I love automation. It's one of the reasons I have a business, but it can also be a big pain in the rear when it doesn't work.

I remember this one week where I was having terrible problems with my meeting scheduler. I was using a service to set up complimentary appointments with prospective clients and I'd done this big promotion about it. What was supposed to happen is the person would go to this page, click on a link to see my available calendar, and in about 2-3 clicks they're all set.

They'd get an email confirmation and the meeting time would pop into my calendar. No back and forth, no wasted time, boom - there is the appointment.

I had a number of people trying to set up their free time to connect but they weren't getting the handy little meeting schedule. Instead every one of them kept getting an "error 404" page ... those error pages always get on my last nerve especially when it means I have a link not working! Ever had that happen to you?

So what was happening is I kept getting phone call after phone call telling me the link didn't work, asking for next steps, requesting a return phone call. Some were even downright insults saying things like "this is unprofessional" (and yes, remember I said it was a free offer ---sometimes those are the worst kind when things go wrong).

Well once I figured out what the problem was, I'd missed at least 20 prospective meetings. I had to personally call each person back who left a voicemail and arrange the meeting manually, which is what I'd set up the service to help me avoid in the first place! That free time turned into triple the hours I'd planned for.

After that little incident, I learned my lesson. I'll give you a few quick hitter tips you can use so you don't end up falling prey to an automation disaster like this.

Always Test Your Automated Systems

When I sent out the promotion emails and let people know the links were open, I should have already tested the entire process myself along with having a friend or assistant test it. I know this now. Most of the time I'll remember this horrible week and I will have someone go through the entire process as though they are signing up. That way, any errors can be worked out before the whole world hears about it.

Remember, It's People Over Process

Many people think more of their super fabulous tools and systems than what the experience will be like for the end user. If you take the time to put yourself in the other person's shoes -- you know, the person who might just be investing in you or your stuff? -- you will know if you're headed in the right direction. Think about things like, "how easy is this to use?", "how many buttons would I click?", "does this frustrate me more than endear me to the service?".

You should make it easy for people to do business with you, not harder. The more difficult it is, the less likely they will buy.

Always Have a Back Up

Sure in this case I was the back-up. I literally sat down and made a list of all the people and manually called them myself. But what if there was a better way? If I had an assistant at the time, I would have had more help. Or if I learned through the testing process that the service wasn't working, I would easily have changed over to a new scheduling service before the promotion ever went out.

Think through your backup plan. What could you use if a part of your system is not flowing smoothly? What resources are available quickly and within your budget? Just thinking this through may save you a ton of time and money.

Now I can't tell you I've never had an automation problem ever again, but I can say that putting systems in place to help me replicate my work has always cost me less in the end than doing it all manually...both in dollars and in sanity. If you remember the tips I shared with you in this post, you'll reduce the chances of automation fail.

Want to learn more about how to use automation the right way? Get more over at my main blog www.tanyasmithonline.com.

Remember that old Biz Markie song, ♪ "You, you got what I neeeed...." ♫.  Don't you wish that every time your ideal client or customer saw your stuff online that song would just automatically pop up in their head?

If you don't, you should.  Because that means you've made the right connection.  See it works like this...

But often we just focus on the first part of the equation - what we want to sell.

The fact is it can be pretty time consuming to do market research, but it's crucial to your business.  It's just one of those things you've got to do.  Otherwise, you can spend a lot of time creating products and promoting services no one will every buy.

You know my answer to almost everything when it comes to saving time, right?  Turn your research into a system, (my quick definition?  a system is a set of repeated activities you can map out, delegate and automate to get similar results).

Where Should You Start?

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the first step for most solo service providers. It helps you understand what people are searching for online and what words they are using. There are numerous tools that can help you do this research, including Google’s own AdWords keyword tool, a free and paid tool from Wordtracker, and a popular software program called Market Samurai.

It takes a little practice to learn to do keyword research well, but knowing the most commonly searched terms will help you target the problems that people are facing. It also means you can optimize any content you create, helping it rank in the search engines.

Study Problems People Are Facing

When you know the problems people are facing in your target market, you can create solutions. Solutions sell. Look at the questions people are asking and why they are asking them. Look for the places your target market hangs out, like forums or Facebook groups, and listen in.  You might even create a list using a tool like Evernote or Google Drive.  I call this list my R&D (research & development) list.

Other places people don't really think about are YouTube videos and Amazon books.  What's popular?  What are people talking about around the topic you're interested in promoting?  Watch the discussions that take place and the questions asked. If there are problems that people consistently talk about, you’ve just found a great opportunity to provide a solution.

Paint a Portrait of Your Customers

It helps to paint a portrait of your ideal customer in as much detail as possible. This isn’t necessarily a visual picture, though some people do that, but one that describes little details about them. What are their demographics, such as age, gender, occupation, where they live, etc? What is some of the lingo they use? Do they tend to have similar interests or hobbies? Write it all down. Some marketers even keep this list in front of them whenever they write anything for or to their customers.

While it can take what seems like a lot of time, having a system you use to do market research can save you from sinking a fortune in time and money in a doomed project. The more market research you do from the start to understand your market, the less risk you face and the more likely they'll be singing your song loud and clear. ;)

In my lunch time series coming up I'll share a few more tips on how to create great, but simple systems for your biz.  Get on the "notify me" list now so you get reminders.  

Very few people I know use business process mapping, but it can be a really good way to figure out the difference between what is happening now vs. what you want to have happen with certain systems running in your business.

For example, you might have this really great product out in your online store, but you somehow keep losing customers -- like 85% of the time -- after they click the "add to cart" button.  What happened?

Or in another instance, you may have tons of referrals and they come to you willing and ready to invest, but you only convert 10% of them into clients.  Where's the breakdown? How do you know?  And what resources do you need in order to increase that number?

