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Lorraine Pirihi Articles
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The Stupid Mistakes Disorganised Business Owners Make - Click To Read Article Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are definitely not your forte when you can delegate or invest your money on a product or service which will free up your time? You can then focus on the more important areas in your business and your life. How To Clean Out The Clutter - Click To Read Article This time of year, it's important to clear out the clutter and start the year with a fresh approach. I completely detoxed my own office over the break and couldn't believe how much stuff I had accumulated that I didn't need. I do my regular mini-clean-ups weekly and the major ones around 4 times a year. How to Avoid Having a Life - Click To Read Article Many people subconsciously sabotage their efforts in having a life because they try and doing everything themselves. Why waste your precious time working on tasks, which are definitely not your forte when you can delegate or invest your money on a product or service which will free up your time? You can then focus on the more important areas in your work and your life. 11 Ways to Simplify Your Life and be One Less Body in the Graveyard - Click To Read Article THE FINAL WORD Consistently take action on these tips each day and you will be happier, healthier and wealthier. How You Can Focus and Achieve What You Really Want - Click To Read Article With Spring nearly here, it's a great time to reflect how far you've progressed so far this year. What goals or milestones have you achieved for yourself? What seeds have you sown that are now ready for you to reap the benefits? Are you forging ahead in your business and your life and taking time to enjoy the fruits of your labour? Or are you still stuck in a rut? Stop Procrastination and Take Action - Click To Read Article Mary was a 'gunna'. She was 'gunna' do this and 'gunna' do that. Unfortunately all she can and still does do is talk about it. She won't make a decision. Money wasn't the issue, after all she had invested thousands of dollars attending an American guru's week long "life changing" bootcamp. She thought that would be her "magic lifechanging pill". Unfortunately Mary did not action what she had learned. She got caught up in her chaotic life immediately on her return. How to Create Simple Systems To Save You Time and Make You More Money - Click To Read Article Time flies by very quickly. The oldest member of our family, (my husband) turned 53 last week and the youngest member, 'Casper' is nearly a year old! This reminded me of the experience we had at the local vet when we first brought Casper home. If the owner of that practice only realised that by making simple changes she could have increased her profits by at least 10% - 20% without working any harder. This week's article will show how you can too! Being Organised Wins You More Business - Click To Read Article My daughter is relocating to take up a job in London at the end of year which has proved to be a more traumatic experience for me, rather than her. ..... If you're a parent you'll know how it feels when one of your children leaves home. Of course it will be a great adventure for her, but for me and her father it's a bit scary. Living in another city is one thing, but relocating to another country... well that's even harder for her parents. ..... Anyhow, I won't ponder on this too long, but it's been an interesting experience. As Tia has to relocate herself with no help from her employer, it can be difficult if you don't know anyone there. So being a good networker and an organised person I've done 2 things. How to Seize Control of Your Finances - Click To Read Article I'm always amazed that so many people spend most of their life at work and totally neglect their personal affairs. Many business people I coach want to get their professional lives in order, and often admit that their personal affairs are in chaos. Get Organised Before Your Kids Grow Up - Click To Read Article For those of you who have managed to maintain a good balance in your life, congratulations. No doubt you are happier, healthier and more fulfilled. For the rest of you who are unhappy, unhealthy and unfulfilled, then you need to take action if you are serious about wanting to make changes. Do it, because nothing changes if nothing changes! The Wrap Up Of 2007 - Click To Read Article So here is my final newsletter for the year... time for a quick reflection on the past, and looking forward to the future. Business has been very rewarding this year, financially and emotionally. I've experienced some major highs and lows this year personally. And no matter how much I achieve, nothing is more important than my family and my health. 10 Habits of Highly Unsuccessful Business Owners and Managers - Click To Read Article Do you spend every waking minute at work? Do you find it difficult to take time out for you? Are you constantly working in a mess? Success Tips for Small Business Owners - Click To Read Article Running a small business requires many skills. However, to do this successfully you need to organize yourself first. Avoid procrastination - read the following and take action. How to Easily Accelerate Your Profits - Click To Read Article I’m always amazed at how disorganised most businesses are. The huge amount of opportunities that fall by the wayside due to poor management. Let me tell you what happened to me recently. Look After Your PA Or Suffer The Consequences - Click To Read Article Many managers and business owners will often say their personal/admin. assistant is invaluable to them yet they often treat them as if they're not. Theres Profit in Being Organised - Click To Read Article The important thing about