difficult thing (or the thing you are most likely to

procrastinate over) at beginning of the day. From there you should work on each

subsequent task until the task is finished - don’t switch between tasks - it’s bad for

your brain.

There’s a good site that I subscribe to: www.timemanagement.com which has a

mailing list which sends out great productivity tips every day. Some of it’s pretty

basic, like only checking your email a few times a day, but overall the tips are

pretty good.

As a soloist, nailing basic organisation is extremely important. It’s probably the

most important part of running any business, especially when they are constant

distractions at home.

ReplySubmitted by: Julie G

A similar tip was given to me many years ago & is still valid, even in our email

world. I practice it every day, and some days I really have to give myself a

reminder, so I don’t fall back into old ways. Procrastination can be a massive time

waster.

When you open a letter or email, make a decision about what you are going to do

- never leave it in your inbox or on your desk without an action. Deal with it or bin

it, but don’t do nothing.


Don’t tidy upSubmitted by: ProCapture

Being a photographer I have to be very strictly organised, but time spent deleting

items is wasted time. Instead I focus on ‘selects’. As for other images, I just let ‘em

be (or don’t take them in the first place)

In the past I have spent an inordinate amount of time deleting images and tidying

up when I could instead have been moving forward for the small cost of a bigger

hard drive. I didn’t realise tidying to be a waste of time until search tools like

Spotlight (OSX) made clutter inconsequential.

How does this apply to the rest of you?

IMAP, an email protocol we should all be using in this age of multiple devices, can

be used to apply this philosophy to your inbox.

IMAP means that messages that I read on my iPhone are marked as read in

webmail and on my mac, pc and iPad. Drafts that I create on my mac are available

for further editing in webmail and on my iPhone etc. before sending but more

importantly, all emails I have ever received (and sent) are persistently available,

regardless of how I choose to access them.

I do delete, ruthlessly, anything that holds no obvious value (spam, jokes etc.)

I also delete large emails periodically as space on my server gets used up and, like

buying a bigger hard drive, I make available more server space as the need arises

However I spend zero time organising or culling that which remains and yet I can

find an email at a moment’s notice among the 20,000+ emails in my inbox.

This philosophy has had no obvious impact on the performance of my email and

has in fact given me more confidence in being able to access and find stuff, not to

mention how easy it makes life when I wish to migrate my emails to a new device

(entering password, email address and mail server are all that is required).


Get moving and turn on musicSubmitted by: Daisy

Get up from your desk every 1.5 – 2 hours, breathe deeply and stretch! You’ll get

oxygen into your bloodstream and prevent aches and pains from sitting too long.

Second tip: play some quiet, simple music. It will help keep your head clear

and your mind focused. I’m a classical music nut, but my fave is Keith Jarrett’s

‘The Melody at Night with You’. Very laid back and relaxing piano music, which I

continuously play when I’m working.

Find the technology you needSubmitted by: Allied

We should all spend a little time to research technology small or large that can

reduce our workload on a regular basis.

In the last few weeks I have just upgraded 2 two things - my printer and my

computer which were only a few years old. I now estimate that I can save at least

30 minutes a day with the new functions on my printer alone - using the more

up to date faxing and the scanning functions. These functions are so simple to

use now and require less of my attention which I can now put into others more

pressing things I need to do.

I have also gained more desk room by combining the printer and the fax and no

more need to buy fax rolls plus, I only have one paper supply to keep an eye on.

Something so simple and inexpensive yet so surprisingly rewarding in a busy day!

My new computer will be here next week and Windows 7 and a larger screen is

also going to also make some functions of my business easier, quicker and less

frustrating to do.

I used to keep up to date with technology but I have been so busy with my

business and I haven’t been paying attention. It took the printer to break down

before I reluctantly went out to see what new technology was around.


Leverage your actionsSubmitted by: MYOB

My productivity tip would be to clearly think about what lies ahead and assess

where leveraging your actions can benefit me. For example a client has a query

which I respond to, I then will rewrite it in a generic fashion, and post it on my

blog, which automatically sends out a tweet.

