The Mistake of Multitasking

Being able to juggle several tasks and multi task is a skill that may or may not prove to be an asset for business professionals. Job descriptions in every level of an organization routinely mention the need for an employee that can work on several projects concurrently usually within a dynamically changing work environment. 

But is multitasking an effective and efficient way to accomplish entrepreneurial tasks?

Type in "the argument against multitasking" in your Google search box, and you will find that several professionals in diverse industries believe multitasking to be a hindrance. The argument seems to be growing in popularity that accomplishing tasks in a sequential manner is far more efficient than attempting to do many at once. 

Perhaps this is the point of the old childhood exercise of patting ones head while rubbing their stomach at the same time. In this exercise, it is easy to see that doing both actions causes one action to be slowed, or stopped altogether. 

The mistake in multitasking is assuming that the same quality of work provided for each project will be the same. Even while completing several projects, it is important to focus on one project at a time so that attention to small details is not compromised. The quality of work is far more important than quantity, especially in service based industries where customer satisfaction is directly related to return business and referrals.

Imagine walking into your local supermarket and having the cashier check out your groceries and someone else's at the same time. This would cause many problems from a customer perspective:

• Customer will not receive the same attention they would have without competing for the cashiers service
• Customer is more likely to be annoyed by the above fact alone; but add the increasing possibility of double scans or money errors and the customer could become irate
• Customers with an agenda to steal would have more opportunity to do so

The issues from the company perspective would include:

• Slowed productivity in the store
• Higher rate of complaints from annoyed customers
• Higher rate of errors in handling cash and resolving customer concerns

As entrepreneurs, multitasking can spell disaster. When working on several projects, it is better to develop a schedule where one project will be worked on at certain times before moving on to another. Scheduling the day so that each project has a time slot with small goals or objectives will produce better quality work allowing the brain to focus on a particular issue. Focusing is difficult to achieve when the mind is attempting to process several requests at the same time.

Even if duties cannot be completed in the time allotted, working in sequence saves time, increases quality, and reduces possibility of mistakes and stress. Just as computers slow when too many requests are sent at once, so does the brain take longer to process requests when bombarded by too many at once. 

Do you disagree or have an experience you can share about multitasking and its effect on your business?

ChrissyBiz Solutions provides clients with customized, results-driven web marketing strategies. Our primary business writing duties include: article marketing,  search engine optimized web copy, blog content, social media, press releases, and newsletters  designed to drive traffic to your website and influence buyers decisions when purchasing products and services.

Contact ChrissyBiz today to discuss the impact that web marketing copy can have on your business.

Business Plan: Operation Plan | Operation With Excellence | Part 1

We've discussed the marketing and financials of a successful business plan. Next, we move on to the operations component of the plan. Success in your marketing and recouping any funds invested in your business will be dependent on how business operations are operated. 

You will need to consider who will actually be involved in daily operations, what the business hours will be, how many hours a day will you be open to gain the maximum profit, where you will be located, and include the technology plan you will implement. Deep thought should be given to this section as how you operate will distinguish you from competitors and hopefully give you an advantage over them as well. Your goal is to implement a strategy that will give you the most profit, use your time most productively, and capitalize on mistakes of others in your industry to make your business better. 

Think about what it is that causes customers to leave a storefront, or click off a webpage. What are things that cause you to feel companies are incompetent or very efficient? Never allow your business mind to over take your common sense and observations as a consumer. Find a balance between the two that allows you to use your business sense to the best of your ability and incorporate what you know from your experience with brands, vendors, and businesses. 

Key components to this section include:

• Facilities -- comprehensive information to include size, costs, location, lease terms, & any special considerations.
• Manufacturing / Production Plan -- how will you produce your product or service? Be detailed. Being specific will allow you to immediately notice processes that can be eliminated to make workflow more efficient. How many people will it take to produce your product? 
• Equipment and Technology -- This section will include everything you plan to use from a printer, fax, and copier, to mobile apps and scanners, desks, types of laptops, everything. To include everything, start from the beginning of production, to the end of your product / service. Write down every piece of equipment that is involved in making your business run. You will need price information as well. 
• Variable Labor Requirements -- Do you need the same workforce at peak hours that you need in the morning? How many part time or full time employees will you need? What types of skills will you need these people to possess? Try your best to gain the best value from your workforce as possible by hiring people with several skill sets, that can fulfill several roles. Make sure you have accounted for their cost to the company, and develop a salary to attract the most efficient and productive type of employee. 
• Inventory Management -- How will you maintain accountability? How you will make sure you always have what you need on hand?
• Supply and Distribution -- Where will you get your supplies? How will you get it to your market? What channels do you need to make the process as efficient and cost effective as possible?
• Order Fulfillment and Customer Service -- How will customers place orders and how will you deal with their needs, complaints, concerns, and questions? What steps can you take to develop FAQ's, customer feedback plans, and surveys beforehand to be prepared for the success of your company?
• Research and Development -- How will you stay abreast of the most cutting edge developments in your industry and make sure you are incorporating them into your business? How much money and time will you allocate to this? Some companies will only need to pay for conferences and classes to be competitive in the area while others will have to be more aggressive. Technological, medical, automotive, and technical fields must invest a lot of time and money in this area if they want to remain in business.
  