clearing the mess from your life is that it helps you to prioritise and then immediately put your hands on the files and reference works that can help you to get the job done fast and effectively. Do Not Bring Me Problems Bring Me Solutions - Click To Read Article If you’re constantly in the habit of being interrupted by others and solving their problems, the next time it happens, ask that person to provide a couple of solutions before you jump in with one. How To Beat Work Addiction - Click To Read Article Why are you so busy? Do you really have too much work? Is work so important to you that you'll sacrifice just about anything in your life to get the job done? Even if it's at the expense of your health and your relationships? How to Stay Positive in a Negative World - Click To Read Article Have you noticed how you feel when you're around positive people? You feel uplifted, refreshed and energised. You learn that life is what you make it and that you make your own 'luck'. Consequently the opposite is true when you're unfortunate to be with negative people. They drain your energy, are usually unhappy and seem to attract sickness and misfortune in their lives. How to Enjoy Your Work and Your Life - Click To Read Article Imagine what your life would be like if you had the flexibility to work when you wanted to, rather than being stuck in a 9-5 business environment. How would it feel to get out of the rat race and have more time to enjoy more free time? Are You Too Busy to Make More Money? - Click To Read Article My husband's car has had a few mechanical problems this year. It's a few years old and is at that stage where little things need replacing. In fact we found it's got to the point where he needs to buy a new one... How to Increase Your Team's Performance and Profitability Through Effective Meetings - Click To Read Article Recently I facilitated a strategic planning day with one of my clients. During the course of the day we reviewed the progress they had made since the last major planning day we had the year before. As we were reflecting on their achievements before planning the future, one of the partners made the comment on how crucial their weekly team meetings were. The Price You Can Pay For Being a Workaholic - Click To Read Article A few months ago one of my clients felt a tingling in his finger. Being a workaholic he didn't have time to pay too much attention to it. After all he had meetings booked all day and they were more important than a tingle in his finger. He was about to leave home, then collapsed. Luckily for him, there was another person in the house and they called the ambulance. How You Can Have a Profitable Business Without Dying in the Process - Click To Read Article Did you know that 60-90% of all doctor visits are for stress-related illnesses? Stress is costly in terms of our health, relationships and performance. When you're affected by too much stress your body wears down and you get sick. I find that highly disorganised people seem to be more susceptible to sickness as they are always under extreme pressure, running from one disaster to another. 10 Costly Mistakes To Avoid In Running Your Own Business - Click To Read Article Are you a small business owner who is involved in every aspect of your business from being the bookkeeper, marketer, human resources manager, mediator, customer liaison officer and cleaner? What You Resist Will Persist - Click To Read Article So what are you resisting that keeps persisting? Do you think it's worth disciplining yourself to fill in a time sheet for 2 weeks and then analysing the results? Maybe you too are wasting 2 hours a day and hundreds or even thousands of dollars in income each week. Clutter Creates Chaos - Click To Read Article You see whether you like it or not, people will judge you on your clutter. A friend of mine used to have a business with 5 salespeople on the road so their car was their office. Every week he would check their cars to see how tidy they were. 99% of the time he would find that there was a direct link to the tidiness of their cars to the amount of sales they made. If the car was a mess he knew their sales would be down. Boost Your Business... Pay Attention to the Phone - Click To Read Article This week I was doing some research for a conference I 'll be speaking at shortly. One of the people I rang from the industry I was researching answered the phone with "How can we help you change your life today?". Well that blew me away. How often do you ring a business and are greeted with a fantastic message like that? I knew then that this business was different. I immediately thought that if this is the way the phone was answered, then what they offered would be superior to other businesses who offered similar services and products. If the salon was located nearby I definitely would have booked in. It wouldn't take much convincing for me to spend money with them. Being Late Can Lose You Business - Click To Read Article What can you do differently to ensure you're on time for all your appointments? Being late sends out many messages... you're disorganised, sloppy and unprofessional. When you can count on someone who is consistently on time the opposite message is conveyed. Just by being punctual makes you stand out from the crowd. How to Get Your Rear Into Gear at the End of the Financial Year - Click To Read Article As the end of another financial year comes to a close, I thought it would be ideal to focus this newsletter on your personal affairs. I'm always amazed that so many people spend most of their life at work and totally neglect their personal affairs. Many of my clients want to get their business organised yet often admit that their personal affairs are in chaos. How to Easily Save 2 Hours a Day - Click To Read Article Do you find it frustrating knowing that