by Erica | Feb 9, 2014 | Business Design, Organization
Did you ladies know February is National Time Management Month in the U.S.?
Okay, neither did I, but it is, so in honor of this (albeit, strange) tradition, I wanted to whip up a behind-the-scenes look at my most-adored tools for creating more time in your day.
While anybody can benefit from this list, I wrote it particularly for solopreneurs who haven’t yet created an iron-clad team, and whose business kiiinda entirely weighs on their own shoulders. (Clearly I am one of said solopreneurs, as evidenced by the self-made graphic below. At least I tried, right?)
Because who couldn’t use a few more beautiful hours to finish that looming client project, prep a delish meal, or you know…catch up on #RichKids of Beverly Hills (just me?)
So here ya have it, ladies: Five fun, fresh ways to get more shit done, in less time.
1. Get Hip to Pomodoro
Oh, Pomodoro, how I love thee. Let’s break it down: Writing is one task that eeeeverybody puts off. You know how it is: You think, “Yes! I’m totally going to write that blog post RIGHT NOW.” Except right now turns into, “Right after I check my e-mail again, and you know, respond to that one tag on Facebook because clearly that’s important…” – and then you’ve wasted an entire afternoon doing everything BUT that one thing that needed done like, yesterday.
But do successful, crisply-dressed (yoga pants are crisp, right?) small business babes behave that way? Not once they discover Pomodoro, they don’t!
Pomodoro isn’t just ‘tomato’ in Italian, it’s also a nifty system for getting shit done-zo. And it’s entirely free!
So, to pomodoro: You set a timer and work uninterrupted for 25 minutes. Why 25? Well, there’s some hard psychology behind it: Apparently humans are only wired to be able to concentrate intensely for 25 minutes at at time.
I have www.tomato-timer.com in my Chrome toolbar for easy access. As soon as I pop open my browser to write, I create a Pomodoro tab & get typin’.
No joke, I get so much done during my 25-minute creative bursts it’s nuts. Don’t believe me? Just try it. I dare ya. You’ll be zoomin’ through tasks in no time – and you can thank me later. You know, after you write that entire week’s worth of blog posts.
2. Make E-mail Fun
There’s no denying, e-mail can get overwhelming. Luckily, I’ve discovered two tools that turn email into a game – and one quite literally.
Over at emailga.me, all you do is you sign up with your email addy & start playing. Essentially the game gives you points for making quick decisions about the emails in your inbox. The quicker your decision – to reply, archive, Boomerang or delete – the more points you get.
Even better, it automagically adds a little line to your signature that lets peeps know you’re playing the game & to “excuse” your brevity. (Even though, really? Brief emails = the best emails. Am I right?)
Another fantastic way to handle email overwhelm is Mailstrom.co. For less than one venti Starbucks frappucinno you can keep your inbox clean & tidy & EMPTY.
I’d say it’s worth it. (It’d take waaaaay more frappy’s to tackle an inbox on your own, ya dig?)
3. You Better Batch, B*tch
Ugh. Batching. I resisted this idea sooo hard for sooo long. And then one day I realized that my time management sucked, and I needed to change something – and quick.
Enter batching.
Batching means performing similar tasks in large chunks of time. You know how it is: You kinda get into something once you start. And batching things allows you to stay in the same frame of mind & get a lot more done (whereas switching between tasks means your brain has to try extra hard to keep up – and you lose precious focused work time).
What can you batch?
Social media – Use Buffer (my fave) or the schedule feature on Facebook
Blogging – As a writer I know firsthand that once you’re in the groove, it’s best to just stay there. Why not write an entire month’s worth of newsletters in one glorious afternoon?
Email – You can even use the above tools to do it! Just pick a time every day or every week to clear up your inbox & do it all at once.
