My Organized Biz

As the hours wind down toward Christmas Day, are you stressed out trying to meet business commitments, finish orders and get deliveries made, along with family holiday plans?  Or are you well organized so that everything is running smoothly?
If you still have much to do:

Prioritize and decide what really needs to be done and in what order.
Is there anything you don’t need to do until after Christmas Day…or even the holiday season?
Can you get someone to help you with these commitments?
Is there something else you can put off that you thought you needed to accomplish?
Take a few minutes, here and there, …read more

No Comments

Many people with small or home businesses work at them around another job.  They may have a full or parttime job working for someone else.  How do they combine the two efficiently and productively?

Set down a business plan for your business.
Decide how you can get it started parttime, utilizing the hours when you’re not at another job.
If it’s an online business, it’s much easier to juggle your activities, fitting your business into the time slots you’re not at your “away” job.
If you’ve opened a business in your home, decide what hours you’ll be open…in other words, when you’re not away …read more

No Comments

Selling “green” products?  How you package them might make a statement, too.  Consider how to organize so your packaging is as green as possible, too.
My niece tells about ordering pencils that were made from recycled materials.  She wanted to see what they were like, perhaps use them for stocking stuffers, and do her bit in saving trees.
However, she wondered how much “greening” the seller believed in.  Of course, for sending something in the mail or via another delivery service, there are limitations on packaging.  However, within the mailer, the pencils were inside an attractive non-recyclable (not #1 or#2) plastic container.  This …read more

2 Comments

At Home Biz Notes, I wrote about, Plan an Open House to Generate Interest in Your Business, possibly between the holidays or right after the new year.  What steps do you take to organize one of these?

Decide on a date and time.
What will you emphasize…new services, products, reintroduction of current ones (see list on Home Biz Notes post).
Put up notice in your place of business.
Tuck notices into purchases.
Send out cards/announcements which you can make on the computer.
Possibly plan a program.
Do you need someone to help?
Will you have special decorations?
Whatwill you give as door prizes or hand-outs (keeping them within a …read more

No Comments

It’s a good idea to have planned and worked ahead so you’re covered in your business for emergencies and sick days.  In most small or home businesses, there is no pay for sick days…no work, no pay.

Try to stay ahead of deadlines for orders and writing assignents.
Have contingency plans “in the wings.”
Is someone else trained to do what you do, even for a short time, such as a family member?
Work even when you’re not feeling your best.
Be flexible and creative.

No Comments

In reorganizing our multigenerational home, now that granddaughter is away at college, my daughter found she could utilize the loft area for her sewing and fabric design studio. 
(One side will retain a bed and space for Kara.)  However, the sprawling sewing nook and storage in the living room will be moved to the loft.
This has become an extensive  project as the family:

Repainted the walls, which involved looking at many paint chips.
Finished the floor (there was only a subfloor before)
Built permanent railings on either side of the chimney for the portion overlooking the living room.
Decided to paint the remainder of the …read more

No Comments

The challenge – organizing your work so you’re productive when the weather outside lures you away from the keyboard, sewing machine, easel, billing, bookkeeping…or other necessary tasks to keep your business on track.
How can you take advantage of everything?

Get up extra early so that you can get the absolutely necessary work done before breakfast.
Organize your “to do” list so that the priority items are on top.  When those are done, you can play, then get to the not so important items afterward.
Before being lured away from work, make a commitment to stay up later that evening to make sure everything …read more

No Comments

The organization of offices and work space will vary, depending on the person, the business, and the amount of space available.  Also, what works for one person doesn’t work so well for another.
Ideally, I like an efficient office and work space with everything at my fingertips and space just for ME.  However, that  generally hasn’t been my lot since I began writing, was sewing, painting, or working at an Internet based business. 

I’ve worked in apartments, duplex homes, a larger house with room for myself, a multigenerational home with everyone vying for space.
I’ve written in motel rooms and airports when traveling.
I …read more

No Comments

When storms rage outside (a blizzard this time of year) and people can’t get to your doyor (if you have a walk-in shop) or deliveries may be delayed (if you have an online business), how can you keep your business organized and productive.

Do some of those office tasks you’ve put off but are necessary.  You may be uninterrupted today.
Check your computer for incoming orders.
Process orders so they go out in a timely fashion.  You won’t be interrupted by other matters (unless it’s shoveling snow or kids home from school).
Brainstorm on how you can develop a more effective marketing strategy.
Check out …read more

No Comments

Jessica, who provided some organizational tips about posting from the library or Internet cafe when one’s own Internet connection is down, has some more ideas to offer.  Thanks, Jessica.
Even if you don’t have a “real” word processor, your computer probably comes with a basic text editor that can save text files on your computer ahead of time (eg: look for Notepad on windows, TextEdit on Mac). You may have to go back and do the formatting online later when you get to the library, but if you already have the body text written that can save even more time sometimes! …read more

No Comments