Many times, knowing the solution that works the best for you does not just pop up in a magical light bulb over your head.  Instead, it requires knowing what is taking place, step-by-step, so you can make improvements for the better.

Business Analysts (also known as BA's) tend to take advantage of process mapping because it suits them perfectly since they tend to be practical thinkers, always looking for the "why" behind what's going on.  They also get really passionate about information.  I like how this article from TDWI says, "They love to wallow in it, get it all over themselves, see what they can do with it, and see it change state and morph and eventually crystallize into facets of meaning."

Basically, these guys can get really geeky about improving a system, or set of activities so you get the most optimal results.

How do I know?  Because I actually have an analyst background in my "other" career.  Yeah, that's how I got to be such a systems geek.

Now here's what is cool about that...

There are a lot of creative thinkers marketing how great it is to use your creativity to ...well...create things. Products, new service offerings, you name it. I love it and I think that's great.  If you want to promote creative thinking, mind-mapping is a very effective tool. But that's a whole different type of method than what I'm talking about.

The thing is, not everyone is naturally given to creatively wild or illustrative thinking.  Some of  us tend to be a bit more structured and systematic in our thinking.  Having those type of people in your business network can be tremendously helpful because we help with the execution of the actual sale of that wonderful new product, or we help you fix problems with the way you're handling questions from prospective buyers so they feel better about trusting you and affirmed when they buy.

This is the beautiful place where process mapping comes in.

In my upcoming webinar, 10 Ways To Design Better Systems For Your Business, I share more about process mapping and what it can do. Plus I'll be talking about more ways to improve what you're doing in your business, so you can be more efficient which => (ta-dah) more profitable.

Business process mapping may just be the answer to your problems. Oh, and if you search the internet now for some process mapping resources, it will probably look a lot more boring than how I do it.

I've made the webinar publicly available.  No registration required.

=> Just click here to watch and get my free Systems Success Roadmap

How many excuses can you come up with before you actually get work done? Excuses help pacify the fact that you aren't producing. It's time to stop making excuses for yourself and get the work done.

Just think of every excuse you make for yourself as a step further down the ladder of success. Who intentionally wants to take steps in the wrong direction? I know you don't!

As a woman you have to accept responsibility and provide accountability for the things you do and don't accomplish. Your main purpose as woman is to reproduce! That doesn't change when it comes to the work world either. This is your time to reproduce, that is multiply. By multiplying you can increase in all areas of your life.

You bring things into existence with your creative abilities. That means you supply your life with the things you desire by making it happen. Why deny yourself that? I challenge you to declare right now that you shall not be denied because of laziness. Declare that you will stop playing and get what needs to get done, done!

Remember F.O.C.U.S.!! Follow one course until successful.

So everybody knows the Super Bowl is coming. I can see all the signs in my neighborhood - people lining up at the grocery stores for snacks, soda pop, chicken wings (my fav are the lemon pepper!).  Flags waving in yards.  Big screen TV boxes next to trash cans for Thursday pickup.

It's on.

Now I'm not going to try to sway you one way or the other on which team to hoot and holler for. In fact, I don't even know much about football (okay, I heard that...and yes, I am a proud American).  BUT what I do enjoy?

The commercials.

Even if you've never watched a Super Bowl game in your life, I bet you've seen the commercials.  Frankly, they're the best part of the whole celebration.  I always tell my husband, "call me when a commercial comes on!" ... then I head in to watch.  The New York Times says the Super Bowl is the biggest day of the year for advertising.

Ever thought about why?  I have - and I thought it might be fun to write about in terms of ways to create buzz for your business.  So here's a few tips on creating buzz Super Bowl Style:

Plan Ahead

Advertising companies start not just weeks, but months in advance.  It takes work to create a promotion campaign that will connect with the right audience and generate actual sales.  Right - at the end of the day, the commercials aren't there just for you to enjoy; they're meant to entice you to take up the offer.  It's about getting results in the form of sales.

Think about this with your next promotional campaign.  How much time are you putting into researching ways to reach your audience? What is the offer you're making and how will you measure success? Just because people "like" your posts, that's not always equivalent to dollars for your business.  Make the connection by planning your campaign well in advance.

Make It Connect

Remember the Darth Vader commercial for Volkswagen?  Hilarious and cute, right? It caught the attention of people watching because they could either see themselves as the boy pretending to be a famous character, or as the parents having fun watching their child play.  Viewers could connect with something in the ad.

When you create promotional campaigns, are you telling a story?  Does it tag something in the hearts, minds, or pockets of your audience?  What emotion are you trying to evoke?  Think about how your message connects through your marketing campaign.

Leak Information in Advance

Why share tidbits about your next program or event?  Why would you leak information before you're ready to deliver the product?  Because it works, says Fast Company in this recent article about pre-game content.

In the article, they talk about how  last year, 34 campaigns were released in some form or another on YouTube before the game. “Marketers saw the amount of buzz and views they were able to generate before the game even started, and realized that they can get much more out of their Super Bowl investment if they build a digital strategy around it,” says Suzie Reider, Head of Industry Development at YouTube.

That's pretty interesting, hunh?

What kind of buzz can you create?  You might not give away the entire program idea, but what if you shared a short tip series related to your topic?  How about a video teaser?

Think of creative ways to generate buzz for your business.  Even if you're not a football fan, you can work it Super Bowl style!

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About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

I have been building my subscriber list for a few years now. It's had wear and tear, much of it because of my abuse.  I switched focus, lost focus, tried different paths, different brands...all of the things new business owners tend to do when they're finding their way.

There are a ton of reasons people stay on your subscriber list.  Many stay even when they're no longer getting value. Maybe it's because they like you as a person, though they don't have interest in your topic. Or maybe they forgot to disconnect at some point. Instead they just delete everything you send.

