And as you know, Amazon is great at up-selling, so once a visitor searches for somethign with your little weapon, they are “cookied” to you by Amazon.

And for a short time, you get the developer license at the regular price. This WILL change very soon, so don’t procrastinate!

 . 

Want to see it in action? Take a look in my sidebar an play with it: you’ll fall in love with it, and so will everyone visiting your site, increasing your Amazon commissions.

Get your own copy of Zon Discount Finder before the price goes up.

In other words we no longer can do one without the other. They both go hand in hand. As such let’s take a look below at five tips for new blog owners on how best to include and use social media as part of an overall blog marketing arsenal.

1. Integrate From The Beginning – don’t wait till you’ve become established and popular. Add social media to your blog from day one. You never know who will be listening or who might pick up an interest in your site and want to connect with you via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Google Plus. So we consider it a smart move on your behalf to include social media on your blog right away from day one.

2. Make Your Content Easy To Share – there are lots of plugins, add-ons and widgets that allow you to place Google Plus, Twitter or Facebook on your blog. However some work better than others and some are more streamlined than others. Find the tool that works best for you and your specific blog design, colors, size and so on. Also it might be best not too add to many buttons and widgets – as a reader might get confused on which one to use. Make it easy, the easier the better. Never underestimate the power of EASY.

3. Use It Yourself – are you an active user of one (or more) of the social networks? We understand that each one is time consuming and therefore you might not be able to contribute regularly to each. In this case, it might be necessary to “cherry pick” and decide which one you prefer and will become an active member of. Whichever one you choose, go for it – at full throttle.

4. Keep Up With Changes – another constant in social media is the myriad of changes that take place. Facebook alone is known for their constant upgrades and changes. This can be hard to manage and or keep up with, however no one wants to be “behind the ball”. So in this case, one thing you can do is to subscribe to the various blogs and sites that keep up with the changes for you. Mashable comes to mind, they usually report on the various changes from the big three in social media.

5. Outsource, If No Time – if you simply do not have the time to incorporate social media for your blog at this time. Then it might be necessary to outsource the task. Look in the various job boards that have job listings in social media such as the Problogger Job Board. This one only charges $50 for a listing that last 30 days. A good deal since this is a job board visited daily by web professionals who are experienced and savvy with social media.

Using a blog today to promote a business has become commonplace and for good reason. It works. When used correctly and strategically it can bring you traffic, sales, clients, prospects, leads, etc. When combined with social media it can bring about untold wonders.

Guest article written by Missy Diaz who works for various clients including a website builder tool on the web.

1. Quality over quantity. Sometimes the most important principles are also the most obvious, but people still overlook them all the time. While you want your links to be visible and attract the attention of as many people at once, you do not want to flood the internet with irrelevant links. If you are foolish enough to do that, you will dilute your brand, and your links will become synonymous with spam. Instead, be mindful of where your links appear, and make sure if someone clicks them, they lead somewhere relevant and engaging. Remember this is the guiding principle of good SEO practices. You provide quality content that is optimized so people can find you, not junk content that is trying to trick people into landing on your page.
2. Embrace social media. It seems every web page you go to these days is asking you to like it on Facebook, Tweet about it on Twitter, or share it over a variety of sites including Digg, delicious, and LinkedIn. If someone does decide to do any or all of those things, you have just received the most valuable word of mouth possible. We all tend to pay more attention to these because people we like and admire are deciding something is noteworthy enough to recommend. Depending on your venture, this can seem silly sometimes, but it is a simple element to integrate into your website which can pay off big time.
3. Share your opinion. Both Review and Q&A sites are extensions of social media, but they do deserve their own special category. While tracking what others say about your company and responding in a professional way are both good practices, writing reviews of other products and answering questions are also excellent ways to establish yourself as a resource. Amazon’s review and list sections are great ways to build relationships (and links) with consumers. Make sure that when you do this, your submissions are genuine, relevant to your brand, and truly helpful.
4. Expand your website. These days, the most interesting (and SEO link friendly) websites are ones that offer more than just an avenue to whatever you are selling. Resource sections that explain things that relate to your products and provide instructions or ideas on how to use your services can add some quality content to your website. Yes, your website needs to be functional, but it can also be fun and informative. Blogs and forums are two other great ways to expand your website’s reach and foster deeper connections with prospective clients. Just make sure you are offering quality content and not content for content’s sake. If you need to hire a person or an SEO firm to manage that for you, do so. It will be a worthwhile investment.