I have earnt money, satisfied a client, and demonstrated my skills and

understanding to a wider audience, I have added to my websites SEO potential

and attracted new clients back to my services. To take it further, if it does generate

interest, I may write it up into an article for Flying Solo.

Stop multi-taskingSubmitted by: Able Assist

Why you shouldn’t multi-task

When you’re focusing on several projects at once in addition to dealing with

emails and phone calls, you fail to focus 100% on a single task and therefore you

are unable to produce the highest quality work you are capable of. Additionally,

when you focus 100% on to any single task you will not only will your final

product be a superior quality, but you will finish the individual task quicker.

How to not multi-task

Create a schedule at the start of your day by listing all the important tasks

you need to complete and approximate time frames. Work through your list

methodically, marking each item off as you complete it. While working through

your tasks instead of reading and responding to emails as you receive them, allow

yourself 15 minutes of each hour to focus on reading and responding or even

check out Facebook, and then return your focus to your important tasks.

At first you may find it hard to pull yourself away from your emails, or other small

menial activities, however once you’re completely settled into the healthy habit of

not multi-tasking you will notice a difference in the quality of your projects, and

the speed in which you complete them in!

Alternatively, if you’re unable to ignore emails enquiries and are constantly

bombarded and disturbed by the phone, then perhaps you should consider

outsourcing a virtual assistant with reception capabilities to keep you focus where

it need to be.


Think laterally to re-evaluate tasksSubmitted by: Steve_Minshall

If I wanted to change all the tyres on my car and fill up with fuel it would probably

take me an hour of mucking about at the tyre shop while they remove the wheels,

old tyres, balance the wheels etc. and refit them. Then I would go to the servo

and spend another ten minutes filling up and paying for fuel.

Now this whole job is done by a Formula 1 pit crew in less than 10secs. How do

they do this? Have lots of people, well trained with the right tool in the right place,

parts ready to go, the vehicle designed to allow a quick job, even someone just

stood there with a starting gun in case the driver screws up his take off.

So you have a job you need to do regularly that is time consuming. How could

it be done in less than 10 seconds? Ok less than a minute, less than 10 minutes.

The idea is to think how a pit crew might take on the job. It is a lateral thinking

exercise designed to show that phenomenal time savings can be made with the

application of the right resources. Now the chances are you can think of ways to

reduce the job to a fraction of the time but it is cost prohibitive. But what parts of

the idea can be used. The idea is to start from the absolute optimum solution then

economise from there rather than start where you are now and reduce time.

Invest time to trainSubmitted by: Robertmoz

When trying to meet a deadline for a course, my wife offered to help and I was

reluctant at first. She is the type to ask lots of questions so she can do the work.

The problem here is if she’s asking questions, then I’m not doing my work which is

ineffective.

My solution was getting her to write her questions and answer in blocks. I also

realised if you invest some time in teaching people at the start, you will increase

your productivity. It might take longer at the beginning but you will save time in

the future.


Invest time on your businessSubmitted by: DavidThomas

I would suggest investing time in your business. As small operators, we have a

tendency to ‘work in’ our business rather than ‘work on’ our business.

Although they are subtle differences, it’s very important to do both roles in a

balanced manner. You have to service your clients and ‘work in’ your business,

there is no denying it - and probably no money if you don’t do this.

At the same time, it’s also a key strategy to growing your business to actually work

on growing it. Review your current operations, advertising campaigns, costs etc.

Spend time researching competitors, new advertising mediums, reading books

on related topics - sometimes even a totally different topic can give you new

perspective on your business.

Go to a networking seminar, or business meeting - Even if it’s during work hours.

Spend money on developing yourself (as you would an employee). Force yourself

to take time to focus on different parts of the business - rather than just taking

calls and replying to emails (in my scenario). It’s amazing how things just work out

when you start taking the steps.

Stop chasing new customersSubmitted by: Rhondalynn

More customers and more sales do not necessarily mean your bottom line will be

better off... profitable growth should be the goal of any business.