Perhaps, they find a few tidbits of information you've sent for free they could appreciate, but now that you're asking them to invest they are offended.  The point is - my audience members came in for different reasons and stayed for different reasons.

The danger in this is at some point, you may find yourself with a huge list of people that DON'T CARE A THING ABOUT YOUR OFFER.

Signs of a list that needs to be downsized? You have dead silence when you're sending out market survey questions. You actually look at your metrics and find that your open rate is not only low, it's in the red. No one shows up for your special events that are only for your subscribers.

When these things are happening although you have list quantity, it's a good chance you have a list that needs to be downsized.

Recently I did a downsizing of my list.  It gave me a sense of freedom I never thought I'd have. At first, I was afraid (♪ I was petrified ♫...I love that song...short digression...ok, back on track now). Seriously though, when you work hard to build a good sized list it can be very intimidating to even think about minimizing it or tearing it apart.

But I had to do it.

Ever heard of the law of the vacuum?  Catherine Ponder talked about it in the book, The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity.  It says something like, "Make room for the thing you desire by letting go of that which you do not appreciate or use. Give it away with a giving, charitable heart, and let the Universe compensate you."   In other words, when you let go and make space you have more room to receive what's really meant for you.

I knew that downsizing my list would put me in a different place, giving me the freedom to really talk directly to an interested audience of people who want what I have to share. No more wondering "do they care?" or "is anybody listening?" And for them - the ones who were purged voluntarily from my list - I gave them back freedom, freedom to read and receive information they truly would find useful and immediately applicable.

So how did I do it? I'll break it down for you:

First, I used my email marketing service, Mailchimp (shout out - "eep eep"), to evaluate my list. They have some pretty decent analytics and along with a tool called Hairball, it was pretty easy to create a small list, or segment of people who were rated below a 3 rating. These ratings give you an idea of how often your emails are opened or clicked by the user, along with a few other stats. Your service may have a different way to show you this information.

The key is to figure out who is least active in your list over a period of time. By the way, I did not include users who were fairly new and still building a rating.  Since they recently added themselves to the list, I assumed they have an interest in my content.

Second, I sent out an email to the folks in that group about 14 days before the purge date (you can adapt this to your comfort level). The subject line read something like "Only open this if you want to keep getting my emails!". I wanted to make it super easy for those who didn't open them anyway to take little to no action. Only the genuinely interested people would reply back to say "leave me on the list". And yes, I had several who read the email explaining my "Spring Cleaning List Purge" and they asked to stay on.

Great! That separated those who were missing in action, but still interested so I wouldn't remove them from the active list.

Third, on the date I'd set for myself I exported the segmented list (minus the ones who wanted to stay) and did a mass unsubscribe. I will admit, I was pretty nervous but after I clicked enter I felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.  It was like, "now I get to talk to people who really care to connect with me and to get the full benefit of my sharing".

Here was another added benefit I didn't think about until later. You know how many email service providers charge you based on your total count of subscribers? Well, I was able to reduce my own email marketing fees because of the reduced count. Cha-ching!

Now mind you, I would be fine paying more for a more responsive, targeted list. It was just a good reality check to realize that I was actually paying to keep people on my list who never really wanted the info anyway.

So that's my story...and I hope it connects with you in some way. Does it make you think about downsizing your own list?  Don't you think that having 100 or 200 or 500 people who really connect with your message is better than having thousands who don't get it and won't take action at all?

As a business owner, we have choices to make for the good of our customers and ourselves. I chose to downsize for peace of mind and it was one of the best decisions I've made so far in my business.

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative online business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

You know how you always hear "give something away to attract new clients"?  Well, everybody seems to give the same old stuff - articles, audio, etc.  Don't get me wrong.  A lot of giveaways have great value.  Sometimes businesses give away too much, but usually it's designed with the end users best interest in mind.

Giving things away for free is a fantastic way to get contact information, build subscribers, run contests or make product sales. But what kind of goodies might be creative, interesting, innovative? Here I'll share just a few ideas.

#1: USB Drives

Buying a USB drive on eBay only costs a few dollars. If you're buying them in bulk, you can get them even cheaper.

Take a bunch of USB drives and load them up with videos, audios or text content. Then give the USB drives away. That can have a much higher perceived value than having people download the files themselves.

#2: Pens

I love pens.  Pens are one of my passions.  (Check out my all time favorite pen hereon my Pinterest board, the Cross Year of the Dragon - ok, I digress).  As a giveaway, you can brand both high quality pens and low quality pens. While some people won't go out of their way for a pen, it could be a great item to include in a product. And a reminder of where to find you if you add your website or company name.

#3: Cups and Mugs

What if you came up with a cup design that people would actually want on their counters?  Instead of just putting your logo on it, think of creative designs, sayings, images you can include.

If you can come up with a unique design that people love, they'll definitely go out of their way to get that cup.

#4: DVDs and Videos

Another creative giveway - free DVDs or videos. While the up-front cost in creating videos may vary, once a video is created it becomes a very affordable item you can give away forever.

Printing a new DVD only costs a few dollars. Giving away an online video is completely free. And videos have a very high perceived value, making it an ideal giveaway item.

#5: T-Shirts

Much like mugs, you want your shirt to be unique. Don't think in terms of just adding your logo.  After all, people may not be inclined to be your walking billboard...

BUT

What if you try to have something funny, conscience-boosting, or shocking on the shirt? For instance, consider including an infographic or a quote with an image. Make it a shirt that people will want to wear...then add a small logo on it.

#6: Old Stuff

If you have old items sitting around that probably won't ever sell, you may be better off just using it as a free giveaway.