Focus on what is a good fit for you. Whether you are manufacturing widgets, making rock n’ roll, or offering a service that makes people’s lives easier, your primary focus should be on doing whatever it is you do well. When you provide something of value, link building will happen as enthusiasts spread the word. That does not mean you should not run contests, upload instructional videos to YouTube, or be an active internet presence. It means that balance and authenticity will mean more than throwing everything on the web to see what sticks. Invest your resources wisely and do not hesitate to secure some professional SEO help.

Link building is still one of the best ways to increase your website’s link popularity and page rank. Building SEO links in positive ways makes a significant impact. Ryan Michael Farrell is a professional off site SEO specialist for the search engine marketing firm Wpromote.

Before looking to outsource any of your business work, think about what jobs you can outsource.  There are several considerations that are included in that decision.  The last thing you want is to compromise the trust of your customers by making a wrong decision.

Confidentiality

Whenever you are dealing with a business, there are confidentiality issues.  Your clients trust you with their personal and financial information.  Anyone working for you must have that same level of commitment to the clients that you have.  Outsourcing work that will include this and other sensitive information about your business needs to be placed in the right hands.

Draw up a confidentiality contract.  Anyone who wants to work for you must sign this contract stating that they will not reveal any information that they are given to a third party.  Also, any work that they do for you is proprietary, meaning it belongs to you and not them.  No one wants any breach of confidence but if there is one, you have a legal right to sue for damages with a signed contract.

Time Constraints

Working with someone who is in the same time zone has its perks.  You can communicate in the same time and that person can answer you back directly when you call, IM or email them.  It is like being in the same room.

On the other hand, a person working in another time zone presents a delay in getting some projects finished. You wouldn’t outsource a job with time constraints on deliverables if your contractor was half a world away. Communication would be challenging to say the least if you needed answers right away. Everything depends on your type of business and how you feel comfortable working.

Outsourced Jobs

Now, we are down to the nitty-gritty.  What jobs will you outsource to others?  Here is a short list of possible outsourcing opportunities:

•           Website content

•           Email marketing

•           Customer service

•           Billing

•           Taxes

•           Website design

•           Other marketing responsibilities

You’ll notice that some of these jobs don’t involve any sensitive information.  The ones that do require it need someone with the utmost of discretion.

Having a website is important for an online business.  Your website is where people will find you, get answers to their questions and buy your goods and services.  Static pages, old content and faulty buttons are not going to win you any new customers.  A website designer can handle the job of fixing website problems and making it search engine friendly.  On your own, it takes a while to learn the ins and outs of setting up a website and keeping it up.  Outsourcing to someone with these skills is a good idea especially if you know nothing about websites.

This concept is not just for the big companies.  Small business enterprises can use outsourcing to their benefit as well.  Whether you are running a small business out of your home or online, it takes work to keep everything running smoothly.  There don’t seem to be enough hours in the day to get all of the work done.

Consider outsourcing as a means of boosting your bottom line and lightening your load a bit.  With an online enterprise, usually you are the “everything person.” You function as the bookkeeper, web designer, content writer, Internet marketer, customer service representative and the executive assistant.  It could take the better part of a day to respond to all of your business emails or to handle bills at the end of the month.

If you need help, there are affordable choices for small businesses.  For you, outsourcing in the virtual world is a great option.  People with certain expertise can help your business to grow.  The trouble is finding these people and more specifically, the right people to handle your business needs.

Outsourcing works best when you know what jobs you can outsource and which ones are best left in-house.  Also, learning the benefits of outsourcing makes you more confident and knowledgeable when looking for an individual or company to contract with.

Once you decide to outsource, you’ll need to know how to find who you are looking for.  Creating an application and interview process gives you tools to determine who will be the best fit for the jobs you want to outsource.  Virtual assistants are putting a new face on the process of outsourcing and proving themselves to be a great asset.

How would you like to get a press release distributed for only $5? How about a video created for the same amount? An article written? Keyword research done?

This list includes the best providers for those tasks and more!

REASONS FOR OUTSOURCING

Free Time

When you first start an online business, free time is non-existent.  Either you are setting up a website or marketing your business or answering emails.  Each job is important but it leaves no time for anything but work and sleep.

Many parents begin home businesses to spend more time with their families.  You may have that opportunity eventually, but in the beginning you’ll work almost as much as you did with your regular job.  Outsourcing allows you to get a few of those piles off of your desk and into the hands of someone else.  Life becomes a little better because you can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Increase Productivity

With small businesses, if you don’t do it, it won’t get done.  This includes the big M – marketing.  In order to sell your goods and services, people need to know that you exist.  Putting the word out there about you requires a marketing strategy that includes advertising.  Just researching the market and establishing an online presence takes a big chunk of time each day.

