Lorraine Pirihi Articles

5 Ways to Get Your Business Organised For Christmas - Click To Read Article
If you’re unprepared and don’t get your act together early enough, you can find that you can lose golden opportunities to increase business because you’re so stressed out trying to keep up. You know what happens at this time of year? Everyone seems to want everything done by the third week in December.

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.

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...

Your Focus Determines Your Direction - Click To Read Article
What are you focussing on achieving in your business in the next 90 days? Do you have any idea? If you don't then you better come up with a goal or outcome otherwise you may find that another 3 months has passed you by and you're no further ahead than where you are right now. When you've got a clear focus, you can easily say 'no' to activities that distract you.

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.

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.

You Are The Problem - Click To Read Article
In business you can often think that with better marketing and more capable staff your business and your life will improve. However if you're disorganised and the internal business systems are the same (which is very common), then your ability to cope with additional work and find and retain good people will diminish greatly. Through my work with small business, I find the personal strengths and weaknesses of the owner directly impacts the business... for better or worse.

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...

Why Most Women In Business Struggle To Succeed - Click To Read Article
Alison Basson from Business Women Unite recently asked thousands of business women what their challenges were to succeeding. Most of the answers basically came back saying they didn't know what to do next to make their business succeed. When you look at what what the business model most women in business have ..the list of what they 'do' looks something like this: 1. General administration 2. Email 3. Website maintenance 4. Phone calls 5. Sales Strategy 6. Social Networking 7. Banner Advertising 8. Customer Services 9. Bookkeeping 10. Running errands plus much much more.

Why 75% of Women Struggle to Succeed in Business - Click To Read Article
When you look at the list of what women 'do' in their businesses it looks something like this.. 1. General administration 2. Email 3. Website maintenance 4. Phone calls 5. Marketing 6. Social Networking 7. Client work 8. Bookkeeping 9. Running errands plus much much more. Of course this 'to do' list is similar to what men 'do' in business, however the woman in business is also responsible for the personal side of life. Having children and partners plus take care of the household can consume your day without even going anywhere near their business! The biggest barrier to their success is they often try to 'do' everything themselves, which is impossible. While they are 'doing' the day-day basics, there's no time to work 'on' the business. There's no time to look after their no. 1 asset... themselves.

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.

What Do Small Business Owners Really Want - Click To Read Article
We had an overwhelming response to the survey we recently sent out to our database. They were asked for feedback on what their key challenges were and what they wanted to know about being more productive and profitable. Here's just a few comments we received: • How do I motivate staff? • How do I keep myself motivated (I can relate to this one) • What is the easiest way to delegate? • How do I stay focussed and not waste time on distractions? • How do I prioritise? • How do I overcome procrastination? • How do I handle time management so I can do the selling not the paperwork? • How do I keep my clients coming back? • Where do I start? • How do I make more money?

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.

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?

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.

The Stupid Mistakes Disorganised Business Owners Make - 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 your health, relationships and performance. When you're affected by too much stress your body wears down and you get sick. Highly disorganised people seem to be more susceptible to sickness as they are always under extreme pressure, running from one disaster to another. What many business owners fail to realise is they constantly repeat the same stupid mistakes by not addressing the fundamental issues that are the cause of their problems and guess what that is? Their own personal disorganisation.

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.

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.

The Fatal Mistake Most Entrepreneurs Make and How You Can Avoid Them - Click To Read Article
Lack of time is the most common complaint I hear from entrepreneurs and small business owners. So if that's the key challenge why is it so difficult for them to overcome it? Some time ago I used the services of a mortgage broker who in the first instance was very prompt and appeared very efficient. Although it took some time for the refinance to go through (that was caused by the bank and their legal people), all went smoothly.

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.

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.

Stop Listening to Disorganised People - Click To Read Article
Isn't it frustrating when you have everything planned out and then some disorganised person puts a spanner in the works and what should have been a simple process to complete turns into chaos?

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.

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.

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.)