However, you cannot achieve profitable growth in your business without first

establishing that you are in fact profitable. Attracting more leads or closing more

sales may not be enough - the costs and efficiencies in your business change

every day and this means that you must constantly monitor and measure where

you are at and take appropriate action.

Focusing solely on customers and sales (by spending too much money and time

on networking and marketing) is a bit like spending 100% of your time practicing

your serve while neglecting to watch the scoreboard, analyze the strategy of your

competitors and practice your returns.

Break-even is one of the most simple and powerful calculations that you can

use each month to measure and enhance your profitability. A company is said to

break-even for a period (usually a month) when its sales revenue catches up to


its costs. Specifically, accountants talk about break-even as the point where fixed

costs (rent, salaries, etc.) are matched by gross profit margin (sales revenue minus

COGS). Therefore, it follows that break-even with profit is the point in the month

where you cover all of your fixed and variable costs and start making your desired

profit target.

Remember, if you are in business and you are not running a charity, the goal

is profitable growth. In order to achieve profit, you in fact have to plan for and

measure it.

Shut down other applicationsSubmitted by: SaraHoward

When I’m working on a writing project I close down every other application on my

Mac I don’t need. Especially email and safari. Then I just focus on Getting It Done.

I’ll check email again in a few hours, but it stops the distractions.

Here’s a quote for the day: “Writing is 3% inspiration, and 97% avoiding the

internet.”

Ditch unnecessary internet timeSubmitted by: ERPSpecialist

The Internet has slowly crept into our daily lives and has quietly become

responsible for a MASSIVE loss of production in most companies. This has

become a well-documented fact, but seems too hard to deal with.

I am guilty of this problem myself. Sitting at the desk working away, I will just

check the Flying Solo posts... or Facebook or whatever. It soon turns into 1 hour of

wasted time. Even if it is 10 mins, it is not good enough. A smoker is not allowed

to smoke at work anymore and needs to wait until afternoon tea to light up. The

Internet is the same thing.

If you are a manager or business owner I suggest you enforce a strict policy of

NO unnecessary Internet use Period. And that includes YOU.

Part of my Productivity Seminar now includes statistics on the negative impact this

topic has on a company. Would you believe Internet use can be responsible for as

much as 75% lost productivity? Isn’t that worth looking in to?


Avoid the always available trapSubmitted by: King

In our busy world where communication seems paramount, we find ourselves

increasingly interrupted from our work. One way to overcome this is to have time

out from being instantly reachable.

I am not suggesting that we become totally contactable, but reduce the number

of methods by which people can interrupt you.

This might be as simple as closing your office door so that work colleagues or

in the case of SOHOs, family know that when the door is closed, don’t disturb! It

could also be shutting down your email client for 1-2 hour timeframes. Or maybe

turning your phone off for a period of time. I know several people who do this and

return the calls, based on the requests made - when messages are left people are

asked what they need. This allows the return call to be made fully informed.

Check email less oftenSubmitted by: Total micro

I know of some companies that regularly have their employees away from email.

Emails are set up with an auto responder, and it’s in their signature as well saying

that they only check emails a few times a day, if it’s urgent, they should call. Takes

the pressure off having to respond to emails immediately. Very good idea!

Work smarter, work offlineSubmitted by: Sunshinyday

The biggest distraction in my day is e-intrusions – email, Tweets, Facebook,

texts, blogs.

I run an online business, so social networks and e-communications are my

lifeblood. But it’s been demonstrated that these kinds of distractions (indeed any

sort of ‘multi-tasking’) can make you less productive as your train of thought is

constantly interrupted.

I plan my time so that I do the ‘meat’ of my work in the morning with all e-comms

switched off. I check in with them first thing and during my coffee breaks, then do

a 1hr blitz on all the messages and media at the end of every day. That way I find I

keep up with the e-sphere without getting lost in it and wasting precious time.