When you outsource some of the tasks within your business, it leaves more opportunities for you to handle more pressing work of the business that requires your attention.  Developing a marketing plan involves trial and error but that won’t bother you as long as you know that all your other bases are covered through outsourced companies or individuals.

Better Customer Service

Anyone who has ever owned a business or patronized one knows how important customer service is.  A business, especially a small one or an online enterprise can be made or broken on the strength of their customer service program.  Each customer wants to feel special, as if they are the only one that you have.

A good customer service program takes care of their new and returning customers.  Questions and emails are answered promptly.  Issues with merchandise are rectified rapidly.  Outsourcing customer service to a third party frees you from answering business related emails or telephone calls.  The customer’s need is met and you only answer emails or calls from anyone who needs your expertise to handle their situation.

Increased Profits

You go into business to make money.  It is true that you want to be the boss, but without money coming into the business your stint as head honcho will be short lived.  Maybe you want to expand your business but don’t see how without some additional help.  Outsourcing some of the daily duties allows you to focus on streamlining business functions and finding new markets to explore.

Lower Overhead Costs

If you have more money coming in than going out, you are doing something right.  One way to lower your costs is to hire virtual contractors instead of employees.  Employers are responsible for their employees’ health care benefits package and unemployment insurance.

Outsourced jobs are done by contractors.  Virtual assistants and other companies that you hire to take some of the burden off of you are also business owners.  As such, they pay for their own health insurance and any other expenses they might incur.  You don’t pay for equipment or lunches or breaks.  The actual time spent on your projects is all that you are being billed for.

Many online businesses use contractors instead of regular employees.  In the beginning, you usually can’t afford to have any full-time people working for you.  Outsourcing allows you to keep that status quo and increase your profits at the same time.

Employing Knowledge and Experience

As we stated before, outsourced work is done by contractors who are also working to build their own businesses.  They have built a reputation of reliability and on-time product delivery.  It is as important to them as it is to you to do a good job.

Most virtual assistants and other contractors bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table.  You might need a person who can answer your emails and perform customer service duties.  That same virtual assistant may have extensive experience in website building.  They can be of assistance to you further in other ways.

Choosing contractors, who have many talents instead of just the one you need at the time, will save you headache if and when you need more jobs outsourced.  A knowledgeable person can troubleshoot problems and answer your questions without the need to consult yet another person.

Around the Clock Service

When you run an online business, you deal with people in many different time zones and countries around the world.  While you are sleeping, your clients are just starting their day by bombarding your email and voicemail with messages.  That means a lot of busy work to do when you get going in the morning.

One thing to consider when outsourcing your work is the location of the contractor.  If they are living in another time zone, this benefits you because while you sleep, they are still working and taking care of clients.  It is like a 24 hour convenience store.  There is always someone on duty.  Handling responsibilities like that requires someone you trust implicitly.

Huge list of excellent providers you can outsource to!

I feel like kicking myself over and over again. At least my Jeet Kune Do training will be of some use. Sometimes the simplest things can increase traffic tremendously. And I am mad at myself for not doing it sooner.

Do you know that most of your blog readers would definitely have some kind of social media account? It could be Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus or maybe something else. Why not? Don’t you have a social media account with any of those websites? I bet you do. Because you are a blogger, a part of a blogger natural skill is to network online. And social media is a no-brainer thing.

If you have a social media account, why don’t your readers?

And because of that, you could easily be increasing traffic to your blog if you simply add a simple way for your existing readers to share your website with their friends.

I am going to tell you how — including a little ninja technique along with that will get more of your readers to share your website with their friends. (this guy does JKD and now he’s a ninja?)

I am sure you have seen it on other websites. You see little icons and buttons with logos of most common social media sites. Those little things are so tempting to click on. Especially when the blog that you read really captures your attention and you feel that this is worth sharing.

And when you click on them, the URL of the page that you are reading instantly appears on your Facebook Wall, or maybe just got Re-Tweeted it on Twitter.

Well, if you are using WordPress, there a really easy way to do that. You can simply add a plugin to your blog. And I recommend Socialize.

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/socialize

Now, this part of the ninja thingy.