Facebookin’ – I don’t know about you, but I belong to a ton of networking & biz-related groups on Facebook. I’ve found it’s better to dive in at a certain time each day & poke around, spark up convos on threads that intrigue me, offer advice & reply to tags in one fabulous fell swoop
Client calls – As a total introvert, this is a must. I can’t schedule too many calls in one day, but I’d rather have client calls just 1-2 days a week, so the rest of time I can devote to precious creation. It’s too much energy for me to switch back & forth between social Erica & writer Erica.
4. Automation
If you’ve been in biz for a minute, I know you’ve heard this one before, but I’m going to repeat it because it is just that good. This is another piece of advice I resisted, ’cause I knew the the initial work of setting up automated systems would probably royally suck. But ever since I batched the tasks one lazy Sunday afternoon (see step #3), I have never been happier or more productive! (And I mean that in the least cheesy-spammy-testimonial way possible).
So what should you automate? The general rule of thumb is to automate anything that you have to do over & over again in your business, in generally the same way.
Me? I automate with canned responses on Gmail, Wave for accounting (it pulls in all my bank & PayPal information – gold!), and use PayPal & Mailchimp together to send out intake forms to my peeps after purchase.
One of my fave sites for automation is IFTTT. The site includes “recipes” that you can set up to ensure something always happens when something else happens – the IFFT stands for if this, then that.
For example, I have a recipe set up so that whenever someone emails me an attachment, it’s automatically saved to my Dropbox account. I never have to download anything – and those free e-books (aka ethical bribes) don’t clutter my sleek lil’ Macbook Pro.
5. Rock Out!
Spotify is the shit, hands down – and it may be my fave time hack on the list. I don’t know about you ladies, but I simply can not work if I don’t have some delicious jams on in the background.
Fact: Music makes you more productive – so I know I can’t be alone.
Now, there’s definitely a fine line & you can’t listen to just anything. If you tend to get too swept up in the lyrics or bust into spontaneous dance parties (that actually hinder your productivity instead of help it – there are definitely some dance parties that are absolutely necessary), you can also try a little online app called Coffitivity. It provides just the right amount of background noise to boost your productivity, but not enough to distracts you. Don’t ask me how they do it, but dang, science. It’s a beautiful thing, ya’ll.
Coffivity is especially rad for entrepreneurs like me who don’t always make it to the local coffee shop (oops?), but love the buzz & hum of people ’cause it makes us feel more human. 🙂
BONUS HACK!
RescueTime is an app you install on your computer (and in my case, usually forget about) that tracks how you spend all your time and shoots you a digest at the end of the week with a breakdown. It’s been super eye-opening – if a little scary – to see how much time I actually spend doing certain things online (ahem, 4 hours a week on Facebook is totally acceptable, right?). If you’re into it, you can even set various goals to try to keep yourself in check. Now that’s hot.
YOUR TURN! //
What are some of YOUR fave ways to save time & get shit done? I’d love to learn more about the deliciously fun tools, processes & mind tricks you use to get stuff done. Spill in the comments, you savvy lady you!
by Erica | Dec 11, 2013 | Business Design, Copylicious, Inspiration, Mind, MoneyMoneyMoney, Organization, Promos, Spirit
Okay, lady. Let’s talk.
I’ve been working really hard behind the scenes here, and I have an inkling you have, too. December for me is always a classic mixture of magic & mayhem, to say the least. Although I make it a priority to spend a gracious amount of time reflecting on the past year & projecting for the new one – I also sometimes fall prey to running-around-like-a-chicken-with-its-head-cut-off-itis.
It feels like my To Do list is never done, and my “To Buy” list keeps expanding. It can get overwhelming when you’re trying to manage both your business & personal lives with flair, amiright?
That said, I’ve put together a fun list of 10 ways you can treat yourself AND your business this holiday season, ’cause lord knows they both need a little bit o’ lovin.
[Disclaimer: A few (but not all) of these links are affiliate links. That said, I only recommend & become an affiliate of products & services I personally own & use & appreciate. I’d never suggest something to you I wasn’t 100% a fan of.]
