NETWORKING WAHM

Archive for the ‘Time Management’ Category

We ALL have time management issues today. How do we improve our time management to create more time to network? How does improving our time management lead to networking opportunities more often? Implementing time management skills will ease up your with time to attend more meetings to meet more contacts.

By attending more meetings means more contacts in your network. Professional contacts are people who know and trust you! They are your best references and the “word of mouth” is still the most trusted from of advertising. Your contacts are your referral partners. A referral partner is simply a professional contact who will vouch for you. We all know of people who are great at what they do in our network often in conversations someone will say “I need to work on find someone who’s knows how to___”. We’ll say in reply ”I know of a guy who does___ ” Now how many times have we heard that phrase? Often by having a large referral base it will lead to more clients. Then end result is more income to your business! 

Part of time management is outsourcing when needed. As you grow with your business, you’ll learn we’re really better off hiring out some tasks…granted it’s hard to hand over control. We totally understand, it’s a necessary step to get to where you want to be in the end! For growth and expansion, even to look more polished and professional it’s necessity in some aspects of business.

It’s in the nature in our culture today, time management and networking are harder. It’s harder to find time for networking with so many devices to manage we’re all overwhelmed. With loads of social media sites to stay actively engaged on. Then we have loads of activities to attend for business/career and our family time to manage too.. we’re BUSY! Busier than we have ever been. How on earth can we find the time to network to build our contacts for our business or career growth?

We’re bombarded with emails and direct messages from everywhere today. From everyone from professional contacts to others who’d just like to get to know us a bit more. With all the job seekers out there reaching out, you may come across those messages also. You’ll have those who’d like to work for you reaching out. Many job seekers have taken to writing emails for leads.

All the messages are really overwhelming and hard to keep up with. Also, spammers are still able to make there way through the spam filters with very ingenious ways. They’re great at tricking the system. So how do you personally manage all of the messages and weed out the ones which are the most important? *TIP* - Personally I use lists everyday in my email accounts and in social media.

Suggestions to help :

1) Use folders in within your email!  Make folders and move your emails around. To utilize NEW folders it’s a step to stay organized. Prioritize how soon you need to reply to keep you organized ”High Priority”, “Reply A.S.A.P.”, “Answer Soon” “When I have time” for example are great folder titles.

2) Consider outsourcing for your email or other tasks! Outsourcing has grown tremendously over the last few years. Outsourcing is taking off! Outsourcing has grown, because our needs have changed and the way we do business has changed! The need for all of us is really to be out front and “the face” of your business! To become very diversified with our marketing campaigns! We all need to do it all! To be out front rather than on the backend of our businesses or careers. This is really why outsourcing has grown.

3) Consider hiring a Virtual Assistant! The VA community of professionals is a fantastic resource for anyone who would prefer to be networking over replying. There are many stay at home mothers who are former corporate women who today are top notch Virtual Assistants.

4) Prioritize importance of actions! Do what needs to be done now? Have a what I call a ”Priority Hit List” The 5 top priorities of the day are_____, ____,____,_____, and _____    All the rest for messages and actions can wait until later.

5) Delegate to others! As a business owner the hardest part is really finding people with strong work ethics to accomplish your mission! Who are those people you’d impeccably trust? Those who’d do a quality job at the tasks assigned? Those are the people you “MUST” have as employees. It’a not an option in hiring! To go the top, top people are must haves! If you’d like your company to go grow must start with quality people. Put enormous time into finding the right team of people! The return on investment is HUGE!

6) Consider hiring social media management or a consultant. Social media consultants are the way to go for better understanding how to effectively target your audience. Think of a target when it comes to social media marketing. Excellent marketing people understand how to find the center of the target, your prime clients you’ve been working so hard to locate yourself. I believe in working smarter not harder. I own a company which does exactly this! My NEW company Divas Social! You name it we do it when it come to social media! http://divassocial.com  On Twitter – http://twitter.com/divassm and  http://twitter.com/divassocial  On Facebook -  https://www.facebook.com/DivasSocialMedia 

7) Training your family for tasks you have been doing yourself. Aren’t we mothers all guiltly of doing too much ourselves? Children are great at helping once they feel rewarded for their actions. Laundry, Dishes, Cleaning, Emails etc. the list goes on. They’ll need these skills once they’re grown so why not start to mastering it now?