With Socialize, you can simply add buttons to major social media sites like Facebook and Twitter in each of your blog post instantly. It will appear in little buttons with the share count. Of course the share count starts with zero, indicating nobody has shared your blog post. But the share count itself acts like a reason to click on because you feel like you are obligate to get the numbers up.

And here’s the ninja technique: when you have bigger number in those boxes, they tend to get shared a lot more. So here”s what you need to do. First install the Socialize WordPress plugin. Next share those blog posts yourself first, especially all the new ones you just created. Just make sure that the number in the box is not zero.

Now, the second part of the ninja technique to increasing your traffic with social media. With Socialize you can have the social media share button appears on the top right or at the bottom of the blog post. The one at the bottom is called the Call-To-Action box.

I want you to use the one that makes the buttons appear at the bottom. Because that is the best time to ask your readers to share your blog post with their friends. Well, in business, you got to ask for the things you want. If you want your readers to share your website, ask them to do it. And that is exactly what you are going to do.

Write a big headline calling the readers to do something after reading your blog post. It could be “Finished Reading? Now Do This…” or “Tell Your Friends”. You could test those out and see which works best for your blog. Well, blogs write about different things and communicate differently to different readers. I believe you know your readers best. So I am going to leave the call-to-action phrase to you. But make sure you do have a call-to-action. Customers are more likely to act when you tell them to.

Now don’t start saying that these are not really ground-breaking techniques, even though they aren’t. If you have not done this, do it. Give it a month and then compare your statistics from the previous month. You will be amazed.

When I did this at one of my old blog, traffic increased by 35%. I am not getting any new keyword rankings at Google. I wasn’t doing any new link building. But I am seeing a lot more traffic coming in from Facebook, Twitter and StumbleUpon.

Maybe it is your turn?

=======================================================

By Iszuddin Ismail – Apart from helping businesses and online entrepreneurs get start blogging with his WordPress blog installation service, Iszuddin also shares his wisdom on how businesses can generate new leads, build stronger relationship and increase profits. http://blog.prowpinstall.com

In a recent poll, I asked our business friends and peers if they preferred keyboard or the mouse. Almost everyone said they can’t live without the mouse. I have to admit is quite difficult to work today’s programs and even the Internet without a mouse. Far too many sites and applications have interfaces built specifically for interacting with the mouse. When I had my first taste of computers it was the other way around.

Sure, I love the mouse it does make things a lot easier than typing long strings of commands or having to remember shortcuts. Yet, the mouse can also slow you down. You hardly notice it though because moving our hand between the mouse and keyboard is so ingrained into us, it has become a habit. I surely didn’t notice it until I found myself pausing a minute to orientate myself whenever I was switching between the mouse and keyboard.

An example (for right handers) – when you have to type ‘o’, ‘p’, ‘;’, ‘

Another scenario. My husband is a classic mouse person. Whenever he has to select a word or block of text to copy, he highlights it using the mouse, right clicks and clicks copy. Then right clicks to paste again. Trouble is, he’d take forever to make the selection as accurate as possible and it takes him a second or two to find the copy button in the menu. I’m always so frustrated because it would be so much faster to hold down the shift key and right/left/up/down buttons to select, then Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V (on Windows).

This is not a Windows vs. Mac thing both operating systems have many keyboard shortcuts built in natively and all apps have some shortcuts.

You just have to look them up. Once I realized what a pain it is to keep switching, I began to look up ways to quickly switch, save, close, open, navigate, enter data into anything I am working with using keyboard shortcuts and am quite amazed how much more productive I am.

There is a down side to shortcuts – you have to memorize them. Because of this, it will seem like you are taking a whole lot longer especially when you’re just starting to learn the shortcuts. I certainly don’t memorize every single shortcut for every program. I do however, make it a point to learn the ones that are standard for the operating system and also the programs that are used daily. In fact, I recently learned more shortcuts for Evernote and it’s allowed me to write several blog posts faster than I used to and that’s a good thing. Never did I peg myself as a keyboard user, yet after giving it a fair trial, I’m hooked and the benefits show.

Pick a program you use multiple times throughout the day, it could be the browser. Learn a few shortcuts and try it yourself.

~Lynette (Lynette)

Lynette Chandler enjoys applying technology to marketing and showing other business owners how. Get more tips from Lynette on her blog http://TechBasedMarketing.com/blog

Without consistent and healthy amounts of traffic, your blog doesn’t stand a chance of becoming profitable. It’s a simple concept to grasp, but many still struggle to attain the numbers they want. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the problem, there are some general best practices every webmaster should follow to maximize their traffic numbers. Here are five simple steps you can take to increase your daily page views. Follow these tips, and you’ll be guaranteed a noticeable uptick in the traffic you receive.