Now, without further ado…
1. Organize the hell outta your space.
I don’t know about you, but clutter really throws me off. I think the week right before the new year is a vunderful time to get your (physical) shiz together. I love scoping out sites like Hobby Lobby, SeeJaneWork.com and SortingWithStyle.com. (I’m seriously obsessed with their “Work Hard & Be Nice to People” print!)
Personally, I plan to pick up this adorb Kate Spade journal set – one says “Live It” and one says “Love It.” I’m going to use one as my paper To-Do List & the other as my gratitude journal.
I’ve also been eye-balling “The Day Designer” which is dubbed “a yearly strategic planner and daily agenda for creative entrepreneurs, business women, and working mommas everywhere” for, like ever. I’m excited to commit to getting it this year & using it to plan all my new adventures in 2014. And for realsies, isn’t that black and gold just to die for?
2. Dig Deep.
Not only is the new year a great time to get your physical space together, it’s also a good time to get your head space together.
One of my favorite ways to uncover what I’m really thinking & feeling is to use something Tara Wagner at the Organic Sister created called the Digging Deep process. In a nutshell: It’s an ebook & collection of brilliant worksheets that force you to uncover & deal with your limiting beliefs, once & for all. It’s down right magical how much you can learn about yourself when you actually sit down & put pen to paper & ask yourself the hard questions.
You know how people say you won’t see results in your personal development unless you do the work? Tara’s system is a fabulous guide to get “the work” done.
3. Plot & plan.
I’ve always been really into end-of-year rituals. I love looking back on the year I just had & creating all sorts of delicious plans for the new one.
Sound like something you’re into, too? Then Leonie Dawson’s Amazing Life & Biz Planners are a must-have. (Yes, that is an affiliate link!) I’ve used them the last two years and THIS year, they’re available in a PRINT VERSION, which makes me super happy since I never seem to have enough printer ink around. (New Year’s Resolution? Go to fucking Office Max, ya lazy goober.) Really though, there’s nothing quite like writing your goals out in longhand, you know?
I also plan on picking up moneymaking expert Ellen Ercolini’s “Get A Grip!” bundle which features two wildly unique digital workshops: Reflect, Remix, Remaster (for a massive dose of reflection) & January Jumpstart (for plotting your best year yet). Ellen just recently had her first 5-figure month, so let’s just say girl knows what she’s talking about.
And I can’t forget about Amber McCue’s Fresh Start workbook which is chock full of practical worksheets that’ll help you jump into 2014 with a clear head. Did you know businesses that plan outperform the competition by 60%? Oh yeah, baby. Now that’s a treat!
4. Work ON your biz, not IN your biz.
Every entrepreneur knows how easy it is to get swept up in doing all the day-to-day managing of your business (including client work, as fabulous as it may be) so much so that you completely neglect your own biz. (In fact, I wrote a lot about that in a post right over this way: Are You Begin Codependent In Your Biz?)
Are you guilty of letting your own business collect dust? Well, you’re in luck. One of my fave business mentors Shenee Howard is running a short-but-sweet 5-day challenge called, “It’s ON!” which, of course, is all about working ON your biz, not IN it. You’ll receive an actionable step to take each day to shine up some aspect of your business – be it updating your autoresponders, deleting that service from your shop page or just updating your Twitter bio. Best part? It’s totally FREE. Make sure to sign up ASAP so you don’t miss any of the fun!
A few ways I’m workin’ ON my business this holiday season:
♥ 1. Collaborating with my web designer for a full re-design.
♥ 2. Re-writing all my site copy & upgrading my services like whoa
♥ 3. Outsourcing for the first time evah
How ’bout you, darling?
5. Make some extra cheddar.
I’ve been doing a lot of money work lately. And I don’t mean that I’ve been hustling my butt off (although I have), I mean I’ve been really exploring my mindset around money. I think every entrepreneur should consistently work on her money-making mojo, and what better time to start than right before a new year?