Break large projects into tasks. Always step and chunk your work into smaller pieces. It’s less overwhelming to look at smaller steps. It’s always easier with large projects to have phases or steps leading to a much bigger goal.

How many times have you read an article with this title, and said, “not my kids…never happen.”  Well this list is tried and true.  I have 5 kids, ages 15 to 3- and this really is how they help, come spring.

Sock Dusters: Got “singleton” socks that need a job?  Slip them onto a young child’s (3 to 5 year olds love this) hands and ask them to run their hands along the base boards in a room where you are working.  Your baseboards will be done in a jiffy- a spot I always forget about until someone asks about the unique white line running around base of the walls…

SwifferContest:  I have angst about these fluffy-yellow-dust-grapping-guys, because they are not very “green,” but they are so dang convenient.  I give the Swiffer Dusters to my older kids (8-10 year olds) and challenge them to get them dirty with dust in a specific area.  I admit I am probably contributing to a bit of rivalry in my house by promising a prize to the child with the dirtiest swiffer from their assigned room/ area, but it works!  A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do.

Junk Drawer Challenge: What child doesn’t love loose change?  Promise the loose change to the child who removes the contents, vacuums out the drawer, sharpens all the broken pencils, throws out all the dried magic markers and pens, and replaces all the small odds and ends to their respective spots.  I have started collecting the errant lego pieces and random barbie-doll shoes for a Christmas decoration project- so we just throw them into a clear jelly jar ( and it’s decorative!)

Sofa Cushion Challenge:  Following the junk drawer concept, we do the same with items in the cushions and under the couch.  The cleaner gets to keep the loose change as long as everything else gets vacuumed- floor and in and under the couches.  Oh, and the random socks found stuffed in the cushions have to be returned to the laundry room, in hopes of rendezvous with their mate …

Moldy Food Hunt:  I think every 9 year old boy has an obsession with dirt and funny smells.  The moldy food hunt is perfect for these guys.  Send them into the refrigerator.  Ask them to empty the refrigerator of all of its contents.  Open all containers and dump the smelly and moldy ones into the garbage disposal or compost bin, if you have one (assuming there is no rotting meat or dairy in the containers.)  I get my teenagers to hand wash the shelves and bins. I usually restock the refrigerator so I know where everything is.

Bug Hunt:  This is a favorite.  Since moving to Salt Lake City, we have discovered the joy of the box-elder bug.  In the winter and spring, they find their way into our light fixtures, get stuck and die.  My 12 year loves to suck them up with the vacuum.  We send him on a mission into a room and he goes to town.  For ceiling lights, my tall teenager climbs onto a step stool and pulls down the fixture, while the younger child vacuums. The taller areas do require advanced skill and some supervision from an older teenager  or adult, but younger kids can vacuum lowers areas, like the slider door tract, window sills, etc.

For those of you thinking, it’s just easier to do it myself, consider the benefits to your children by enlisting their help:

1. Building life skills. Cleaning is part of healthy living.  Engaging them in this effort, teaches them fundamental life skills.  How do you clean a refrigerator?  What are the steps in the process?
2. Building self-esteem.  “My parents believe in me to help do something for our family.” While they may not say this out loud, I always do to be sure they get my message…. Research has shown that having household jobs (hate the word chores- because it isn’t very appealing) increases a child’s sense of resiliency- think of Cinderella… okay maybe not that extreme! but my point is still the same.  Kids, living with expectations for their contribution to their community, are more likely to feel good about themselves and thus less likely to succumb to depression, drug and alcohol abuse.
3. Building a sense of social responsibility.  A family is a community.  Part of living in a community is contributing to it. It’s my mantra-response to my kids when they complain about doing household jobs.

I hope these ideas are helpful.  Please comment here on the site, and let us know your tricks for getting your spring cleaning done.  Let’s share our wisdom!

Post courtesy of our friends at http://www.powermomsunite.com/ 

15 TIPS TO GET YOUR TIME BACK -

We are all guilty aren’t we? Ever have a full day go by and you have no idea even what time it is? Have you been online for hours already today? You have no idea even where your day has gone? Your day it’s almost over. It’s so easy to do. Many of us work online as careers. Most of your day or all day is spent typing away. If your a writer, if you write a blog, if you have a website or do something similar; much of your day is spend looking at computer all day.

How do we get our lives back from spending all day on the computer?

