Why feel bad of being a “small business” owner?
It never ceases to amaze me when I see small business people introducing themselves as an entrepreneur because they think it conveys a certain level of professional achievement. It is too awful to see “small business” owners reluctant to admit their individuality as much to themselves or to their colleagues.
I think there is an important lesson to be learned here. Small business owners, who think of themselves as entrepreneurs, ignore the advantages their small business is bringing to them, so I thought of highlighting few of them;
- Entrepreneurs, talk all about big plans and large-scale profits while small business owners work their way through day to day.
- An entrepreneur builds a big business with someone else’s money and wants it to be strong enough to last for long time while a small businessperson launches everything on his own and enjoys the craft of doing it everyday.
- Small business people often take fewer risks and make more money with less hectic while entrepreneurs face extensive challenges and get to pay large expenses.
- Usually, the entrepreneurs cannot ignore their business for a longer period while small businesspersons can enjoy long vacations, as they do not have things relying on others.
Building a business is about freedom, so it is important for you to decide who you are going to be as you walk in the world eventually.
I hope this post does not make me sound an anti-entrepreneur, but I really want small business owners feel proud of their identity.
For the ones who do not agree with my perspective, your thoughts are more than welcome.
Path of E-mail Nirvana
“Just imagine how effectively you can work if someone keeps on shouting at you “Look at me!” after every few minutes”
Yeah, you guessed it right! I am talking about the email monster, which keeps on bugging you while working. Few days back, a company ran an email usage survey of 300 email users, composed largely of technology workers. Unsurprisingly, there were number of respondents who thought they could not flourish without emails while 80% of them were frenzied by the maintenance of these mails.
The bottom line is that emails are unavoidable in today’s high-tech age but you need to come up with a workable strategy for your emails. Below, I’ll walk you through some of the tips from my personal experiences which are likely to help you get the better of the emails.
Tip # 1:
It’s time to check your inbox: No one expects you to answer a mail as soon as you get it. Dedicate specific time to check your mails but while checking ensure that you reply them as well.
Tip # 2:
Organize your mails using technology: If spam mails continue to be a problem, use a spam controller. As spam has overtaken mailboxes over the world, using spam controlling tools has become essential for regular mail users.
Tip # 3:
Avoid Email Chains: Sort out subjective and complicated matters using a phone rather than creating a flurry of mails which go back and forth. It can take away a lot of your precious time.
Tip # 4:
Mail when necessary: To avoid confusions and wastage of time, refrain from mailing for minute issues. Not only does this reduce the clutter in your inbox, it lets you get to the important emails faster.
Tip # 5:
Say “no” to lengthy mails: Lengthy mails are tedious and ineffective. In order to save your time you need to write small mails, so you also receive the reply in the same manner.
Tip # 6:
Archive if no deleting: Some of non-critical mails you receive are of no use, but still you prefer keeping them in a record. For this purpose, list them out from your relevant mails and archive them systematically.
I guess these tips will really increase your productivity without being a slave to e-mails. Try the tips and do let me know if they helped you find the path of email-nirvana!
Conquer the World Wearing Bunny Slippers
Image by Ben McLeod
The never-ending debate of home office, has been going around for long time. “How do I, can I” are the suspicious questions one keeps on asking himself. Everyone can work from home; opting the right industry is the hard part.
Now comes the main issue, how to find an appropriate home business option. I have summarized the process into four key steps to find or create a perfect virtual job. Look!
Know What You’re Good At:
Figure out your interest and know in what type of business you can give your best. If you are having trouble finding out what you can be good at or what you want to do exactly, try running through the exercise ‘Finding Your At Home Work Option’, listed on different home business sites.
Prepare yourself to work with all distractions:
You need to ask yourself if you can work with all the uninvited distractions one have to face while working at home, an irritating child, unexpected guests…etc. Just because you get that cool job you’ve dreamed of for years doesn’t always mean you’re ready for it.
Prepare yourself to work with all distractions:
You need to ask yourself if you can work with all the uninvited distractions one have to face while working at home, an irritating child, unexpected guests…etc. Just because you’ve dreamed of working from home for years doesn’t always mean you’re ready for it.
Get an Assistant:
Running a business setup from home can be very daunting at times because marketing a business and fulfilling customer demands, is a full time job. With the growing idea of working from home, the trend of hiring a virtual assistant is also on rise. You can hire someone to do the routine tasks of your business, gather materials or find clients for you and market the business, so you can completely focus on making productive strategies for your business.
Plan a Flexible Setup:
Full-time businesses require a dedicated office area designed for comfort and function. You need to plan carefully to have an efficient, flexible and multipurpose office. After all, the work you produce is highly influenced by your work environment.
Therefore, have confidence in yourself and continue nurturing your business - and if you are lucky, you just might see your business grow into the business of your dreams. I am sure, following the above given key tips will help you challenge big corporate companies.
