Get Organized: Post Your Daily Schedule
As an independent consultant, you will spend some days in the field doing projects and others in the office doing preparation and administration work. It is those days when you are working in the office that are the hardest to keep organized; there seems to be a million things that need to be done, both personal and work-related.
To keep yourself organized and focused while working in the office, you should create a daily schedule and post it near your desk.
To help you get started, I have listed a few items that you can include on your schedule, with a brief description of each.
Check and Respond to Voicemails and Emails: It is a good idea to set specific times to manage your voicemails and emails, maybe 2-3 times per day for 30 minutes each. This way you do not feel obligated to step away from an important task to answer the phone or respond to an email.
I use to check my email every time I was alerted of a new message, or answer the phone whenever it rang. I would stop mid-way through a task to answer the phone, and once the conversation was over, I had a hard time re-focusing, or I would immediately respond to a new email, and by the time I responded to that one, another one came in. Before I knew it, I had spent half the day responding to emails.
Now, I have specific times for checking and responding to both voicemails and emails. This minor change has made all the difference in me getting through my daily tasks without working longer hours.
Organize Business: This includes maintaining your calendar, creating and mailing invoices to clients, signing and mailing contracts, paying bills, purchasing needed materials, etc.
Brainstorm/Research: Fresh ideas are key to running a successful business and maintaining leverage. Never get laxed with what you have accomplished, and always seek out opportunities to expand and grow your business.
I usually set aside an hour to brainstorm and write down new business ideas. A lot of my ideas spark from an interesting conversation, a website I have visited, a book I recently read, etc.
Client Contact: You should take a few minutes out of your day to make a new client contact or follow up with an existing client regarding future projects. You can find new contacts by searching the phone book and/or online job boards.
Project Preparation: If you have an upcoming project, class, or seminar, you should spend a couple hours looking over the information and preparing your materials. It does not matter how many times or how familiar you are with a topic, there is always room for improvement, a better way to relay the information, or more to learn.
Website Maintenance: If you have a business site, you should take time to keep it updated. If you have a webmaster who does your updates, you should use this time to jot down new information that you would like to be presented on your site, or any changes that need to be made. Your online presence is very important, so be sure to keep your site well-polished and up-to-date.
Miscellaneous Tasks: There are several other tasks that will pop up during the day, and you should set aside an hour or so for those tasks.
Breaks: Think of your business as a normal job, and be sure to take a break every now and then. Never try to do too much at one time. It will only cause frustration and burn-out.
If I am working all day in the office, I usually take a 30 minute break in the morning, an hour lunch, and a 30 minute break in the afternoon. By doing so, I maintain a sense of focus and routine, my ideas flow easier, and my work load seems lighter.
Challenge: Using this template I created, or your own, take time today and create a generalized schedule and post it in your office. Determine a time-frame for each task (for example, 9:00a - 10:15a). Feel free to include any of the items I’ve mentioned above. By doing this, you will be more organized and efficient with your time in the office.
Posted on December 5, 2007
Filed Under Organization
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