Tools of the trade? Kate Northrup’s Money: A Love Story and Denise Duffield-Thomas’ Get Rich, Lucky Bitch. Guys, I can’t tell you how powerful & transformative this work has been. Like, WHOA. I landed two new clients within hours of doing some forgiveness work around my past money memories. (This was an exercise I procrastinated on for weeks. Turns out if you feel mega resistance to something, the payoff on the other side will be that much sweeter.)
A few of my other fave tips & tricks for manifesting mucho dinero Kate Northrup suggests writing down 3 things you value about yourself everyday. Denise suggests tracking every piece of money that comes into your life to the cent (even the pennies you find in the street!). Both of these have made me appreciate myself – & my life – that much more.
If you need something a little more practical, funky & fun financial planner Leah Manderson is offering 50% off her Done-for-You Debt Savings Plan. (And yes, I just put ‘funky’ and ‘fun’ and ‘financial planner’ together in the same sentence!) You’ll get a personalized action plan, budget & all kinds of tools to manage your financial life in the new year. Can I get a ‘hell yes’ for responsible spending? (…No? Maybe?)
6. Love up your bod.
I know, I know. Everybody tells you one of the easiest ways to feel better about yourself is to go get a manicure & pedicure. But you know why? ‘Cause it works, yo!
If all the end-of-the-year hullabaloo has got you feeling a little rundown, do yourself a favor & step away from the computer & take some time out for YOU.
Whether your nails have run ragged, your roots are down to your shoulders or you haven’t hit the treadmill in weeks – I challenge you to do the one beauty treatment that you’ve been putting off because you don’t “need” it. I guarantee you’ll feel 100 times more confident with a sexy blowout, even if it is a little “unnecessary.”
If you’d rather stay in & decompress, I recommend grabbing a bottle of OPI polish, your fanciest (and tallest) champagne flute and your fave holiday-esque soundtrack and treating yourself to a DIY mani.
Another one of my ultra-fave ways to give my body a little lovin’ is my monthly subscription to YogaGlo.com. They have the most amazing & comprehensive collection of yoga workouts I have ever seen. You can literally search for anything – if you’ve got a sore neck, search for yoga routines proven to help. If you’re looking for something that’s fast-paced & guaranteed to make you sweat, there’s an option for that. Only got 15 minutes to spare but wanna sneak in some asanas? No problemo – just search for it! It’s genius, I tell you! (And all for less than $20 a month!)
7. Dress up your digital goods.
Now that you’ve got a perfectly blown out ‘do & pristine cuticles, why not extend the beautify-ing to your digital tools, too? I’m talking shopping for all new covers for your iPhone, iPad & laptop. I love searching Amazon and Etsy for “sequin iPhone covers.” I’ve uncovered quite a few gems – pun intended – that way.
Let’s be honest: You use your techno-shit a lot. Might as well make ’em fun to look at (and something you can feel proud of when you have to whip ’em out in public!)
8. Have a Brandgasm!
You & your tools all sexed up, but don’t forget about adding some glam to your business! Brandgasm 101 is a fabulous course for the DIY-type looking to pick up a few essential copywriting and design skills to refresh your online presence in 2014. Always wanted know how to design a delicious “Buy Now” button? How about a tasty Twitter background? Or maybe you’d just love to know how to craft a hot headline? Brandgasm’s got you covered.
BONUS: Brandgasm is currently having a holiday sale so it’s 50% off, yo . Grab that shizz while you can. (Yes that is an affiliate link which you are under no obligation to use, but I’d be super happy if you did!)
SECOND BONUS: Don’t forget to give yourself a real orgasm, too. *wink*
9. Give your message a makeover.
Another way to add some sex appeal to your business? I’m currently offering a FLASH SALE on my Mini Message Makeovers. What’s that, you ask? Essentially it’s a package designed to add a little styling to your syntax.