  
  
• Quality Control -- Deming was a business guru that was able to revitalize a dying industry because of his belief in continuous improvement. How will you maintain the standards of your product or service? Are there federal requirements? What process will you employ to keep the reputation of your business in good standing by producing quality products or services?
• Safety, Health, Environmental Concerns -- Extremely important section. What does the federal and local government require for operations and disposal of the materials you are using? Are there any posting requirements you must have in your facility. Time spent on this section will save you money with law suits and liability issues. Ignorance to the law is no excuse for the law; employees are entitled to work in an environment free from health hazards. Obviously, some industries have inherent risks involved, and www.OSHA.gov will answer any questions you may have about your workplace.

Other considerations and the technology plan specifics will be posted in part 2. Stay tuned.

ChrissyBiz Solutions provides clients with customized, results-driven web marketing strategies. Our primary business writing duties include: article marketing,  search engine optimized web copy, blog content, social media, press releases, and newsletters  designed to drive traffic to your website and influence buyers decisions when purchasing products and services.

Contact ChrissyBiz today to discuss the impact that web marketing copy can have on your business.

15 Monday Motivators

We all know the saying "It's a Monday" followed by the wrinkled face and sometimes sluggish productivity. SNAP OUT OF IT! If you are an entrepreneur or work from home, you need to be excited! You work for yourself, answer to yourself, and can control your own schedule.

Remember these motivators next time you want to speak negatively about your Monday morning duties. 

1. You are alive, and have an opportunity to impact your customers today at your own pace, in your own space
2. Your attitude going into the day will definitely reflect in your work and productivity
3. If you planned properly on Saturday or Sunday, you will be fine
4. You determine your workflow and how you want to complete your tasks
5. You decide when you want to take a break
6. Your clients need you, else they would not hire you
7. You can have unlimited amounts of caffeine or tea and save money by brewing it yourself
8. No one will make annoying comments about your Pandora station
9. No commute or secretly cursing the driver in front of you in the AM traffic
10. You're saving money on gas 
11. You're saving money on your wardrobe as well
12. Your cell phone and internet bills can be written off at tax time
13. Even the space you dedicate to your home office is a tax write-off
14. No more avoiding the annoying co-worker at lunch time
15. Lunch is what you want, when you want

These are just 15 motivators I thought of -- what are your Monday Motivators?

ChrissyBiz Solutions provides clients with customized, results-driven web marketing strategies. Our primary business writing duties include: article marketing,  search engine optimized web copy, blog content, social media, press releases, and newsletters  designed to drive traffic to your website and influence buyers decisions when purchasing products and services.

Contact ChrissyBiz today to discuss the impact that web marketing copy can have on your business.

Performing Daily Audits to Increase Your Productivity

Remaining on task is going to be dependent partly upon how well your schedule is arranged. To get there, you will have to perform daily audits and make small adjustments. This could take you a week or two, may be less. All that is required is an honest look at the way you have arranged your tasks and how they are arranged in relation to others.

This step will expose areas where you have lumped activities and areas where you need to give yourself more time. This is where 30 minute time slots will prove if they need more time on your schedule or should be moved altogether.

These daily audits are a part of another important concept in business, Continuous Improvement. How smoothly your day is running can be changed during this process and most importantly, this is where you can see any positive or negative gains and assess what you can do to change them. Depending on your craft and business, big differences in your productivity may be seen just based on when you schedule certain tasks.

So what are some criteria you should use to audit your schedule?

1. How easy is it for you to transition from one task to another?
2. Do your transitions require physical change in location or just shift in thinking?
3. Do you like the way your schedule is arranged?
4. Have any changes in your life required you to change some things around?
5. Are you seeing positive changes?

All of these questions must be considered when you perform your audits. All of them will help you take an objective look at the way your schedule is now and how it may be affecting your productivity. If you are finding that transitioning from one task to another is an issue, move it elsewhere. Schedule things together that are in close proximity OR in some cases, schedule them so that you may have a break from one task and begin one that is unrelated -- giving your brain a breather.

If you are not in love with the way your schedule is arranged, that is actually enough reason to make changes. It is your schedule and if you do not like it, you are not likely to adhere to it. Additionally, a new responsibility or external schedule shift may cause you to alter your schedule as well. Finally, do you feel positive and see positive changes in the way your workflow is going with these changes? The entire goal is to show improvement, not add more headache. Scheduling properly can make your workflow more efficient and increase your productivity. The daily audits will allow you to always make adjustments that are needed, as they come. Give yourself the flexibility to make improving your productivity an ongoing process, employing these steps systematically to see maximum results.