Thursday, February 27, 2014

Improve Your Time Management to Improve Your Chances of Success

How to Hone Time Management Skills to Gain Business Success

Many professionals believe that in order to be successful in their business they must dedicate all of their time and essentially their entire lives to working. Setting enormous goals and working 24/7 can actually evoke feelings that are the complete opposite of success – people who dedicate so much time to working often feel physically and mentally exhausted, frustrated and like they are not accomplishing enough for the time they are putting in. It is possible, however, to become greatly successful without being consumed by work all of the time.


Eliminate Unnecessary Tasks

One of the biggest pitfalls of time management is trying to do everything all of the time. It is almost impossible for a single person to complete all of the tasks that everyone wants completed in a reasonable amount of time. An important element of time management success is focusing time and energy on the tasks and people you personally value most. This will help eliminate those menial tasks that are not that important and eat up precious hours out of the day. By working toward and focusing on what is truly important, it will help get those tasks done faster and increase productivity overall.

Delegation May be Necessary

When you have a lot on your plate and need to focus on the important tasks and responsibilities, it may be time to delegate some of the smaller, less important tasks to others. For some people, delegating tasks is difficult because they do not want to burden others or do not trust them to do as good of a job. In order to put the right amount of energy into important work, it may be necessary to let others help. It is important to trust in the knowledge and ability of the other professionals in a team and make the effort to work together to relieve each other’s work loads.

Create an Action Plan for Goals

Some professionals believe that having a goal and working tirelessly towards it is enough to see success. Unfortunately, many people with this mentality fail personally and professionally before they even truly get started. Part of effective time management is planning – in order to achieve goals and dreams without spending endless hours working it is important to create a detailed action plan. This will help outline all the assignments that need to get completed in order to reach a goal. This will also establish a timeline of when things need to get accomplished instead of trying to complete them all at once.

Success, both in business and in life, is something that almost everyone strives to achieve. Traditionally thinking has many of us believing that in order to achieve professional success we must put in the time – and a lot more of it than we truly need to. Enormous success can be achieved in a reasonable amount of working time when proper time management is implemented. By eliminating unimportant tasks, not being afraid to delegate and creating a detailed action plan, you will be well on your way to success without spending more time working then absolutely needed.

If you would like to talk to Stacy O'Quinn on how to get your work from home job started off effectively, please click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Earls37a via Creative Commons License

Friday, February 21, 2014

Stay Positive for Success



How to Create a Positive Environment in Both Your Professional and Personal Life

stacy oquinn, dani johnson

Being successful both at home and in the office is something that many people strive for – but success is not just measured by a yearly salary or other numerical value. Being successful encompasses a lot of different aspects including relationships, outlook, and personal perception. One of the building blocks for success in these areas is positivity. Here we will discuss the ways to create a positive environment in which to breed both professional and personal successes.

Creating Positive Relationships


Relationships are probably the most important element in all of our lives, and success does not only hinge on our professional relationships. Having a good relationship with our spouses and family members is just as important as having a good relationship with our peers and supervisors at work. So, what is the secret to building positive relationships with all the people in our lives? The answer is simple – engage people in conversation, voice needs and wants appropriately and truly listen to others. Everyone wants to be heard, and having the ability to truly listen to and understand their needs and wants will make a huge impact on them.

Develop a Positive Outlook

Even though relationships with others are important, so is your personal outlook on life. If doom and gloom is all that is thought about when discussing the future, than that is what the future will be. Now, this is not to say that everyone should think life is all rainbows and butterflies, but constantly getting down on life and not having a positive outlook is no way to move through life. When you have a positive outlook on the present and the future, you are more willing to strive for success and make the most of relationships. A positive outlook can also motivate people to do more or do better, which ultimately leads to many professional and personal successes.

Perceive Yourself Positively

Creating positive relationships and having a positive outlook are two ways people can change how they are perceived by others – but what how a person perceives themselves? Self-perception is also very important in reaching personal and professional goals and can easily hinge on the people around a specific person. Individuals who have a negative self-perception more often than not have people around them influencing that feeling. This may not be direct, such as calling someone lazy or unmotivated, but can be indirect by unknowingly modeling others behaviors. In order to gain a positive outlook, surround yourself with like-minded, optimistic people.

