The word “hack” started in computer circles when developers would alter a program to make it work more elegantly for their purposes.
Today that informal term fits perfectly for business. What ways can you think of to make your working life more seamless and serene? It’s not so much about cutting corners as it is smoothing them out. What routines can be automated? When is there “an app for that?”
Henry Ford was the original hacker, with his unprecedented assembly line approach to car manufacturing. It’s all about efficiency and the best way to streamline your work. Here are some ways to accelerate performance and accomplish more at work. And I am not being rewarded as an affiliate for any of these tools – I just love them and want to share these productivity aids with my business friends!
Mindfulness and Focus
- Phone ‘alarm’. Once in a while, you need to look up and see the mountains. Otherwise, your days can get manic. Set an alarm on your phone to gently ‘ding’ at certain intervals in the day. There are dozens of free and paid apps that sound really soothing. Om!
Keeping Commitments
- Google Calendar. Put the whole team on it – each member gets their own color and you all know where you need to be, when. See the calendar on the desktop or on your phone when you’re in the field. I like to put the address of the meeting right in the time slot so the information is all in one place.
Learning
- Google. Goes without saying. The library of congress at your fingertips. Knowing how to search in Google is a fine art. Have you used the sub-category searching, like on images and on video? How about the ‘near here’ function, that tells you local authority sites on your search topic? Or the ‘within last 24hours’ function – that keeps you up to the minute!
Tracking Time
- Toggle. It’s the best timekeeper I’ve found. When you need to track the minutes you’ve spent on a client’s job (or how long you took a power nap!) it’s quick and almost addictive! Basic timetracking tool is free – full utility version is $5 a month.
Communicating
- MailChimp. What an awesome email delivery system. Reach your customers regularly and without a bit of intimidation. It’s simple. Accurate. No monkeying around here! And it’s free for those with mailing lists with less than 2000 email addresses.
- Skype. Free text and voice and even video conferencing, worldwide.
Celebrating
- E-Vite. Throwing a business party? This free on line tool lets you send in batches of 100 with great visual templates that make your event particularly lively.
- Birthday reminders.
Communicating
- Here’s a quick way to talk to clients and take notes at the same time: use a headset. A noise cancelling mic makes a cone of silence around you too!
Of course, for all of your product label needs, you can count on your friendly printing company here at Leapin’ Lizard Labels — call us today to get started!
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