there must be a better way to manage your time, yet you can't seem to pinpoint exactly what you need to do? Well here's a simple secret that could easily save you a couple of hours a day. I've been coaching Greg for only a couple of months and in that time he has made big changes in his business and his life by actioning what he has learned. How To Get More Done By Sleeping - Click To Read Article ..... Having enough quality sleep is vital if you want to stay alert and be more productive. ..... How often do you avoid the warning signs of fatigue and force yourself to carry on working yet not achieve much at all? 7 Keys to Successfully Work From Home - Click To Read Article Increasing workloads are forcing people to spend more time in the office, even when the office is at home. This means that many parents are unable to stay involved in their children's lives as they develop, and are becoming mere spectators instead of loving role models. The result is an undermining of their relationships, higher stress levels, a lack of balance and a generally unfulfilled life. Overcoming People Problems In Your Business - Click To Read Article I recently met up with a friend of mine who was telling me how little time he had working on his business due to the people problems he was constantly experiencing. ..... He always complains to me that if he could run his business on his own, he would. Unfortunately this is not a reality so he constantly wastes at least 50% of his working week trying to overcome staff issues. The Power of Productive Team Meetings - Click To Read Article Recently I facilitated a strategic planning day for a small accounting practice. During the course of the day we reviewed the progress they had made since the last major planning day we had the year before. As we were reflecting on their achievements before planning the future, one of the partners made the comment on how crucial their weekly team meetings were. How to Avoid Your Personal Life By Keeping Busy - Click To Read Article Do you spend most of your week working and wish you could have more time off? It may well be that you deliberately keep yourself busy to avoid having time for yourself... and do you know why? In most instances you either don't know what to do with that time or you're avoiding your personal issues. Check out the featured article this week...it may stir up some hidden truths. Investing Time With Your Staff Pays Off Big Time - Click To Read Article I recently met up with a friend of mine who was telling me how little time he had working on his business due to the people problems he was constantly experiencing. He always complains to me that if he could run his business on his own, he would. Unfortunately this is not a reality so he constantly wastes at least 50% of his working week trying to overcome staff issues. The problem with Gary is that he's a 'know it all'. He likes to do things his own way and believes that having been in business for 15 years, he knows all about recruitment and keeping people who will be valuable assets and contribute to his bottom-line. Can You Afford To Be Too Busy? - Click To Read Article Wouldn't it be great that every time someone sends you an invoice for their services/products you pay for it immediately? The cash is always sitting in your bank account and no matter what bills you receive you can always pay on time. The theory is if you're good at 'budgetting', you should be able to handle your 'cashflow'. So that leads me to this week's story. I had an outstanding payment for a supplier which was overdue. The only reason I hadn't paid it was the fact that I had a couple of queries about the work that had been done. Knowing that the business owner was disorganized in the way he ran his business, I wanted to check that everything on that invoice was correct. It wouldn't have surprised me if he had overcharged for work already paid for. 7 Ways To Have A Productive Day - Click To Read Article Why is it in life that when something is working, you stop doing it? Jack has a well-established electronics business which he started 10 years ago. Over this time the business has grown and he now has a team of 7 people. When Jack initially contacted me, he was at a point he felt like walking away from his business. He was working in the business at least 10 hours a day and it was consuming his life. There was no time left for him to do anything else (or so he thought). After clarifying what Jack really wanted to achieve both in the business and personally, the first task I had him undertake was to fill in the special time sheets I have devised. He did this for 2 weeks. We discovered that Jack was wasting at least two hours each day because of his lack of planning. How To Have A Highly Productive Team - Click To Read Article Before you start complaining that your team are causing you headaches and not performing the way you want, take a look at yourself first. Gary who runs a plumbing business has 5 staff. He was always complaining that they were lazy, didn't use their initiative and would take advantage of him. We had Gary fill in our 'Productivity and Leadership Profile'. This process allows each team member to anonymously answer questions about how they see Gary in many areas including his leadership abilities, communication, organisation, etc. The process also allows Gary to answer the same questions on how he sees himself. Investing In Yourself Pays Off - Click To Read Article I had a new client who had been putting off investing in herself. She has spent thousands of dollars on her website, business cards and general 'stuff'. 