Created by Christopher Holm-Hansenfrom the Noun Project

Created by Christopher Holm-Hansenfrom the Noun Project


ouTSourcing

Only do what is worth your timeSubmitted by: lj

As a small photography company of only two employees (my husband a

photographer, me in admin) we have been looking for ways to work smarter and

not harder to increase our capacity to take on more business, but still within the

24 hours a day we’ve been given!

The one gem that we have come up with that has completely revolutionised the

way we do business is “Only do what is worth your time”. This can apply to both

what business you take on, as well as what parts of those roles we ourselves

complete, and what parts we outsource.

Firstly, it is important to know your value. Once you’ve worked out what hourly

rate you are worth, you can decide which jobs are simply not worth your time,

and which ones are.

Outsourcing is an absolute revelation for us! More and more we are discovering

companies both local and abroad who are willing to take over those tedious tasks

for a fraction of the value of what the time for us to do them is worth. One good

example of this is the sorting and culling of photos. Professional photo processing

companies now offer this service for as little as $150 per job, for what would

have taken my husband sometimes a day to do! His earning capacity in a day

for a wedding shoot is in the thousands, and therefore spending this time culling

photos was not only boring him, but it was wasting potential money!

Beginning to outsource, and taking on less jobs at a higher return on investment

rate has increased our earning capacity to no end.


Focus on what you’re good atSubmitted by: flower-child

Mine is similar to lj’s above in that I think you should do what you’re good at and

leave the rest to other people. When I first started, I tried to be everything and was

quickly burning myself out.

I’m slowly starting to outsource, first with a VA and next is book keeping. I also

hired a cleaner for home this week and my husband has said he’ll drop off his

work uniform to the cleaners, so that reduces my ironing.

It all sounds expensive, but when you weigh it up, my VA is off shore and I can

dictate how many hours I need each week, so if I have nothing for them, I

don’t pay anything. Why should I spend my time at $X per hour, when I can pay

someone who knows what they are doing a (hopefully) smaller amount to do it,

and in probably a lot less of the time. The cleaner will do for $75, what would take

me a whole day on the weekend. That day I can now spend with my family and

not be the cranky pants that I am when cleaning - lol.

On top of freeing me up to do what I’m good at, it’s helping with my mental

health as well, which can never be underestimated. YOU are your most important

employee!

Delegate and outsourceSubmitted by: call your clients

Having started up my own telemarketing company a few months ago I can’t say

enough how important outsourcing your work is.

I make phone calls for various businesses and they all say at some point, why

didn’t I do this sooner. Makes sense that if you are out there doing what you do

best, and usually like the most or you probably wouldn’t have begun it in the first

place, then you are making money and enjoying yourself into the bargain. So if

someone can be making your appointments for you so you’re not sitting behind a

desk dreading making the next call why not outsource it?

A businessman I was speaking to recently said, after we had a discussion about

what we can outsource, that he believes he can save literally thousands of dollars

per month on outsourcing - I was to do his appointment setting for his business

calls (10-15 hrs per week), he was going to use a Virtual Assistant for his admin

(pays by the amount of work she performs to the minute), a MYOB specialist for

his pay role and BAS and a phone answering service for his incoming calls when


he’s with a client and his 1300 number. He then said that he wouldn’t need his

office anymore which would save him over $2000 per month in rent alone and

the office “manager” cost him over $850 per week. He would save $$$

An internet guru, SEO, key word optimiser type asked me to do her calling the

other day of approx 10 hours per week. Now she charges $85 per hour for her

services and is really quite busy so it makes absolute sense for her to outsource

her calls to us who charge under $50 per hour. She saves herself more than $35

per hour by outsourcing her calls and obviously leaves herself open to working

more on her specialty.

Most of us already outsource - accounting (tax and bookkeeping), mechanicals,

legals, web design, logo making, virtual assistance work etc. - so look around and

see what else you can outsource and save some money, stress less and free up

time to do what you love doing!