Do you have a batch of CDs sitting around?  Instead of hoping someone will buy them (which they probably won't), you can make good use of them as free bonuses.

#7: Quirky Objects

Quirky objects can include stretchy plastic toys, odd electronics and other small, portable objects that do strange things. These objects may not be particularly useful, but can be fun giveaways. If you can find some way to tie it back to your brand or product, even better.

I bet you can come up with other items you can giveaway in your business. Feel free to mix and match what I've suggested, or simply use these ideas as inspiration to come up with your own.

My eldest child plays soccer.  She's pretty good at it too.  And this year, her team moved up to Division 1 so things are exceptionally competitive.

When she was younger, the "Princess" was always ultra polite - one of those kids who all the teachers fawn over because she said, "please" and "thank you".  I suppose that's not a commonality much anymore.  But that streak of politeness doesn't work very well when you play competitive sports.  You have to be pretty tough and thick-skinned.

Now that she's older, the Princess still has a very quiet strength about her.  She is at the stage now where her feelings are fragile (she's a tweener), but she gets assertive on the field because her goal is clear as a Forward - be in front position to get the ball to and into the net.

This week, while she was targeting the goal, a kid on the other team recognized her skill and honed in on her.  The competitor started hounding her pretty hard verbally and physically...to the point that she was elbowing the Princess constantly.  At one point, she elbowed her so hard in the ribs she went down, tears in her eyes and a defeated look on her generally smiling face.  Things didn't look good.

I waited until half time and went over to check on her.  When I got there, I looked her in the eye and asked her how she was.  Although she responded quietly, "fine", I could tell her eyes were saying, "she's getting to me".  I told her I knew she was stronger than that but for the rest of the game, that girl took the fight out of my Princess.

You know I gave her 'the talk' on the drive home, right?  But in my heart I knew none of that would matter until SHE knew she was strong enough to overcome the pain and that much of it was in her own mind.

As I prayed about it later on, I had a revelation.  It was this -- how often do we allow our dreams to be sidetracked and wiped out because of FEAR?  It can creep up on you, whisper things in your ear that tell you "you're not good enough" or " you can't do this" and when you listen and let it knock you down, you lose sight of the goal -- the main reason why you're even playing the game.  Your business and your personal life suffer when you let Fear get the best of you.

Like I told the Princess, we have to never let our fear see us sweat - it may be there, but you look it in the eye and you show it just how good you are. Never lose sight of the goal. Because just like the game that night? We were destined to win and it happened anyway - in spite of what fear tried to do.  It can kick your butt and you may even need a little Tylenol afterwards, but don't let fear put you out of the game.

Get your theme song going in your head.  Mine is by Mary Mary and it's called Get Up.

Some of the words go like this,

"What are you afraid of? Don't you know what you're made of? One of God's greatest creations. Take this invitation now.
Get up, 'cause you can't stop. Get up, got a lot to do. 24 hours, almost gone.
Get up, don't sit back. Get up, if you wanna get there. Clocks don't stop and time won't wait."

Just remember, you have the power to choose - keep your head in the game, or let fear bully you into giving up. What's it going to be?

WANT TO RE-POST THIS ARTICLE ON YOUR BLOG OR USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE, E-NEWSLETTER OR WEB SITE?

You may, as long as you include this complete blurb with it...

About the Author: Tanya Smith is a creative business strategist and coach specializing in showing independent service providers how to simplify, save time & stand out with simple strategies that engage more quality leads and clients. Her company Be Promotable provides fresh actionable strategies and virtual resources to promote business owners as power players in their market. Get free tools to simplify and stand out online at: www.tanyasmithonline.com

If you do lots of work online, one of your biggest challenges is to create a virtual workspace that makes you run as efficient as possible. I mean, seriously - working online can be like being sucked into a galactic black hole if you don't know how to manage your time.

How your workspace is organized has a powerful effect on your mind and it seriously affects your productivity.

There's a common objection many people have to this whole organizing thing. It goes something like this: 'My workspace is cluttered and it might look disorganized to you but I like it that way. It works for me!' People who say this generally have never had a tidy online workspace for a length of time. When you eventually get organized on a consistent basis, you'll quickly see what a difference it makes. Don't be attached to online clutter!

Email

One of the absolute biggest clutter areas of all is email. I used to feel like my inbox was a gigantic swamp with murky, green water where people would send emails and they'd never be seen again. I'll never forget one day when I sat down to look at my inbox and just froze. Yup, that's an image of it below. I had over 11,000 emails sitting there...unanswered, because I said to myself "I'll look at it later".

Know what that does to someone who is already busy? It just paralyzes you.

So...I went about cleaning up that big mess by setting some rules in place for myself and integrating tools to help me keepmy email organized. I took the following steps:

1. Decided what order of priority I wanted to follow - i.e. which email addresses were tied to people and content I had to reply to immediately, which ones could go into some kind of "read later" folder, which ones were bulk messages that I didn't want to get anymore, and so on.
2. I then sought out online tools that would help me set up rules in my inbox to automatically move my messages by priority. Two of my favorite right now are ActiveInboxHQ (works great with Gmail) and Sanebox.
3. Next I scheduled time on my calendar to check the "read later" box and other non-essential folders.
4. Finally, and most important, I committed to myself that I would not be a slave to my inbox! If it ever got to that point again, I would hire an assistant to review the non-essentials.

Now on #4, some time management gurus will tell you just go ahead & delegate the whole thing. If this works for you, absolutely take a look at this as an option. I personally have a bit of a control complex, so I knew that wouldn't work starting out (hey...the first step is admission, right?). I know this works very well for some so consider outsourcing your email as an option.