Six Simple Ways to Boost Your Business and Enjoy More Family Time - 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. You need to be organised and disciplined, a good marketer, action-taker, a great communicator, understand finances, have systems, plenty of resilience and so much more. If any of these areas are lacking in your business then you're heading for trouble. Of course you can hire other people who have these skills and attributes so you can focus on what you're good at.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Look After Your Clients and They Will Look After You - Click To Read Article
Why are you in business? Hopefully you enjoy what you do, however is it because you want to make money so that you can have, be and do more in your life? Who pays you? Your clients do and never forget that. Unfortunately many business owners do. They take your money and then vanish off the face of the earth. And if you do hear from them you know they are only trying to sell something or business is not going well. The silly thing is, if you look after the hand that feeds you, they will look after you. Keep in regular contact with your clients, particularly the top 20% (both current and past) who have provided you with the most income. Still keep in touch with the others via newsletters etc. However the top 20% of very special clients need extra attention.

Learn Your Way to Success - Click To Read Article
What I've noticed about very successful business owners, they are always learning and growing. The majority do not achieve their high levels of success on their own. The coach I'm currently working with is in two high-end coaching programs that she invests thousands of dollars a year to belong to. Earning a million dollars a year and growing; something is definitely working for her. For your business to be better you need to be better and you don't get better by doing nothing! You are the average of the five PEOPLE you hang around the most. Surround yourself with people whom you want to be like.

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.

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.

Is Your Disorganisation Destroying Your Health, Your Business and Your Relationships? - 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 your health, relationships and performance.When you're affected by too much stress your body wears down and you get sick. Highly disorganized people seem to be more susceptible to sickness as they are always under extreme pressure, running from one disaster to another.

Increase Your Profits by Training Your People - Click To Read Article
What impression do outsiders get when they call your business?

Improve Yourself, Improve Your Business - Click To Read Article
For your business to be better, you need to be better, and you don’t get better by doing nothing! To do this you may have to get right out of your comfort zone and join a coaching program, go along to seminars where you meet other like-minded people or those playing at a higher level of business than you.

Improve Your Management Skills and Increase Your Profits - 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 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 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 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?

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.

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.

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.

How to Stop Your Overheads Killing Your Profits - Click To Read Article
Many business owners falsely believe that the more work they have, the more money they make. Because they are ‘busy’ and get more help to manage the workload they think they must be making more money which is not necessarily true.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

How To Organise Your Financial Future - Click To Read Article
Some time ago I spent a planning day with a new client to determine exactly what she wanted to achieve in her business over the next 12 months, where she is now and the exact steps she needed to take to reach her goals. On questioning Sophie about her income and expenditure, she told me 'my accountant handles that'. She had no idea what was happening with her finances, only that there seemed to be enough money when she needed it. This was not an empowering answer! Sophie's head was in the clouds or should I say buried in the sand. You cannot allow someone else to 'look after your financial affairs'. No one else is going to look after your money better than you do.

How to Let Business Slip Through Your Fingers - Click To Read Article
Last week I went to purchase some food at the local deli and asked the owner what the ingredients were in the ham he sold. He was very unhelpful as I took him away from preparing food to put into the display case. So I walked out and didn't spend my money with him and won't go back again.

How To Manage People Effectively - 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.

How to Outsource to Free Up Your Time and Increase Your Income - Click To Read Article
How many tasks do you take on in your business? Do you pride yourself on doing the bookkeeping, reacting to email, preparing your own proposals and presentations, attending networking events, making appointments, keeping on top of the paperwork, providing your service, packaging and delivering your products, running around doing all your errands, looking after children, taking the dog for a walk...and then fitting in time to take care of yourself? How about marketing and developing your business? Where does that fit in?

How To Reduce Your Cash Flow Problems and Get Paid On Time - Click To Read Article
How often do you hear business owners complain that their clients are 'slow payers?' Before working with me, one of my clients who has a pool building business, told me that they only asked for a 10% deposit at the start of the project and then invoiced the balance at the end of it. The process of building a pool takes weeks! In the meantime her company would have to cover wages, equipment and all other costs throughout this time. What often happened at the end, the clients were slow to pay causing them even more financial stress.

