My Organized Biz

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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Take time out from organizing to remember Pearl Harbor Day or learn about it and significance to our United States heritage. I don’t remember the day Pearl Harbor happened, but I recall when the war was over.  Our teacher, at the one-room school, learned of the occasion and let us out from school immediately, so we didn’t have a full day.The siren at the local firehouse was sounding, people in cars blew their horns as a friend and I walked along the road toward our homes. My mom was excited because it meant Uncle Al would be coming home.  By then her …read more

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In response to my post, How Do You Organize When the Internet Is Down?, Jessica left the following comment:
I try and do as much as I can “offline” first, like get the emails all composed in outlook, the blog posts typed up, and THEN go the coffee shop or library to hit send on everything. I find I’m more productive at home when working, so I try to take advantage of that, and save the easy part for when I’m out.
I think this is good advice from Jessica and probably is something many of you do.  Unfortunately, neither of the …read more

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When organizing promotions for your business, consider what group you’re focusing on or targeting.  Perhaps you have different groups.  However, your promotions generally are more effictive if you focus on a particular group at a time.  The same type of techniques might be used, but let each group know how you can fill their needs.
For instance, at Home Biz Notes, I mentioned that online shopping appeals to those with health issues.  If someone with a home or small business has items or services that interest those shoppers (and this can be a wide category).  I also wrote at Small Business Boomers, about statistics …read more

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