Contacts

Another area where we tend to get tied up and completely frazzled is keeping up with contacts. Though I can't say I'm 100% where I want to be on this one, I can definitely say I'm a thousand percent better off than I was just a year ago. All because of my dream tool --- Contactually. This is so awesome and it works great with Gmail! When you link up the tool to your email, it will track and prioritize email addresses (contacts) based on frequency of contact with them. It even sends you follow up messages to let you know, "hey, it's time to connect with XXX".

The best thing about Contactually is how it lets you create buckets based on categories you choose. So in my recent program, Spice Up Your Brand Online, I shared with my students how to create a Circle of Success and within that circle they developed virtual "buckets" of contacts they can use and transfer over to Contactually to track.

Okay, what if you don't want to do all of that?

Here is the main tip for organizing contacts --- find a system that helps you categorize your relationships, set follow up dates, and take action. That way you don't miss out on opportunities for developing strong relationships with your ideal connections.

It may not be a piece of software. Maybe it's a list on a sheet of paper, a box of index cards, an app on your iPad tablet. Whatever you do, keep all your key contacts in one place and create your follow up plan. Oh...and don't forget to stick with it! When you get behind, it only gets harder to keep up.

Documents

The final clutter-attracting online workspace I'll cover is documents. Your workspace is going to likely hold documents - i.e. Word files, text files, videos, slides, etc. - maybe you're creating content or receiving documents that need tracking. Where do you put all of this stuff? The answer is easy - use a document management system.

Remember how we used to have to organize documents into folders just to be able to find them later? Now, you can search just about anything digitally and find a file simply based on a few keywords. This is what makes document management tools so popular. And unlike before, because of "cloud" software, these tools now offer a ridiculous amount of space for storage.

My favorite document management tools right now are DropBox and Evernote.

Here's the big difference in how I use them - DropBox is the tool I use for storing content like articles I write, client information, presentation slides I'll deliver. I use DropBox in this way because it's simple to share links, easy to organize folders, and easily integrates across different platforms.

Evernote is best for saving swipe files, URLs of sites I find, quick notes I record from my phone, and more. (If you want more tips on using Evernote, watch my free webinar).

Again, the key is deciding on a system or combination of tools that work for you.

1. First, decide if there are common categories you want to set up (if you do want folders, or even if you use "tags" to mark your documents -- these are like virtual labels that help you connect similar items together).
2. Next, every time you create or open a document you want to keep up with, file it either using a folder, a tag, or a combo of both.
3. Final tip? Keep similar things in one place.

The more you commit to a consistent set of tools and methods for cleaning up your online workspace, the easier it will be to find what you need when you need it. You will feel better about turning on your computer and getting your work done, and your customers and colleagues will absolutely love you for keeping your promises!

Hopefully you were able to take away at least one tip for organizing your online work space. Share which one was your favorite tip in the comments, or let me know what else you do to stay digitally organized.

Side note: If you'd like to use my affiliate links for any of the tools I mentioned above, you can find them (if I have one) on this page. No pressure, just wanted you to know because it's one way for me to earn while you learn and I only refer tools I have a good experience with.

Seriously, we all procrastinate at some point in time on something and we’re all familiar with this scenario:  You put off doing something and probably have absolutely no idea of how long it takes to do the task you’re putting off.  You can end up living in chaos simply because you’re putting off something that will take you just a short time to do.  Are you one of those people who shuffle through papers?  If so, you probably spend more time shuffling through them each day than it would take for you to sort through them one final time and toss, file or process what’s there in the pile.

Research shows that people spend most of their time and effort working on activities that have nothing to do with the success of their projects.  Procrastination is the biggest reason people fail to reach their goals. It is the #1 cause of stress.  Research also shows us that stress is caused by leaving too many things undone, which is why some habitual procrastinators always complain about chronic fatigue.  Putting things off creates enormous stress in our lives, which manifests as fatigue.

Right now, take a long look at your home and work life.  Where are you spending the majority of your time?  Are you working on things that are relevant to the big picture, or are you procrastinating and spending more time on distractions.  If you’re spending time on distractions, what is it that’s distracting you and why and, the big question is, what is it really costing you?  What’s the bottom line cost of putting it off?  I'm not posing the question just to have you ponder it.  Go do the math!  If you're a coach, multiply your hourly rate by the amount of time you waste putting things off.  If you provide other services, multiply your hourly rate by that amount of time.  What's the cost of putting it off?

So what did you see when you took that long look at your work and home life?  Are you spending the majority of your time working or putting off the things that need to get done?  If you’re working, what exactly are you working on and are those things relevant to your overall goals?  If things aren’t getting done, it’s time to look at your behavior to tell what’s really going on.  Start by keeping a time log and enter everything that you do on a daily basis.  At the end of each day look back to see how much time you actually spent on work and how much of it was spent on distractions.

If you’re spending time on distractions, what’s distracting you?  It might be something else that needs to get done.  If this is the case, look at the priorities and schedule appropriate time to get it done, commit to it and get it off your to-do list.

As I said before, the big question is, what is procrastination really costing you?  Looking at your time log, make note of the amount of time that you spent on distractions.  Multiply that amount of time by your hourly rate.  The result is just the cost for that amount of time.  Multiply that by the additional time that you’ve spent on distractions or on procrastinating and you’ll see what it’s really costing you.  Procrastination will not only cost you precious time, it will cost you monetarily.  You could be paying a pretty big cost for putting things off.

The only way to remedy procrastination is to start by taking an in depth look at your behavior to see what you're doing to be able to determine why you do it.  The "why" is the key to stopping your procrastination. If procrastination is a big problem for you, I encourage you to check out my 12-week procrastination program, Procrastination Annihilation.  Click here for details.

"Feel like you're running on a Hamster's

wheel and getting nowhere?"

Join me for my  Power Executive Call Free....
Empowered to Manifest Your Best Year Ever!