Link To Your Own Content – When Google sees that a site has a lot of internal links, that helps your PageRank because it views your site as having some depth and value to offer. If you have a particular post that’s ranked highly in the search results for a certain keyword, link to that post from other posts in your blog using that same keyword as the anchor text. It’ll boost that post in particular and your website as a whole in the organic results. Do the same with other posts and their main keywords and you’ll see a significant increase in your rank overall.

Interact With Your Readers – Your job isn’t done when you post a great new article. If people react positively to your content and leave comments, you should go out of your way to respond to them and keep the conversation going. It’s always flattering when something you write inspires passion in other people. Capitalize on that momentum by making your blog a site that people remember for being more interactive than most of the others they visit throughout the week.

Ditch The Small Talk, Solve A Problem – Nobody cares about how your day went or what your thoughts on Donald Trump’s defunct bid for the presidency are. Instead of broadcasting your inner monologue, use your blog to give people a solution to a problem. Write a step-by-step tutorial on something you just learned how to do or give them information that’s not widely known that can save time and money. Our time is precious, and people will pay more attention to you if you cut right to the chase and deliver the goods without the extraneous commentary.

Tweak Your Title Keywords – Sometimes, a post you write gets a decent amount of search engine traffic from people who were using an entirely different keyword than you would have expected. You can see this by looking at your analytics and back-end stats, under your traffic sources section. If that’s the case, change the title of the post to include the keyword that’s getting you that traffic in the Search Engine Results Pages. It’ll boost the ranking of that article even further, bringing in even more unique hits.

Get Social – Social media has been over-hyped to some degree over the past few years. But it’s still a valuable tool when it comes to raising your profile. The key is to take a more targeted approach to attracting new readers. Don’t “friend” everyone you run across on Facebook or follow every Tom, Dick, and Harry on Twitter. Find people with similar interests, and start to build an actual community and following that matters. A hundred like-minded followers are worth more than a million who will never read your blog.

In Closing – These suggestions are easy to implement, but nonetheless quite effective when it comes to driving more readers to your website. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg and there are many other techniques which you can use to boost your blog’s search engine rankings. You probably won’t see immediate results overnight. But Rome wasn’t built in a day, and if you use these optimization methods consistently they’ll begin to pay off in short order. The trick is to just keep at it. As with anything else in life, the key to success in blogging is persistence.

Nicole Rodgers has been blogging in the finance and technology industries for three years; she encourages you to create a website and start blogging today.  Blogging is a great way to increase your business network and Nicole’s small business phone is constantly ringing with incoming leads for new clients. Blogging has definitely changed the way Nicole conducts business.

My ‘business’ as a whole is always going through some kind of change it seems.  I add something new, drop something old, tweak something here, boot something there.  One of the things I love about an internet based business is that it’s so easy to make adjustments to.

I am making a big change this week though.  I’m rebranding my podcast.  Work at Home Moms Talk Radio has been ‘on the air’ since November 2003, I’ve published over 325 episodes.  It’s the oldest and most prolific WAHM podcast ever and I’m so proud of it.

What prompted my decision to rebrand it?  That is a great question.

When I started the show, my son was eleven.  I worked full time but couldn’t pay my bills.  Desperate to make some extra money, I started exploring ways to make money online.  Being a single mother, I did not want to have to take another job outside of the home – so I threw myself into the WAHM community and learned all I could.

For many years, business and motherhood were pressed together in my life – as it is for others who work at home.  I loved starting and hosting WAHM Talk Radio, it let me connect with other work at home moms on a regular basis.

My son is 20 now and hasn’t lived at home for a year and a half.  I’ve been foot loose and fancy free for all that time, never having to think about fixing him some dinner or reminding him to get his school work done.  It took awhile, but I sat down to do my show one day, and realized that every topic on my mind, had nothing to do with being a work at home mom.

This was an existential crisis for me, if I no longer fit in with WAHMs, where did I fit?  I sat down and asked myself who I was and how this changed things for my business.
After much consideration, I decided that a rebrand was the best idea and I that I felt a strong kinship with the term ‘solopreneur’. That is what led me to a new domain name and brand, Solo Smarts.

What can you tell others thinking about changing directions like you did?