How to Have a 4 Day Work Week - Click To Read Article
Have you ever heard the saying 'work always expands to fill the time available? So what does that mean? It means that the longer you have to get something done, the longer you will take to do it.

How to Keep Going When You Feel Like Giving Up - Click To Read Article
Do you ever feel it’s just too hard being in your own business? You’re sick of dealing with people problems, worrying about paying the bills, hoping that new prospect will finally become a client, waking up in the middle of the night worried that the money you’ve invested in that special project may not work and you’ll be in more debt than ever? That nothing you do seems to be working?

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.

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?

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?

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?

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!

How to Declutter the Clutter - Click To Read Article
If you seriously want to have more time and a better quality of life, then you have to look at cleaning out all the clutter. Clutter costs you big time because... • You waste time searching for things. • Clutter occupies space. • You lose things. • Extra money is spent on stationery and office supplies which have already been bought. • Money is wasted on excess office furniture and storage to hoard the clutter. • Clutter makes you feel busy and causes unnecessary stress. You get distracted and have difficulty focusing. • Clutter affects your image. You look out of control. • You cannot prioritise or work efficiently when you can't see or find the tasks that need to be done.

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 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.

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.

How to Avoid The Fatal Mistakes That Home Based Business Owners Make - Click To Read Article
One of my clients runs his own successful accounting practice from home. With pre-school children and trying to grow his business, he and his wife used to get very frustrated with the fact that they could never remove themselves from the workplace. They felt their business totally overwhelmed them and caused many challenges which affected their personal relationship. We were able to identify exactly where their time was being spent and found that there were simple solutions to free up their time and run their business much more effectively and profitably.

How to Clean out the Clutter and Pump Up Your Profits - Click To Read Article
Have you ever felt totally overwhelmed because you were surrounded by clutter? When you work in a cluttered environment it crowds your thinking and easily distracts you. Not only that clutter wastes your time and your money.

How Poor Systems Lose You Business - Click To Read Article
Some time ago I used the services of a mortgage broker who in the first instance was very prompt and appeared very efficient. Although it took some time for the refinance to go through (that was caused by the bank and their legal people), all went smoothly. However, going back a second time to this broker, the cracks in his lack of systems are showing. I've had to chase him up to get things moving. It appears he now has a lot more business than when I first used his services.

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.

Getting The Right Team In Place - Click To Read Article
One of the biggest challenges many of my clients face is having the right people. Prior to coaching I'd often hear: "If only I could find the right people my business would much more profitable." "I'd have less stress." "I spend more time managing my people than getting the work done and more."

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!

Get a Grip On Your Time Before Your Kids Grow Up - Click To Read Article
A few years ago I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and well-known author, Stephen Biddulph on "Raising Boys". My son, Trent was 11 at the time so I was interested to hear what Stephen had to say. In fact, so were the 800 other parents in the room! The key point that I picked up on was that boys from the age of 6 -14 really need 'time' with their dads. That is the most influential period in their lives when they bond with him. And the type of time they need is not all thrown into a 'once a week' or 'month' block or some exotic holiday once a year, they need to spend time with their sons on a regular basis. Otherwise how can you build a strong and stable relationship?

Focus on Your Strengths, Delegate Your Weaknesses - 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.

Follow up and Get More Business - 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? I'd say that most people do not deliver on their promises! Therefore they do not realise that the 'trust' element and their credibility goes down the drain.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

Are You Working Yourself to Death - Click To Read Article
A few years 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. John had suffered a stroke. The warning signs were there all along. He smoked, was 30kg overweight, his diet was poor and exercise was spasmodic. He worked long hours and was under enormous pressure. Much of the pressure was due to John's organisational skills.

Are You An Educated Derelict? - Click To Read Article
I attended a Personal Mastery Program recently and there were many other people there, who like myself attend seminars and conferences to gain more knowledge so they too can improve their lives. However, it's not the knowledge that makes the difference, it's the application of that knowledge. Are you one of those people who regularly attends events to learn more, get all hyped up and excited on the actual day, write a book full of notes and proclaim to everyone in earshot that "this is it! I have found the magic pill that will transform my business and my life"?