 
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Tuesday, December 27 at 2:00 PM PST

• Experience a powerful Visualization Exercise to help you with manifestation of your Ideal Lifestyle!
  

• Essential Keys to Manifesting Your Best Year Yet!
  

• Empowering Insights for a Success Mindset

• 4 Mindset shifts essential to your Breakthrough in 2012

And More!

Click here to learn more and secure your VIP access.

When you look at your life, you may be miles away from your goals and dreams – so far you wonder if you’ll ever get there. This gap can be especially frustrating when you feel like you’re working hard to move forward.

For Immediate Release

October 10, 2011 Unfortunately, just “working hard” doesn’t assure success. There are a lot of other elements and factors that determine how far you go and how close we come to achieving the life you imagine.

Robin Tramble aka The Empowerment Diva is doing something about the many Spiritually minded women, aspiring, new and enterprising women entrepreneurs who are not realizing the results they desire. She is doing this via her FREE Teleseries. The next call is Revealed: Top 5 reasons you’re not where you want to be – YET!

Robin emphasis YET because it’s not a doom and gloom message. “You may
not be where you want to be, however, as long as there’s breath in your body
you can do something about it.” Says Robin

You'll leave this call with a new found passion to get on the path to your Divine
Destiny and to finally be free to pursue your ideal lifestyle.

For you spiritually minded aspiring, new and enterprising Women Entrepreneurs Robin wants you to know that building a successful business is not just talking about marketing, traffic, list building etc.
“There's also much to be said about the mindset "inner game" that is sabotaging your empowering success. As I stated before it's about self discipline during my last Tele-class.” Says Robin Tramble

Some of what will be covered in this power-packed Tele-class includes:

•Sure-fire ways to jump start your life and biz
• Avoidable excuses you're making that are hindering your empowering
success
• Top 5 reasons you are not where you should be - YET!
• What you can do to finally play a BIGGER game and manifest your ideal
lifestyle "authentically!"
• And more!

During this Tele-series you'll be empowered to Get and Stay Focused, Make BIG Changes and Get Results Faster which will ultimately reveal the healthier,
wealthier, empowered, focused, joyful and Authentic you!
If you’re ready to end 2011 strong and kick-start your year with a BANG you don’t want to miss this FREE Tele-class.

You can register for the call herehttp://bit.ly/90daysofempowermentinfo

                                                                      # # #


About Robin Tramble
Robin Tramble works with Spiritually minded women and woman entrepreneurs who want to discover their authentic self so they can make big changes or achieve some big results but are struggling to make it happen fast enough. She helps them get unstuck, create achieve the results that they want faster than ever before.

Robin is CEO and Founder of Robin Tramble International, President and
Founder of The Christian Women Entrepreneurs Network. She’s a Professional “Authentic LIfe” and Biz Empowerment Mentor, Trainer, Coach and Public Speaker to the nations. Robin is also known as Empowerment Diva because she has carved out a niche in the area of empowerment. She recently shared her empowerment tips on Good Day Sacramento as “Empowerment Diva” and was named 1 of 25 urban Entrepreneurs to follow on Twitter by Brand maker News. Robin is also an accomplished keyboardist, singer and songwriter and plans to incorporate her musical gifts with her resources for women’s empowering personal development.

                                                                    — end —



Are you looking for ways to increase your productivity? This is an area that I spend a lot of time in my endeavor to follow my passion which is empowering women and woman entrepreneurs.

There is very little that can cause a decrease in productivity as easily as burnout. While you may be tempted to believe that putting every waking moment into working on your job or building your business is a good way to get things done, there is an additional factor which you may not have considered. When you figuratively take your work home with you or never officially close business you can increase your risk of burnout and get much less accomplished in the long-run.

In this scenario you are not just doing work during your free time you are actually keeping your work on your mind during your free hours. When you are at home, or somewhere else other than in your workplace, you can easily burn yourself out by keeping it as your main focus.

Key #1
When work is done or business is done at home have an official shut down of your work, of your business.

It may go something like this. At work outside of the home close the door to the office, get in your car, turn on some music that actually allows you to transition from work to home.

Home business
Hopefully you have a place that’s designated as your home office. Shut the computer down whether that’s to put it on sleep or standby. Move away from the computer. If it’s in a office with a door, close the door. Put on some music that will also allow you to make the transition from work to home.

This sounds simple, however, you’d be surprised at how beneficial it is to making the transition from work to home. If you need to go back then consider it extra work and not stringing along your work hours throughout the day.

Key #2

Leave work thoughts at work

During your off-hours, you may put a lot of time into thinking about your job. You may worry about whether you will get something done on time, or the overall quality of your work. This can lead you to become overly stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. You may become more fatigued by your work when you are thinking about it and worrying about it than when you are actually doing your job.

Instead of stressing yourself out over whatever you need to accomplish the next day, or how much progress you are making with something you are working on, try learning how to leave those thoughts and concerns at your place of business.

Key #3

Cultivate positive habits

When you have free time, develop some positive habits. Learning how to relax, to participate in healthy recreation, and giving both your time and focus to your friends and family will all reduce your risk of burnout. When you have begun to develop these habits, it will not take long for you to see the results. You will start each new work day feeling physically, emotionally, and mentally refreshed. You will have more to give to your job when you are refreshed. You will be more motivated, more energetic, and more productive.

And you know I like to over deliver so here’s a bonus key

Bonus Key #4

Saturate everything with Prayer

Begin your day with prayer. You can never go wrong by staying close to the master planner. You’ll gain clarity of vision and peace will be imparted. Wisdom will also be given to those that ask. James 1:5

You can also meditate on God’s word through out the day and most definitely close your day with prayer.

Prayer will also help you to be less irritable and those things that would really get to you will seem to bounce off.