My decision to rebrand has led to a lot of discussion about building a business around a ‘role’ that we currently have or a ‘group’ that we are a part of.  Roles change and we’re not part of the same group forever.  What fits us as a description today, may not tomorrow.  We should all be careful about branding our business in a way we may grow out too soon.

This process of rebranding has been wonderful.  I’ve taken advice from great people and feel confident about my choices.  I’ve got some terrific guests lined up and new topics to cover, I can’t wait to share them.

Operating from a position of strength and authenticity is the foundation that I need to enjoy and build my business. We change in this life and shouldn’t be afraid to make changes in our life and business when they’re needed.

Check out Solo Smarts and see how it can help your business grow!

When Adriana asked me to write on the topic of time management, I got excited!  I know a lot of people see what I do online and I’ve been told by many people over the years, “I don’t know how you do it!”  And this is my chance to reveal what contributes!

I run an active membership with partners.. 100s of members strong.

I have services I provide…

I coach small groups of individuals one on one in marketing and business each year..

I run a sizable network of niche affiliate websites and a big part of my focus online is niche marketing..

And those are just the things I let folks know about.

But, seriously, when I think about it, I do a lot!  Many might struggle to manage just one portion of a business like mine.  There’s a lot of complexity and a huge number of things to keep track of daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.

I have to not only have the vision for my business, managing and steering the broader picture, but get small to large projects or tasks done and out the door every single day.

Well, this is a great opportunity to share some of the things that have made a really big difference in my business and what’s helped me manage my time better. These are things that directly impact my bottom line.

Because that’s what it’s all about.  If you can manage your time better, you can do more things that impact results.  The things I’m going to talk about below all translate to getting more things done, being more productive and making more profits.

Time Management is not about any one thing; and it’s not magic or a big mystery as to what goes into it.  It is a number of things working in concert that ALL of us have access to, but few really, truly apply fully.

THIS DOES TAKE A COMMITMENT AND RECOGNIZING IT’S IMPORTANCE…

To some, time management may seem like a dry topic… and for many people I’m sure it sounds like something that doesn’t need a lot of attention and may say something like, “Come on, what do I really need to do? You just set goals for stuff, schedule stuff and do that stuff right?”

But like most things, managing time is a marriage of skill, experience, know-how and using a combination of tools to help you on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis.

It’s something that you need to work on and it’s something you can become better at with application and practice.  Everyone reading this can!  Yes.. even you!

AND.. it’s something you need to make a part of your life and business long-term.  This isn’t a one time thing; this is a way of approaching every day.

I’m going to go through 10 things that help me manage my daily operations and tasks online.  From broad, sweeping, on-going things like managing people and websites to simple, one-time tasks like writing this article.

Within these hopefully you’ll pick up at least a few things that you can improve or start applying to your business to help you become more productive and, in the end, be more successful.

———————————————————————————
#1 – Toodledo…  using a GTD system.  Utilize Everything.
———————————————————————————-

Toodledo is my my virtual secretary.

Right now I am writing this article because I have this as a top priority task. Literally there are 100s of tasks right now that I have to do today, tomorrow or sometime in the future.  But the beauty is I don’t need to think about them all right now.

I’m not even thinking about the next task right now; I’m going to get this article done first!

Understand, I use A LOT of the functionality Toodledo provides:

1) Status (Active, Next Action, Planning and more options…)
2) Start Date, Due Date
3) Priority Levels
4) Folders, Tags
5) Goals (short and long term)
6) Context (where the work needs to be done)
7) Repeat Function
Length of task…

I use those functions along with the built in management and filtering systems.  I haven’t seen or used anything quite like Toodledo.  It does EVERYTHING for me in terms of tasks and goals.  (it even synchs with my smart phone)

I never have to worry about forgetting something or losing sight of what’s important. I capture it all.  If I have a new task I think of or that comes up, I don’t hesitate.  I set it up in Toodledo.

It’s also based on David Allen’s popular book and method “Getting Things Done” (GTD).  Get it and read it if you haven’t already!

So having a system like this is essential for me doing so many different things and having so many different layers to my business.  My business has a lot of complexity and this is the number one thing that keeps me going and helps manage my time better.

Find a good solution like this and USE IT!

———————————————————————-
#2 – Alarms and Reminders – Getting Stuff Off Your Mind…
———————————————————————-

A close relative to Toodledo are my alarms and reminders. I own an iPhone and I use the built in alarm functionality to remind me of things I have to do throughout the day.  (it’s always with me so I never miss a beat)

Most important thing it does for me is it helps me manage my off-line stuff.