Are You Reducing Your Income Through Lack of Sleep? - Click To Read Article
John is a personal coaching client and has been getting coached for several months. Since he's started coaching he's been resisting filling in a time sheet so we can both see where he is spending his time. I find he's not the only one. It seems that many people avoid doing this very simple activity... call it laziness, procrastination, being allergic to writing things down, being scared of what they might find out or being undisciplined. The benefit of doing this for a period of 1 - 2 weeks helps identify where you spend your time either productively or unproductively.

Are Your People Skills Killing Your Profits? - Click To Read Article
If you listen to the conversations from people who are not self-employed you'll notice they will often discuss the problems they have with management. Having two members of my family, my daughter Tia and husband Tama working as employees, many of our daily catch-ups are centred on this topic.

Be On Time and Win More Business! - Click To Read Article
Have you ever arrived for an appointment at the correct time only to be told the person you are seeing is running late? I'm sure that has happened to you on many occasions. In the story I'm about to relay to you, this incident happened to one of my clients 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.

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.

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.

5 Ways To Get on Top of the Paperwork - Click To Read Article
The Wall Street Journal did a survey a few years ago and found that the 'average' white collar worker spends 6 weeks a year looking for things around their office. Do you have a huge challenge coping with the incoming paperwork? (Whatever happened to the paperless office?). Paperwork lands on your desk (or enters you 'in-box') and somehow finds its way into your in-tray. Eventually the in-tray becomes so high it explodes and ends up all over your desktop. That's because you avoided taking action on those messy pieces of paper the moment they arrived. Now you have no option but to sort through the explosion and tidy up the pile or actually do something with the paperwork.

6 Steps to Productive and Profitable Networking - Click To Read Article
Observing many people when I'm out and about attending various business related functions, I'm convinced that so many of them do not realize how powerful it is to make the effort to meet others and network. Networking is great for business ... if you do it right and have a system in place to follow up. Follow these 6 simple steps and you'll find that you're networking experiences will be much more productive and profitable.

5 Top Tips to Stay On Track and Get Great Results - Click To Read Article
I'm constantly amazed at the amount of people I encounter who seem to invest a big chunk of their time and money attending seminars, joining coaching programs and investing in very expensive products only to do nothing with them. I recently saw a testimonial from a lady who had attended one of these events, saying the information from the program was going to turn her business into a million dollar company.

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?

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?

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.

3 Ways to Overcome Mess and Reduce Your Stress - Click To Read Article
I've mentioned this many times, but I am constantly amazed at how the simple things that I take for granted, to other people it's a great revelation. Do you feel that you're snowed under with paperwork and clutter and cannot seem to get a grip on it? Do you get confused by the vast array of gadgets available to help you manage your time? Are you determined to use that palm pilot or Iphone because you can avoid having to write things down or you get excited that it syncs to your computer?

5 Timestealers You Must Avoid - Click To Read Article
Gary has a business, employing 7 staff. When he contacted me he was at a point where the stress from his business was so bad, that he would constantly wake up 3 or 4 times a night worried about everything ...his cash flow, staff, lack of clients and the affect all this was having on his personal well-being and family life. He didn't use a diary, had no way of planning and kept everything 'in his head'.Often his staff were idle because he hadn't spent time training them. That ensured the work didn't get done therefore causing Gary to lose clients.

5 Simple Ways to Get Back on Track and Have a Life! - Click To Read Article
Mary is a typical small business owner, she keeps herself busy doing the 'hands on' work. In her case it is doing beauty treatments and she told me she keeps doing this because she really enjoys it. Her clients constantly told her how great she was, which made her feel appreciated. However it trapped her into staying 'on the tools'. Mary had 5 people on her team, and she struggled with letting them handle her clients.


Like this article? Share it with your friends

---

	No article feedback found.
	Leave Your Feedback

---

To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.