What will you use from this article? Take at least one thing and begin to apply it to your daily routine. If you need additional support in getting it done and making it happen I want to give you a special incentive Secure your place here in my FREE Tele-Class “Tap into insider secrets : Get it Done – Make it Happen!” This is the preview call to my 90 Days of Empowerment and Focus Coaching Program. You’ll receive access to my coaching, guidance, tools, resources, templates and more. End 2011 strong and kick-start 2012 with a BANG! Get focused, Make Big Changes and get results Faster! If you know you’re ready and need to do something positively different right now and don’t have time to wait. Go here to enroll in 90 Days of Empowerment and Focus Coaching program today!

Self-discipline is an essential factor for productivity and success. Without it, one becomes lazy, unmotivated, and dependent upon others. Lack of self-discipline also makes for a difficult-to-deal-with employee, boss, or coworker.

Exercising self-discipline means, in an old-fashioned term, setting yourself to a task. You need to know what must be done, when it must be done– and do it. Good self-discipline includes a basic schedule, or framework, of what needs to be accomplished within a specific period of time. You do not allow yourself to become sidetracked, or to procrastinate.

However, being too rigid with self-discipline does not increase productivity. It can even lessen it. If you do not allow yourself any breaks throughout the workday, or any room for error at all, the expectations you are placing on yourself are too rigid. Instead of getting more done, or doing more in a shorter period of time, it can cause you to become frustrated with your tasks and your job.

If you learned self-discipline early in life, you probably do not have any difficulty with it now. On the other hand, if your schooling years and family life were too rigid, or if little was expected of you, this is a good time to develop the habit. You may have managed to slide through your early years without a good sense of self-discipline, but it will be a stumbling-block to your career.

A good way to start cultivating self-discipline is

Read more

What do you want? No I mean what do you really, really want? If you knew you could not fail and money was not an issue what would you really want?

What does your ideal lifestyle look like?

These are some very good questions that actually as I’m passionately empowering women many who are in a consultation or coaching with me are stunned by and they have to think just a bit. We should all have the answers to these questions.

I did a Tele-class on Top 5 reasons you are not where you want to be – YET! One of the Top 5 included “You Don’t really want what you think you want.”

Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.

Thomas Jefferson

Everyone wants to run their own business and be their own boss…. right?
Everyone wants a vacation home in the mountains… right?
Everyone wants 2.4 kids and the white picket fence…. right?

Wrong.

When it comes to dreams, one size most definitely does NOT fit all. Our dreams and goals are as individual as we are, and adopting someone else’s goals as our own can feel like wearing someone else’s shoes: It looks okay to everyone else, but to us, it feels awful and gives us blisters.

There are thousands, if not millions, of people out there striving for the wrong goals. Wrong not because there’s anything inherently bad about them, but wrong because the goals they’re aiming for are wrong for THEM. So as I persevere in my endeavor to empower women I must remain authentic and help you discover your authentic self for your realized empowering success.

There’s the law student that is very gifted in music and enjoys her classes in school leading up to the profession of a lawyer who would never give an extra thought to setting that aside for pursuing her career in music because both of her parents are Lawyers.

There’s the successful saleswoman who would really love to chuck it all and teach English, but she’s making too much money and only a crazy person would throw away a six-figure paycheck.

There are many frustrated individuals out there “believe it or not ” Frustration knows no geographic, socioeconomic, or race or religious boundaries.

The only way to know if the goals you’re aiming for are the right goals is to figure out if they are your heart’s desire. Sometimes it takes some detective work to peel back the layers of societal and family expectations to get at what YOU really want.

There are clues all around you: If you fall asleep dreaming about something, wake up thinking about something, and find yourself perking up whenever you meet someone doing what you’d like to do, you’re on the right track. Meanwhile, if you get a sinking sensation when you pull into the garage of house with the white picket fence, or find yourself calling in sick to that six-figure job “everyone” would kill to have, then you may be in the wrong place… for you.

So what do you do if you find you’ve been chasing after the wrong dream? If you find that you’re not on track to your destiny. You readjust. You discover what your vision is, your purpose in life. You reignite your passion. You connect with someone who can be an accountability partner, who is not biased and can offer expertise in the area you are seeking to move forward in. Even if they don’t have the specific expertise in that area but have the life skills you need to help you discover your authentic self, get unstuck, get focused, make BIG changes and get results that will put you miles ahead of where you’ve been for the last 1 to 5, 5 to 10 years or more!

You find ways to move your current life closer to the one you really long for. Maybe that means getting up an hour early to work on your novel. Maybe it means spending your weekends teaching art to inner city kids. Maybe it researching organizations that may need your expertise and would like you to share with their members. Take a small step and see how it feels. Then take another, and another, until you know deep in your heart you’re on the right track. If you are, the momentum will carry you forward.

You’ll be closer to where you want to be. The Authentic you that is.

Are you ready to say yes to the healthier, wealthier, empowered, focused, joyful, and Authentic you?

I invite you to request your free access to 4 more reasons you’re not where you want to be – YET! Request access to my Top 5 reasons you’re not where you want to be YET empowering Training Audio. Go there now!

This is also part of my preview Tele-series “Get it Done. Make it Happen!” A preview of my phenomenal 90 Days of Empowerment and Focus Coaching Program. If you’re tired of the overwhelm, stress, lack of productivity, playing small and more learn more and secure 1 of 10 spaces for gold and 1 of 15 for Silver.http://bit.ly/90daysregister

Are you a victim of Time thieves?

Maybe that would be easier to answer if you knew what time thieves were. And quite possibly you already know what they are but need to be reminded of how much they are stealing from your Destiny, from your relationships, okay from your life.

I’m sharing another post on Productivity secrets because it is one area that most women have a challenge with whether in business or their personal life.