1) Take breaks –  for meals, bathroom breaks, phone calls and errands. Many of us don’t get up enough and move around.

2) Schedule your online time, like you do with the rest of your life. Block it off on your calendar as you would any other activity. So you clearly can see how much time you spend online. You can schedule your real life around your computer time.

3) Pick up the paper and pen again. Take a break sometimes and brain storm on paper first. You would be surprised how many new ideas will flow on paper. Sometimes you can build off of the ideas when they’re all there in an outline or  a bubble map.

4) Prioritize what has to be done first. So everyday do you really need to check your hosting account or read every email. Probably not?!

5) Minimize your life how many email accounts do you really need?

6) Hire help hire or an intern, if you need it? Have someone else check your emails and lighten up the load on you.

7) Teach your children to help you with some of your responsibilities.

Use technology find the best cellphone style for you and use it wisely.

9) Multitask, you can read your emails at your child’s soccer game.  

10)  Think about what your prioritizes are for the day, before getting online. Set short term goals with your time.

11)  Set a timer, so you don’t get carried away. Some may really need reminders to stop and move onto something else.

12) Rethink which Social Sites are working for you, which ones you can skip. Your goals for why your online should help your to decide which ones are best for you. Really think on how does it benefit you by taking the time out of your day to be on it?

13) The four letter word “SPAM” This is by far my worst nightmare. I have some tips for this LARGER than life problem. Delete often, sort if by sender and mass delete and don’t make it a priority in your life. This would be a perfect job for your new intern. Don’t you think!

14) Take a vacation sometimes from being online. Tell your friends your taking a break and give them a time frame as to when you’ll be back.

15) Put your spouse to work. Have them help you with the family emails, computer banking, etc.

Do you feel your time is out of hand?

We all have our struggles, this is one of mine. Frustrating to say the least! Supermom want to be, oh my goodness! We try to be perfect at all we do and accomplishing a lot, but in the end the key is PRIORITIZING NONSTOP! All comes down to constant choices all day long! Always thinking which choice, will make a bigger impact on your family,  is what it boils down to.

We all know it the basics. In today’s world it’s hard to manage your time,with social media, emails, spam, phone messages, children’s after school activities, cooking, shopping, etc. Keeping and prioritizing both your short term and long term goals is what I have found  really works. Now I’m color coding with highlighters on one legal pad. One color which has to be done A.S.A.P. and the other needs to be done, just not this minute. You could use your phone to do the same thing, but I love color!

The worst part of being a writer is my spam! My goodness - just take a look at your spam folders. If your a net person it’s totally overwhelming to say the least! I’m almost always asked by others,  what do you do about  all your SPAM? The best thing I have found is to delete it often. Many of the net moms like me, have had to hire personal assistants to handle it. The problem is the real emails and comments are mixed in with the spam. 

A mess after taking just a few days off.

Dear Spam Fairy please come help!

Are you a Multitasking Diva? Multitasking is the enemy to some moms and best friend to other moms. How do you feel about multitasking? Love it or hate it, as moms we all seem to end up doing it at some point, out of pure necessity.  We either hate to multitask or love it, don’t we? We all know multitasking divas, in our real lives. Either at your children’s school or in your  neighborhood,  we all have them in our communities. Are you a  multitasking diva yourself? One of the ladies, who just seems to get a total charge out of making dinner, driving the kids around, talking on your cell phone and all while whitening your teeth, all at the same time. Guilty of it, I swear it’s fun at times to do many things all at once. Often in my home, at times every appliance is on - all at once, to the point the power company must take notice.  Most of the time it’s fun and I don’t mind doing it.

I do think some of the enjoyment is taken out of our lives by multitasking all the time. The quality of what we do must suffer some. I will think of how if I really focused on just less things, the quality of the dinner would be much better. In example, would dinner be less thrown together and more well thought out? I’d have to say, there is something to be said in doing less some of the time, if not just for our own peace of mind and relaxation.

I think back to my own childhood. Would my mom ever attempt to do all the things we do in today’s world, while being a mom? I think not. She would be more concerned with doing less and doing them well, with all of her energy focused fewer things. Could I ever picture my mom acting like me? Driving, while on her cell phone, while putting her makeup on her way to work. No! We are definitely not our mother’s daughters. More is expected from us as mothers, wives and daughters, than our mothers generation. We are not as laid back in our lives as they were. I think they raised us to be this way. Something majorly has changed over the generations in the way we approach our own time and tasks.