'Mary' has a service business and did what many people in her industry do to 'get' business and end up burnt out and not very profitable. Within the first hour in our planning session, she realised she had been spending 80% of her time on 20% of her clients, who gave her 20% of her business. In other words she spent most of her time focussing on the least profitable clients. How to Increase Your Productivity and Profit From Your Image - Click To Read Article I attended a business women's event last week and was amazed at how many of the attendees presented themselves. This was a business event and the way in which many of them dressed you would have thought they were going to a local football game! I met a 'coach' who raved about how successful she was and what she does for her clients. This person was at least 10kgs overweight, her chest was exposed and her clothes were very inappropriate for a business environment. If you were looking for a coach, would you consider investing in her services? She obviously had her own issues to deal with. What she said didn't match how she looked. In contrast there was the mortgage broker who was dressed extremely well in a tailored suit, who obviously took pride in her appearance and looked confident and competent. Your Image Can Affect Your Success - Click To Read Article Recently one of my clients was looking to hire a financial controller for her business. Out of all the people who applied, the most suitable person was John. How to Keep Your Promises and Your Reputation - Click To Read Article How many people promise to get back to you with that quote, order, report or anything else for that matter and actually do it? How To Turn Your Team Into High Performers - Click To Read Article One of the biggest challenges many of my clients face is having the right people. How to Make More Time For Your Life - Click To Read Article Many people often float through life with no particular purpose. They'll make the excuse "I haven't got time". It's easy to say "I haven't got time" or "I'm too busy" to avoid having to change and stretch themselves. However, what is the alternative? Continually do the same thing and getting the same results or making changes and getting different results? How To Run StressFree Events - Click To Read Article Organising and attending events where you'll meet new people and expand your mind is crucial to stay ahead in both your personal and business life. The world is constantly changing and you need to change with it. Fresh input gives you a different perspective. It's very easy to stay in your comfort zone. However when you expand your mind, you learn more and can earn more. When you apply what you learn, you'll enrich your own life and can help others to do the same. Increase Your Profits by Training Your People - Click To Read Article What impression do outsiders get when they call your business? Are You Wasting Your Own Time? - Click To Read Article How often do you let your time get chewed up by others? Now you don't consciously set out to let people waste your time, however without realising it you are probably allowing it to happen. How to Overcome the Pressures of Running Your Own Business - Click To Read Article Whoever thinks that running your own business is a breeze, obviously has never had one. There are so many areas you need to get right otherwise your business could end up disintegrating along with everything else in your life. How To Spend More Time With Your Family - Click To Read Article A coaching call with a new client prompted me to write this week's article. Mary admitted with great sadness that it was her family that suffered the most from her being so consumed by her business. When you make your family a priority, you will find the time to spend with them. I hope this week's article will move you to get a grip on your priorities and take action. Self Management is the Secret to Your Success - Click To Read Article It's been a year since my 15 year old son Trent, completed his first triathalon. What was rewarding was the journey he went on to achieve this milestone. (Hang in there with me as this story has great relevance to you and your challenges in your business and your life). You see if you had told me a couple of years ago that he would do this, I wouldn't have believed you. Back then he was 22 kgs heavier. When he entered the triathalon he looked like a completely different person. Skyrocket Your Success - Work Harder On Yourself Than Anything Else - Click To Read Article This week I received an article by a very successful entrepreneur Alexandria Brown. Here's what she says: Over the past several years I've immersed myself in learning. Because my business is marketing, I have mostly attended and spoken at marketing seminars. But I also make plenty of time to read books, attend seminars, and listen to audio programs on personal development as well. Why? You should actually work harder on yourself than you do on your business (or job). I first learned that from Jim Rohn, whom some call the father of personal development. Some call him America's foremost business philosopher. I just call him brilliant. (Jim was one of Tony Robbins' first mentors, too.) Who's Running Your Business? - Click To Read Article Recently I took my son Trent to purchase more school uniform items. He's a growing (very fast) 13 year old, and it was time for more clothing. When the school pants no longer drag on the ground and the hem barely reaches his ankles you know it is time... Seminar Success Strategies - How to Profit From Your Investment - Click To Read Article I've recently returned from a 3 day seminar, full of renewed enthusiasm and information that, when actioned, will make a dramatic difference to all aspects of my business and my personal life. Great Business... Pity About the Boss - Click To Read Article Many small business owners and managers will often say their personal assistant is invaluable to them yet they often treat them as if they're not. The Wrap Up of 2006 - Click To Read Article So how do you feel