One of the most important ways you can get more done and be more productive is to be able to shut out the world and forget about everything else. Especially off-line… I know many of you reading this have a hectic life. But you have to find ways to forget about it. You have to find ways to live in the moment; focusing only on your business.

The way I do that is I don’t worry about what’s going on in my days off-line until I hear the alarm go off.

So let’s say I have to feed my dog. I have an alarm for that.

Let’s say I have to wake up my wife from a nap at a certain time (as I was instructed ). I set an alarm for that.

Let’s say that I have an appointment to go to; maybe a haircut. I set an alarm for that.

So anything going on in my daily life off-line, is captured within my reminders system.

This provides me with less worry and stress. I can completely focus on my online tasks and business without worrying about what’s going on or what’s happening next off-line…

…Or online. Sometimes I have to set reminders for various things in my business as well.

——————————————
#3 – Routines and Systems...
——————————————

Many of these things I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember; years… so consistency is important!

Going hand-in-hand with having systems of reminders and to-do lists is to establish daily routines and systems of doing things.

Just as an example, every single day I get up, I go through the same routine from getting out of bed and sitting down at my computer. I take care of some ‘personal business’, then I feed my pets, let my dog out, make coffee… and then sit down at my computer.

I do these things in the same order every single day.  I don’t think about sitting down and watching TV or goofing off.  It isn’t an option.  In fact, I’ve come to enjoy just diving in.  (enjoying what you do helps.. )

And I always do them with only the periodic exception; like if I had to go on a trip or I had another commitment.  It doesn’t happen too often.

I take a shower about the same time every day, I eat about the same time of the day,… I take breaks about the same times of the day. For example, every day at 5:30 p.m. I drop everything I’m doing and watch World News on TV. It’s my time to sit back, relax and catch up on current events. (you need those breaks too!)

I check in on my private forum every few hours.

I answer questions there once or twice a day in blocked off time.  I’m not there checking in every 5 minutes. I have to get other stuff done!  I just check with a periodic rhythm throughout the day.

That’s the same with Twitter, Facebook and my social activities online.

Now all these things are flexible. Don’t get me wrong and think that an alarm goes off and I go take a shower.  I don’t even wake up to an alarm.. it’s usually within an hour; depends when my dog paws at me that he’s hungry.

So most things aren’t bound to the minute.  Just the order of things and how I approach my daily activities have a rhythm.

——————————-
#4 – Being Organized
——————————

I think this goes hand-in-hand with time management. If you aren’t organized, you are going to spend more time trying to find stuff and being lost. The less time you’re lost, the more time you have to be productive and make money.

Here are a few things I focus on to stay organized:

I have a good computer and offline folder system.  I know where stuff is.  If I need a website backup, I know exactly where to find it on my hard-drive.

If I need a bank statement, I know where it is in my file cabinet.

I have central locations for data/logins etc..  I know where all my logins are for every site I own and/or visit.

I have a well organized e-mail inbox…  I use tons of filters!!!!  Utilize them… anything that is not a priority I have filtered and moved automatically to a labeled folder.  I use Gmail and they make it very easy for you to accomplish this.  I use stars too…  super important stuff (from specific individuals, services etc..) are starred in my inbox and filtered out so I know to handle those right away.

———————————————————–
#5 – Tools, Automation and Outsourcing
———————————————————–

Depending on the department in my business, I use a variety of tools to help me save time and run a smoother ship.  A few examples:

- Basecamp – to manage my outsourcers or mutual projects
- Skype – for quicker communication and voice chat
- Dragon Naturally Speaking – to write faster
- Anything that can help you save time…

I use those things and more.  They ALL help me better handle my time and communications.

Also, there’s software that can automate certain tasks for you.

Other things you can outsource.  I have a team that helps me run my business, build sites, market and drive traffic.

Don’t do it all yourself; this is VERY important long-term.  You may have to at first due to your budget, but don’t be afraid to reinvest back into your business infrastructure, automation and people.

———————————————————————————————–
#6 – I Don’t Worry about Tomorrow.. I Worry about Today.  Forget the Calendar.
———————————————————————————————–

If you have everything captured into your to-do lists and systems, you don’t always have to be looking at your calendar. You’ll just be reminded of those things as they appear..

Even Toodledo as a function where you can just look at the immediate tasks. Or those from the next few days. You don’t need to worry about what’s going on two weeks or two months from now! Those things will appear in due time. Literally…

Worry about today and the rest will take care of itself. Less worry; less stress.