How to overcome the chaos of our mornings? Is your morning run around ruining your household?  We all love mornings don’t we! I think mornings are high blood pressure makers.

Getting everyone out and out of the house isn’t easy. Nothing could of prepared you for being a mother and dealing with the morning nonsense. Most days, the morning are not easy, but some days it’s just ridiculous. How do we overcome the nonsense, which takes place  some mornings? The kids have activites, their up late the night before, they wake up late, the homework is not finished, and then they  can’t find their socks. Now your off to a bad start and a rough day. Life is so very different from having time to relax in the morning, before children. Oh, I miss those days. Now, there is hardly anytime for you to get ready, before you need to be out the door.

10 Tips to make mornings smoother:

1. Go to sleep earlier, there is nothing that needs to be done at 11:30 PM or 12:00, which can’t be done at 6 AM.

2. Pack the backpacks the night before, with snacks and homework.

3. Sign all the permission slips the night before.

4. Ask the kids if they need anything for tomorrow morning, “How much lunch money is in you accounts kids?”

5. Pick out and layout everyones clothes the night before.

6. Hang needed items by the door for easy access. Umbrellas, coats and  sweatshirts.

7. Set up baskets by the door to catch/contain items which you use regularly. Items which really don’t want coming into the house, because once in, they get misplaced.  I love it when you hear “I can’t find my other shin guard, Mom?”

8. Buy a coffee maker which you can program ahead, so in the morning there’s one less step.

9. Shower at night so you can get up and  going.

10. When winter comes give each child their own basket for hats, mittens and scrafs. Clothes pin each childs items together, if you need to.

As a very busy working mom, I really struggle with cleaning my home. To keep it up, the way I want it to look, to my standards, it’s hard.  I admit it,  I’m not perfect in this area, but something had to go.  I had to let go of something to gain in other areas, like earning money, which is very important.  I can focus on many things all at once, I can accomplish a lot in a day. The time needed to do a fantastic job on my home, it’s just takes too much time.

Those of you who really know me, know I’m in and out of the car all day long. I am always flying somewhere to drop off  my children, picking up my children, going out to after school to activities or games with my wonderful children.  Only around my childrens’ schedules,  I try to conduct the rest of my life. All my other passions in life, come after my children, I am a real mom. My priorities are very clear.

I was told a long time ago, by my mom’s best friend, the mother of five children – “If  something had to go,  let it be the house”  I really don’t want to give up, is there hope? I have been trying to implement the FlyLady system and advice in my life. It may help you as well.

http://flylady.net

So don’t give up, there is hope out there.

Tips to make your life easier and manage your time.

1.  Crock Pots are not just for your mom! You can have dinner ready after getting home from the office. You can  eat before or after,  the after  school activities or games!

2.  Black pants and shoes are a must have for busy mornings. When you don’t have time to think about what to wear, it’s a good option. Just throw on a top, your good to go.

3.  Coordinate the colors in your closet, for easy mixing and matching in the morning.

4. Get organized by having a  calendar with everything in one place (use a highlighter for organization and reading speed)

5.  Use baskets at the door to catch items. Items  coming in like backpacks, sports equipment,  and shoes  should each have their own home.  The benefit is the  morning rush will be less chaotic.

6.  When looking for new appliances,  look for timers. So you can get work done when your not there.

7.  Check into a freeze ahead meal class or find cookbook on the topic.

8.  Try to store items close to where you use them. You will use less of your time walking to replace them.

9. Use your cellphone more effectively. Store numbers for just about everything. Store everyone from doctors to neighbors. Add in the  restaurants you frequent too.

10. Make a list of which restaurants have kids eat free nights.  Write down which the night of the week it is, at each. It may be less expensive than cooking for the nights your not in the mood for a big meal.
Don’t sweat the small stuff!

One of the hardest parts of trying to do it all is ….time management. Trying to juggle multiple things at once and the amount of time needed to complete it all is demanding at best some days.  Multitasking is key in trying to do it all. So I have decided to start including time management tools to my posts. We all seem to have less and less time these days. We are all adding in more and more activities and responsibilities to our lives with the same amount of time to accomplish it all in.

We all struggle with the conflict of time with family activities, verse work and one always wins out over the other.