If your business message needs some (serious) definition, or your cocktail pitch is drier than the white wine you inevitably slurp down at all your networking events, a Mini Message Makeover could be just what your brand needs. Read more about it here & get it while it’s haute!
10. Upgrade one other area of your life.
This is another one of my favorite tips from Denise’s Get Rich, Lucky Bitch. Often we get overzealous & want to change everythingallatonce. The problem with that is that 1.) it puts a strain on us (either financially or mentally) and 2.) when you try to make multiple changes at a time, they’re less likely to stick.
So why not commit to focusing on ONE area of your life that you can upgrade incrementally, and go from there? For example, my boyfriend & I have decided to buy all new luxurious bedding – sheets, pillows & a new comforter/duvet – for the new year. It’s the only present we’re giving each other. But we’re doing it, damn it. (Because let’s face it – we spend a LOT of time in bed).
What or where in your life can you upgrade? Maybe you can buy a designer pair of jeans & throw out the old skinnies from college you can barely button anymore? Maybe you can buy the “deluxe’ manicure instead of “back to basics”?
Have fun with it, girl. You deserve it!
BONUS!
Are you thinking about rolling out a new service in 2014, but not sure what the hell to offer? I can help! I’m currently putting the final touches on a shiny new worksheet called Pop, Fizz, Clink!: Launch a Sparkly New Service in 2014 that’ll help you get clear on WHAT you should offer, WHO you should offer it to & WHAT language to use to get your dream clients vying to buy.
Want in? Enter your email in the box below to grab your FREE worksheet, plus the chance to have me personally review & tweak your copy. ‘Cause it’s the holidays, and I’m giving like that.
by Erica | Oct 14, 2013 | Business Design, MoneyMoneyMoney, Organization
Smoking in planes hasn’t been allowed since..I don’t know? Long before I can remember. But this bitch don’t care about breaking rules. And neither should you. (EXCEPT when it comes to smoking on planes. Sometimes people don’t do things cause doing them is just plain stupid. That said, I do not assume any liability if you choose to light up mid-flight.)
[Welcome to my brand new thing, Mind Candy Monday! Every week I’ll be spilling my unadulterated, uncensored thoughts on some aspect of business and life. It may get raw. It may get ugly. But no matter what, I promise it’ll always be damn interesting.]
On Deck This Week: Three Totally Unorthodox Pieces of Biz Advice from Yours Truly
Ready to roll? Leggo!
1. Give it all away, baby. FOR FREE.
This is not dating and you are not trying to woo the man of your dreams with your business (well, unless you are…but then we may have more pressing problems on our plate). You can give it away. In fact, you should give it away.
Giving people a taste of what your paid offerings will be like is a great way to show ’em what you can do. And do it in a way that’s low maintenance for everybody.
(Caveat: You can’t operate a business from the scarcity mindset that you’ll “never come up with more good stuff” if you give it away for free. Seriously. Stop it, lady! You know you’re smarter than that. Your brain is basically like a vat of idea stew. You will NEVER run out of ideas. EVER. Print that shit out and repeat it. Your new mantra!)
BUT. If you’re not comfortable dishing your “secrets” in e-books or blog posts or what have you, or afraid to “waste time” on the phone with potential clients who may turn out to be duds – then try this.
Offer your lowest products at a PAY WHAT YOU CAN rate. Because sometimes getting $5 feels better on both ends. (Seriously, there’s psychological research to back this up, yo.)
And now I’m going to totally contradict myself with this next little ditty…
2. Keep your prices low.
Most of my clients & prospects (that’s you!) are first-time business owners within their first year or so. Some of you haven’t even done the thing that you plan to be selling, like, ever.
I want you to know that that’s okay. And that just because so-and-so says you should charge premium prices (’cause you’re worth, it mm’kay?) doesn’t mean you have to do that IF IT DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT TO YOU.