When striving for success, it is easy to become disappointed when we do not achieve our goals right away. Instead of allowing the negativity to take over, it is important to keep in mind that positivity is one of the many keys to success. By creating strong relationships, having a positive outlook and surrounding yourself with like-minded, encouraging people it can be much easier to take life’s hurdles in stride and keep moving toward the overall goal of personal and professional success.

Are you ready to start a home business? Need help finding ideas on how you can become a successful small business owner? To discuss your business with Stacy O'Quinn, click here.

Monday, February 17, 2014

Keep Your Small Business Financially On Track






Tips for Keeping Business Finances in Order

small business taxes
Running a small business is a lot of work and there are many things that owners need to keep in order. On top of managing products or services, employees and customer relations, it is also important to properly manage a small business’s finances. This is important for not only paying employees or filing taxes, but also having updated and accurate figures to track growth and find information such as the cash-flow projection. Here are some tips to help keep business finances on track.

Separate Personal Finances from Business Finances

One of the most important things to do to help keep a small business on track is to keep personal and business assets separate. One of the biggest mistakes small business owners make is running their entire company out of their personal bank account. By separating these accounts, a business owner can help protect their personal finances. Also, having a separate business account makes is easier run vital reports and business management tasks.

Keep Paperwork Organized and Accurate

It is important to keep track of receipts and important paperwork - these types of items are crucial when trying to run some professional reports and filing taxes. One of the first steps in keep these items organized is by utilizing user-friendly bookkeeping software which makes it easy to input expenses and payments. Many of them even have the capability to generate financial reports based on that information.

Benefits of Keeping Accurate Financial Records

When there is an accurate record of financial transactions and reports are generated, business owners are able to see trends in their business. This can help them identify opportunities and see where more attention may be needed. This will also help business owners price their good and services competitively, trim excess spending, and pace growth over time. Most importantly, having finances in order can help manage the businesses cash flow, which helps important bills to get paid on time.

Many small business owners bury their head in the sand when it comes to the finances – many people feel that they do not have enough experience or the time to deal with this important aspect of any business. It is important to get over this financial learning curve to help keep the business on track. By keeping personal and business accounts separate and keeping paperwork in order, a small business owner can reap the benefits by seeing trends and managing cash flow. 

Are you struggling to keep your small business organized? Can you benefit from home business training? If you want Stacy to help you, click here.

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Learning from Your Business Mistakes Can Lead to Success



Making Mistakes Is Not Necessarily Bad, but Repeating Them Is!

Hey, we all make mistakes. Find me the person that says they have never made one and I will show you a liar! I made plenty of financial mistakes early on, resulting in five figures of debt. Once I started my own business, I made more mistakes, but I learned from them and continued to move forward. Those mistakes and the lessons they taught me are a large part of who I am today and what I share with my team members.

Instead of denying that you made a mistake, simply own up to it and try to fix the problem, not add to it. If you do not mentally accept the mistake, you are making it that much more likely that it will happen again. If you are a small business owner with employees, try to create the same culture with your staff. Allow them to bring mistakes to you and use it is a learning tool instead of a disciplinary one. If the problem continues, that is another issue entirely but initially, take the attitude that it is a teaching opportunity.

Once the mistake has been recognized, it is time to figure out how it happened. By getting to the root cause, you can break it down and figure out a solution. Here is a quick checklist of questions to ask yourself to try to narrow it down:
1.       Did we prepare properly for good execution?
2.       Did we execute our plan properly?
3.       Were we being unrealistic in what we expected from our plan?
4.       Did we deviate from the original plan?
5.       Were we making assumptions rather than decisions based upon fact?

It also helps to look at the problem from the outside in. I have found this to be a very useful tool, especially when working with new staff members. Have them approach the situation as a customer. Role-playing the situation out is a great way to make them understand why and how the situation broke down in the way that it did.

One of my favorite sayings is that "repetition breeds habit." I like to use this during training to stress the fact that if you do things right every time, it becomes habit to do them right EVERY time. It simply becomes second nature. Take a short cut once and you may very well get lucky and it works. Make this short cut a habit and the odds will eventually catch up to you and problems will arise. Simply put, avoid bad habits and you will naturally eliminate mistakes.