about 2006? Were you more effective? Have you been spending time with your family? Are you fit and healthy? Has your business provided the income and lifestyle you wanted? Are you now enjoying life more? Have you made the time to invest in yourself both personally and professionally? Simple Systems Save You Time and Make You Money - Click To Read Article I had my list prepared and would have spent at least an additional 30 minutes asking all these questions on top of the general check-up. However they only charged me for the consultation. In fact, the vet could have saved himself 30 minutes if he had the answers typed up. And if he were 'marketing savvy', he could have produced a "Puppy Pack" which would include "Frequently Asked Questions About Your New Puppy" plus relevant products. He could have included the worming syrup, a couple of toys, toilet training pads etc. And guess what? I would have bought it and so would many other new puppy owners. Make Time For Your Life Before it's Too Late - Click To Read Article It’s amazing to see so many people who are prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of their business. I’m sure you know of someone like that. They get up at the crack of dawn, drag their weary bodies out of the house and head off for another rollercoaster ride at work. Ten or twelve hours later they head home totally exhausted with all their energy sapped from their body. Double Your Profits and Your Productivity With The Right People - Click To Read Article What is the no. 1 asset in your business beside yourself? It's your people. Then why is it they often fall to the bottom of the list when it comes to doing anything to help them improve their performance and look after them? If you want your business to run more effectively and/or make more money then you must invest time and energy into your no. 1 asset otherwise you will eventually lose them. How to Reduce Stress and Boost Productivity - Click To Read Article Stress is costly in terms of our health, relationships and performance. When you’re affected by too much stress your body wears down and you get sick. I find that highly disorganised people seem to be more susceptible to sickness as they are always under extreme pressure, running from one disaster to another. You Cannot Afford to Take Your Eye Off the Ball When Managing People - Click To Read Article Many business owners and managers will often say their personal assistant is invaluable to them yet they often treat them as if they're not. Day after day, week after week the P.A. is in the office, slogging away making sure the work gets done. In many instances it is the P.A. that holds the business together. That's scary isn't it? In my own experiences if it wasn't for the P.A., there would be no way I would do business with the company. Small Business Ideas Your Image Can Lose You Business - Click To Read Article What image do you and your people portray to your prospects and clients? Here's a situation that happened to me recently and hopefully you'll glean useful small business ideas that will make you money instead of costing you money. You Dont Have To Be Sick To Get Better - Click To Read Article I’m always amazed at how disorganised most businesses are. The huge amount of opportunities that fall by the wayside due to poor management. Let me tell you what happened to me recently... 7 Secrets to Getting the Perfect Employee - Click To Read Article Attracting and retaining a high performing team is one of the biggest challenges many business owners face. There are a variety of reasons for this and one of the key factors is that the owner doesn't realise that there's much more involved in the process than just placing an ad and asking a few questions. How to Get What You Really Want in 2007 - Click To Read Article .....So this leads me to talk about you. What do you really want this year? Would you like a repeat of last year or do you have other mountains to climb? Are you happy where you are right now or do you feel like you're drowning in life? You are the Secret to Your Success - Click To Read Article You are the Secret to Your Success, so do everything within your power to invest in yourself. How To Solve Your Problems With The Right Solutions - Click To Read Article Hope you enjoyed yourself over the break and are all renewed and revigorated to zoom ahead. Our family had a relaxing time at home. We didn't go away as my daughter relocated to London just after Christmas, so we were around to see her off. Guess where we'll be going on our next holiday? So it's back to business... Now's the time to clear out the clutter, write out your goals for the year, plan what you need to do and then take action. Protect Your Time, Don't Solve Everyone's Problems - Click To Read Article How much time do you spend solving everyone else's problems? At one of my workshops when we were looking at how to save time with unnecessary interruptions from other team members… one of the business owners said he tells his team ‘do not bring me problems, bring me solutions'. What he meant by this is whenever they come in to see him with a problem or face a challenging situation, they must also provide at least two solutions. Consistency Saves You Time and Makes You More Profitable - Click To Read Article Most business owners and entrepreneurs always complain "I don't have the time" or "I'm too busy''. Unfortunately they are chewing up their time with unproductive tasks and need to 'let go' of activities which fill their day and provide minimal results. By getting organised and planning your time wisely to incorporate important activities like staying in contact with your database consistently, you'll be more profitable without working any harder. Like this article? Share it with your friends
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