ReplySubmitted by: Bridiej

So many professionals waste precious time doing jobs that could be delegated

or outsourced. My dad is a prime example, he’s in Health & Safety which involves

writing huge reports about incidents etc. and, although he’s fairly quick with

his two fingered typing, I keep trying to persuade him to outsource it so he can

concentrate on more important tasks. He often works until 9pm at night typing

stuff up, which is unnecessary - if he stopped typing reports up himself he could

be finished hours earlier.


producTiViTY ToolS

The Pareto Principle Submitted by: ERPSpecialist

Firstly, we need to define what “Working Smarter” means. I would define it as

“Doing more work in less time and making more profit in the process”. The Big

question is ‘How do we do this?’ because every sensible person would want to

achieve that result.

There is a very interesting theory known as The Pareto Principle - the 80/20 rule

that you’ll be familiar with. Start by creating a Pareto Chart to track every “problem”

that comes up, put these into categories so you can group them. Once you can

see all the problem issues that have some up that make you inefficient, you can

focus on the top 20% of them. You will find these to be the recurring things that

keep giving you grief. All the others will only be the one-offs that you may not be

able to do much about. Solving this top 20% will cure 80% of all your business

woes and will go a long way to having you work smarter, doing more work in less

time AND making more profit!

ProducteevSubmitted by: Availlive Virtual Assistant

There is the famous GTD (Getting things done) method which I find incredibly

useful and have implemented the method for 1 month. I have definitely increased

my billable hours by 200%. It is a huge difference! The program that I use is

Producteev; it’s a great system because you can assign tasks on the website,

through an email, an IM message and gadgets on Gmail and Chrome. Aside from

assigning tasks, you can schedule a reminder for each task or even assign it to

another member of the team. I love this program! 80

– 2

0


TaglocitySubmitted by: BruceM

I thought I might share a tool I find quite useful to deal with email - Taglocity.

There’s a free or paid version. The idea is you tag your emails rather than filing in

various folders, which I found can get out of control if an email fits more than one

folder. You can then create auto tags from various people or subject lines etc. and

have various actions performed. For example I have a tag that creates a meeting in

my calendar at the press of one of these tags. My inbox has never been in better

shape! To check it out visit www.taglocity.com

Google AppsSubmitted by: David Jardine

As far as tips for soloists or freelancers I can contribute one main one which I have

done and which helps a lot. It’s Google Apps.

I setup my domain to work with Google Apps so now I have a custom GMAIL

account on my domain and I use GMAIL for all my business email. It works with

my domain so I have a professional domain email address but my email client is

Gmail.

I also use Google Docs (part of Apps) for all my quotes, client details, projects with

tasks and reporting and more. I just make a copy of a template I have created,

save it to the client folder, and share it with the client I am working on. They

are able to make edits and provide updates and info I need as I work, and we

collaborate in real-time once a week on the worksheet.

I also have my iPhone (you can use whichever phone works for you) set to

use Google apps as my default email, calendar and contacts so I have all

my communication and details with me all the time. These are all current as

everything is stored in Google, so updating a contact via my iPhone instantly

updates my Google contacts so all devices are always current.

I also use Google Calendar to create appointments and invite clients as attendees.

When they ‘accept’ the invitation they also become a Contact so I get their email

address if I need it.


So many more tips that come from this but you need to spend a bit of time

getting setup. My entire workspace is now virtual (thanks to DropBox storing all

my files) so I can literally work from anywhere within minutes just by logging in.

Double Bonus Points - if my computer ever crashes or gets infected by a virus

al my files and systems are safe and secure. I can just go to an internet cafe and

begin work as normal.

Livescribe – my magic penSubmitted by: The Internet Bloke

You are at an important meeting or lecture. And you’re jotting down notes to

remind you of what is being said. Now imagine that three months later, the exact

words that were said in one part of that meeting become crucially important.

So you just go back to the notes you made, touch your pen onto the notes you

made, and you immediately hear the actual words that were being spoken while

you were making the notes. Magic? – Pretty much! But that’s one example of

what you can do with the Livescribe “Pulse” Smartpen. This tool is invaluable for

doctors, lawyers, architects, students, etc.