Don’t get it twisted (I’ve always wanted to say that!): You have a right to make money from what you do.
You have a DIVINE RIGHT to be able to rock Jimmy Choos and sport a Marc Jacobs crossbody AND fly to Europe twice a month if you so please. (Yes. DIVINE right.)
But. While I totally believe your prices should exhilarate and maybe frighten you a teeny bit – they shouldn’t terrify you to the point where you can’t even get on the phone with a client dare they ask you to utter the number out loud. (Another pro tip? Unless it’s a product or course with a set price, ALWAYS tell them you’ll send a proposal AFTER the call with the numbers in it.)
Premium prices can come about organically, as you grow your influence & become more confident doin’ your thang.
So seriously. DON’T feel like you have to charge your monthly rent for one client. If you’re new or a little unsure of yourself, SET YOUR PRICES AT A PLACE that feels good TO YOU, and matches YOUR PERCEPTION OF YOUR SKILL LEVEL.
And if you work with a few clients & realize you’re totally undervaluing yourself? You can raise your prices, right there on the spot.
Ahh. The beauty of entrepreneurship.
So. I repeat: DO NOT FEEL PRESSURED TO CHARGE PREMIUM PRICES JUST ‘CAUSE “EVERYBODY’S DOING IT.”
Do it when it feels right for you. (Cue tune, “Listen to your heart”.)
In that same vein, a piece of follow-up advice: BETA test the shit out of your stuff – before you charge premium prices. Make sure there’s a market for your thing first. Invite a few select peeps to try it at a reduced rate. Troubleshoot with the lucky few throughout the process and then you can re-launch with (most) of the kinks worked out & attach that beautiful higher price tag.
3. Forget about your list. Or your blog.
…Or that one thing you truly, truly hate but everybody else swears is the “secret sauce” to a successful biz. (Also, I like secret sauces. Unless they’re coming from the elementary school cafeteria, or a bearded drunk old man at the bar.)
My business pal, all-around brainy babe & money making expert Ellen Ercolini suggested this to me awhile back when I was stressing over what to publish on this here blog (obvs, I’m kind of gotten over this. As she told me I would when I gained more clarity.) She actually just wrote about this recently over on her little blog right this way.
Turns out the permission to let that go was exactly what I needed to actually get all amped up about blogging again. Whodathunk?
If there’s something in your business that really does not jive well with your personality (i.e. you HATE having client calls and you’re somebody who works mostly with the written word, like me) – this is your official permission to just drop it. Fuhgheddaboutit! Seriously. Take it off your plate. Table it. Maybe you can come back to it later. But if it’s really mucking up your groove or just feels shitty everytime you try to do it – don’t.
This can apply to virtually anything in business. Hate sending out newsletters? Don’t do it. Amp up your time on social media instead. Stressing about WTF to blog about? DON’T. BLOG. No, really. Don’t. (Or, alternatively, try blogging in a different medium. Who says you can’t be a writer who primarily vlogs? My fingers hurt after a long day writing for clients anyway!)
Somebody out there will always, always disagree with your choices to “chuck” the annoying thing from your life. There will always be some guru or coach or otherwise super-smarty-pants person who swears that you’ll totally fuck up your biz if you don’t do this, that or the other thing.
Newsflash: They’re lying.
There is NO one-size-fits-all model for business. (And honestly, why is there one-size-fits-all for anything? Who decided it was okay to create one size of something and say, “Yep, that’s it!” Somebody damn lazy, that’s who.)
So don’t stress it if you hate the thing all the cool kids are doing. It’s fun to be cool. And it can be lucrative to be cool.
But it is not necessary to be cool.
Your Turn! // Is there any traditional business advice you don’t (or wish you didn’t) follow? Tell us about it in the comments, cute stuff!
copywriter for lady rebelles, trendy tastemakers + spiritual sellers.