You’ve probably given in to most of the time thieves I’m going to mention below.

Phone
You can actually use the phone as a timesaver if you know how.

TV and Radio
How many hours have we given to watching TV or listening to the radio. Now get this, some of it is done out of habit. What that means is if you actually made a decision (remember everything begins with a decision) a decision to reduce the amount of time you watch Television and replace it with a productive activity you could achieve that goal and realize increased revenue in the process.

The same thing applies to the radio. Be intentional about your listening and not habitual.

Waiting in Line
I truly believe that this is one way our patience is tested.

Sometimes going to crowded places can’t be avoided, however, there are peak hours that you can expect longer lines. Pick a schedule where you least expect many people to show up. For example, buy your groceries on weekdays. Don’t shop during weekends and paydays. If you can afford the higher price tags of items that can be bought through the phone, internet, or third-party services, then go ahead and buy them. If you treat time as gold, then the extra time you’ll be saving as a result of this act is worth much more than the extra money you’ll be spending. In case you really have no choice but to wait in line, then don’t waste your time complaining. Do something productive like reading a book, listening to educational tapes, or writing your future plans on your little notebook.

Social Media
Yes I said it. Social Media. Some individuals spend all day on Social Media sites and get absolutely nowhere. Social media is a power resource if you know what you’re doing. Automate your activities. Up grade your skills. Connect with a Social Media Coach such as myself to learn how to monetize your efforts or outsource it. Our World Wide Visibility movement is set for this very thing. to support you in your efforts to gain World Wide Visibility.

Email overwhelm

The ability to send emails has contributed to productivity in the office whether you have an office at home or in the workplace. It’s become such a part of our daily activities that we’ve forgotten about the snail mail which can end up being more effective due to the fact that some people don’t even open most of their emails.

However, there are certain downsides to using email as a means of communication. Do you check your emails many times in the day? If so you’re hampering your productivity. It can end up being a very time-consuming activity.

Traffic Traffic and more Traffic
This is another hair-pulling moment, especially when you’re running late for an important appointment. Avoid the rush hour by all means. Anticipate when a traffic jam is usually occurring during the day so you can adjust your commuting time. If your destination is not too far away, a walking session might
be a great idea to evade traffic, save on gas or money, and attain a healthy lifestyle.

I’ve shared with you a few time thieves and you may be asking “Okay Robin that’s all good but what do I do about it?” I’m glad you asked.

I’m hosting a Tele-series “Get it Done – Make it Happen: Get Focused, Make Big Changes and Get Results!” I’ll be sharing some yummy insights on this very topic and more! If you’re serious about keeping your appointment with Destiny, manifesting your most desired results and ideal lifestyle while having time for what matters most, you don’t want to miss this call.

Go to http://bit.ly/90daysofempowermentinfo to secure your VIP ticket to my Tele-class. There are only 200 lines so secure your ticket and call in early.

Here’s to your empowering success!

“The Empowerment Diva”

“Time is money.” That three word sentence sums up the life of the woman entrepreneur. When your staff consists of only you, you realize quickly that passing the buck isn’t an option. Instead, you must quickly learn to sort through the multitude of tasks facing you each day and narrow down to only the key revenue- generating activities, while letting the majority of the “noise” fade away.

It’s a fact that you and every other entrepreneur in existence have one thing in common – a 24 hour day. However, what you DO with those 24 hours can be the single difference between having a profitable business or having to take on a side job.

I’m going to give you an opportunity to discover  several ways you can increase your productivity by narrowing down and focusing on the tasks that are going to move you towards your biggest money goals. You’ll learn about prioritizing your daily tasks, grouping them for greater efficiency, and how to keep on top of all the various projects you have going, so you don’t drop any critical elements.

Though you may already feel pressed for time (and the thought of attending a call seems like just another of countless things to do), I encourage you to take a break from your crazy schedule, sit down and secure your place for this call. The time you invest will be paid back in greater efficiency – and therefore profit.

Join me for my no cost call!

Tap into irrefutable productivity secrets and cure patterns of
disempowering habits so you can realize a juicy manifestation of more
time and more money.

What if I told you that you could change your life for-ever?

What if I told you that it could happen within 45 minutes and totally up-level in under 8 weeks?

I will be facilitating a phenomenal Tele-series Total Transformation: Simple secrets to Maximum Empowerment, Mega Mindset Breakthroughs and Total Wellness

Do you feel like you need a total overhaul? Well I want to talk to you about
Total Transformation. And when I say total I mean total.

What is Transformation?
1: an act, process, or instance of transforming or being transformed
In the bible it reads; Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Notice it states renewing which is continual. It’s not a place of arrival and then you’re done. There are many things that come to stop us from reaching our destiny and fulfilling our purpose.

“Give me just 45 minutes
and I’ll share with you secrets to
realizing MEGA Mindset
Breakthroughs, maximum
EMPOWERMENT, Overcome
debilitating Fear, unleash the
Faith-full, Holistically Fit and
Fabulous you so you can realize
Total Transformation, manifest as the
unstoppable irresistible Kingdom
woman you were meant to be with
laser focus, an EMPOWERED mindset
and live an Authentically Brilliant
Diamond life!!”

Topic this week: Kingdom Woman Total Transformation:
Simple Secrets to Maximum Empowerment,
MEGA Mindset Breakthroughs and overcoming limiting
beliefs!!

When: First call
Thursday, February 24 at 1:00 pm PST, 3:00 pm CST, 4:00 pm EST
Can’t make the call?
My gift for this call only is the download of this power-packed audio teaching.

I will also be giving away over $897 in resources during the course of this Tele-series to registrants

of this call so be sure to register.

Register here: http://tinyurl.com/totaltransformationpr