A term very popular in the sports world is that you have to have a short memory. If you are closer in baseball and give up a home run, you need to forget about it and move on. If you are a QB and throw a late game interception, you need to want to get back out there and have another chance. In business, you cannot let mistakes bother you. What you do need to do is figure out how they happened, fix the problem, learn from your mistake, and move on. That is how you turn a bad situation into an opportunity and continue to keep your business moving forward. 

Would you like to learn how you can become a successful home business owner? Click here

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Learn from Others to Make Your Work at Home Business a Success






Finding Reliable Information to Cultivate Work at Home Business Achievements

work at home mentor
In business, just like many other aspects of life, it takes learning from others’ experiences to be successful. Professionals working from a home based business do not have the luxury of walking to a coworker’s desk and asking for advice. Because of this, it is important to look for reliable information from other professionals in the home based business field.

Search for Legitimate Home Based Business Blogs

One way to get advice from other home based professionals is by reading their blogs. Many of these professionals maintain these sites to keep customers up to date on what they are doing or provide information that is relevant to their products or services. Seeking out this information is a great way to see what other professionals are doing and how their customers perceive it. It is also a way to gather ideas to use in one’s own business.

It is important to be cautious by making sure the information that is being found is from legitimate home business owners. Anyone can go online, create a blog, and fill it with content for the public to see. When looking for authentic blogs, try researching the company the blogger claims to own or work for and the individual themselves. If the business does not appear to be legitimate, chances are the company and the owners of the blog are not legitimate either.

Find a Work at Home Business Mentor

Another great way to learn best practices is to get in touch with another professional who has seen success in their business. It is amazing the things that can be learned when sitting down with someone who is experienced and picking their brain. If a great at home business or professional’s blog is found, why not reach out to them and ask for a meeting or phone call? This will be a great opportunity to learn firsthand the things that work and the things that do not in at home businesses.

Successful business practices do not come naturally for everyone – it is a normal occurrence in almost every industry for professionals to seek out other professionals for advice. Although this may be a challenge for those who own a work at home business a little research and making a connection with a mentor can create a huge difference.

Are you interested in learning more about a work at home mentor so start your own home business? Visit Stacy O'Quinn's business blog today to learn more. Click here.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Prioritizing for Success



How to Become an Effective Multitasker

When it comes to being successful in both a work life and a home life, it is important to master the most basic skills. One of these important skills is multitasking, which in itself encompasses many other skills such as listening and prioritizing. Being an effective multitasker can lead to great success in both a professional and personal life. Here are some key strategies to mastering the skill of multitasking.

Become a Tentative Listener

One of the skills that make up multitasking is being a good listener. Aside from simply hearing what a coworker or loved one is saying, it is important to also understand what they are expressing or asking for. Many people may believe that they are good listeners, but when they miss the mark on an assignment or request, it can make other individuals feel like they are not being heard. Listening is important to everything we do and every relationship we have in both our personal and professional lives.

Prioritize Appropriately

In today’s busy world, it is important to be able to balance many different aspects of life – work, family, relationships, responsibilities and finances can all be hard to juggle. Another important skill that is tied to multitasking is being able to prioritize. This starts by figuring out what is most important and making it a point to get those things accomplished. This may seem like a tall order, but being able to apply the appropriate time and effort to important projects or family events can make a huge difference in life.

Start Multitasking Thoughts

Multitasking the mind brings together both listening and prioritizing. When interacting with coworkers or family, it is important to tentatively listen to what they are saying and making their needs a priority in the mind. This will help to genuinely hear what they need and make them feel appreciated. When working alone on assignments, it is important to not let the mind get distracted with other needs– although they are important also being able to prioritize thoughts will help keep actions on track.

In general, people believe that multitasking is having the skills and time to juggle many aspects of both work and home at once but, it is much more than that. Being an effective multitasker means the ability to truly listen to what is being asked of them and prioritize different aspects of their life appropriately. Multitasking can be the key to a happy work-life balance for many busy professionals.

If you are interested in starting your own work from home business, please click here.