You can also upload your notes to your computer, use the text recognition feature

to turn your notes into a text document and upload your notes online, so that

others can see what you wrote and hear what was going on as you wrote it.

This is one of the most useful gadgets I’ve ever seen, with countless uses. Just

make sure you are aware of any privacy implications, and that you get people’s

permission to record if applicable.

Workflow MaxSubmitted by: SaraHoward

A new project management app I’m using is Workflow Max. It syncs up with Xero

for bookkeeping, so it’s seamless from leads to quotes to jobs to invoicing. But

best of all, it forces me to quickly clock in how much time I spent on each project

in a day. And I soon realised how much time I actually spend on non-billable work.

(Like posting things on forums like Flying Solo!)


Final wordS oF wiSdom

Working solo is working smarter Submitted by: Burgo

There are numerous book articles on “How to work Smarter” and I have yet to see

one that includes...

The Soloist really doesn’t need to work smarter, because they are already

smarter.

They’ve seen the truth about working for corporations large, medium or small.

They’ve seen the way honest people become dishonest.

The soloist works smarter because they’re the one calling the shots.

They’re the one that has the financial burden of success or failure.

They’re the one that makes sure failure doesn’t happen.

They work smarter because they take time out.

They work smarter because when they get too busy they either say NO or pass

the work on to another soloist they’ve met here on the forum.

They work smarter because they are passionate about what they do and how

they do it and care for their customers, their family and themselves.


Productivity = Efficiency + EffectivenessSubmitted by: Georgia Lush

I like to keep things simple. I have a favourite quote at the moment:

Productivity = Efficiency (doing the right things) plus Effectiveness (doing them right)

So the key is to identify the most important thing and do it well. I have a tool I use

each day to help me: I list the three most important things that I need to achieve

(today it is my newsletter format, reviewing my business plan and making clear goals

for the year ahead).

And then I set a context for the day. This might look something like: ‘calm and

focused’ or ‘just do it’. Today it is: Just Be. I find keeping it this simple makes me

much more productive. I just have to do three things. The rest will take care of itself.

Self SWOTSubmitted by: Jo Hanlon

Know thyself, i.e. do a study of your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and

threats (SWOT) so you can choose what YOU need to do that maximises your skills

rather than wasting time feeling a failure and trying out everyone else’s way ‘cause

that has to be better than yours!! Be brave and back yourself!

Be honest with yourself!Submitted by: Holly M

All of us work in different ways and something that works for one person is not

necessarily right for another. It is most important to be honest with yourself to

ensure you are not procrastinating by thinking of “the best ways to save time”. Once

you sit down and truly assess which ways work for you, you can then increase your

productivity!


Tips that work for meSubmitted by: AL25

Create action/task lists and prioritise each task as high, medium or low.

Only check your emails at allocated times each day (once in the morning and

once in the afternoon)

Keep you working environment neat and tidy

Have clear business objectives and work backwards from those

Outsource tasks wherever possible

Know your strengths and weaknesses - if it’s not your strength outsource it

Don’t be a perfectionist

A productivity Haiku (almost)Submitted by: sheryl a

Here is my productivity haiku (almost). I keep this 11-word plastered on the wall

above my desk, to remind me that, although fancy gadgets, intelligent systems

and sneaky outsourcing can potentially save me bucket loads of time, it’s really up

to me to put it all into action:

One thing at a time.

Most important thing first.

Start now!


concluSion

We hope you’re enjoying the Micro Mastery Series and getting

stacks of valuable tips and strategies to use in your business.

Don’t forget that as a free member of Flying Solo you get full access to our library of

over 2,000 specialist articles and videos, can listen to our regular podcasts and stay in

touch with all things solo via our newsletters and social networks.

To connect with other community members, get your questions answered and share

your expertise, dive into the Flying Solo forums - home to Australia’s busiest and

friendliest small business discussions. You may be flying solo, but you’re not alone!

make a

small investment For

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