Of course, that’s all dependent on capturing all into your ‘good’ systems to begin with!

———————————————————————————-
#7 – Do It Now.  You Don’t Need to Schedule EVERYthing!
———————————————————————————-

Some tasks are of such a high-priority that they need to be done right now.  Just do it.

Other tasks are just so simple that they can be done right now. By the time you put into your system to do it later, it could’ve been done.  Just do it.

Sometimes if you have extra time, just do it.

There may be tasks like this that don’t need to clog your system and you don’t need to do later.

———————————————————————-
#8 – Deferral and Ignoring Other Tasks to Get Stuff Done…
———————————————————————-

The truth is that to be a good time manager you have to know how to prioritize, defer and ignore a lot of things. You can’t be thinking about or doing too many things at once. To be the most effective, you need to focus on the task at hand.

So many tasks whether they show up in your e-mail inbox, Toodledo or similar programs that you use or just land on your desk can be deferred. Deferred to the next hour, later that day, tomorrow or next week… maybe next month.

But not everything needs to be handled right now. People can wait (just be up front with them and communicate – don’t let THEM rule your schedule), tasks can wait and making them wait will allow you to focus on what’s most important.

This will help you get a lot more done that impacts your business the most.

Don’t feel guilty; and learn to say no or no for now.

—————————————————————————————-
#9 – Your Bubble.. Find Free Time and Space to Work Without Distractions!
—————————————————————————————-

None of this matters at all if you don’t have a bubble to operate in.

You have to be able to shut out all the distractions and focus on your business.

It’s different for different people… for example, certain tasks I can accomplish while I’m watching TV or listening to some music. Other people need total quiet.

All of us have different degrees of craziness in our lives.  Or things happen in our lives out of our control (health related or whatever).  In those cases, you know what comes first and you just do the best you can.

Bottom line, nothing I’m discussing here matters if you don’t have time you can set aside and  block out to handle it.  So this should be your priority – start by fixing this or work towards it.

If you just have surroundings to deal with, try talking with your family or those around you.  Make them understand this is your business and it demands time where you aren’t bothered.

Say things like, “This is nothing personal and I’ll handle those things later.. but would you be asking me that OR doing what you are doing right now in this space if I was at an office outside of the home?”

This is no different if you are working out of your home…  treat your business like a business.  People should respect the importance of what you are doing.

Try to have an area in your house as an ‘office’.  And convince those around you that it should be treated as such and those in the office should be left to their work when they have to do it!

If they don’t allow for that, maybe you need to make other arrangements because you are going to struggle.

Maybe you do need to rent some space outside of the home.

———————————————————-
#10 – Knowing Your Goals and Priorities
———————————————————-

You have to know what your goals and priorities are before any of these things will fall together.  On a regular basis revisit your goals and projects; make sure you are on a clear path to specific short-term and long-term goals.

Every single task, no matter how small, should contribute to a larger goal.  And knowing what that is will help you stay focused and motivate you to keep going.

IN CONCLUSION

The busier you are, the more important these things become.  And the more vigilant you should become in keeping to them.

And understand.. you do need ‘time’ to begin with and you have to be reasonable.  You only have so many hours in the day which is different for everyone.

I have all day because I have no kids, fewer commitments outside of my business and I’m full-time.  YOU may have a different scenario.  But even I can only do so much!  I try to be realistic.

My point is, keep in mind, you are only human and you can only do so much.  Don’t load yourself up with tasks and projects today that you KNOW you can’t handle and will just add to your stress.

It’s ok to shoot a little higher.  Push yourself a little.  But don’t go WAY overboard and over-plan your time because you’ll never feel like you are getting anywhere.  Stay within a reasonable range.

Stretch a little bit; but be realistic.

Lastly, stay flexible and light on your feet.  Understand, things will come up that weren’t planned (you can’t plan for everything!) or things will take longer than you thought (like this article )..

..  But don’t let it stress you out!  Think of your time management like a live document and system.  Be prepared to continually adapt and mold your time and schedule of tasks.  Re-adjust, defer and reschedule when necessary.  That’s just part of the landscape.  Don’t fear it or let it frustrate you.. expect it.. it’s that way for all of us; a fact for every time manager.

Hope these tips help.

Good luck!

-Matt Levenhagen

For more tips and wisdom from Matt Levenhagen, visit his central blog “Niche Wisdom“.  You might take note of his section called, Motivation and Success Principles, for more tips and strategies to help you become a greater success in your business!