Carol Birkey, Personal Business Coach & Mompreneur.

August 6, 2008

Grab business with your business cards

Filed under: business coach, marketing, networking, organization — carolbirkey @ 12:24 pm
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Business cards that are imprinted on only one side are half as effective as those that have valuable information printed on the other side. Place a description of your shop on the flip side, your hours of operation, mission statement, shop specialties or a map that shows the location of your shop and delivery area.

An initial, one-hour, consultation will give you an opportunity to “think about tomorrow, TODAY”. – A $50 investment in YOU!!!

March 15, 2008

Saying “YES” when we mean “NO”

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 10:00 am
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People-pleaser’s often say “yes” quickly without thinking it through. Use these guidelines before taking on a commitment in the future.

  • Think about any commitments for at least 24 hours prior to agreeing. Try this verbiage – “that sounds really good, but I need to check my schedule before I can commit. I will call you tomorrow to let you know if I can help.”
  • Help in areas that match your core values instead of trying to help at EVERYTHING.
  • When you agree, clearly outline the level of your commitment, “Yes, I could help with that for 2 hours per week.”

******If you are always saying “yes” and are over-committed and find that you don’t have time to run your business, call for an appointment and learn how to effectively say “no”.

October 20, 2007

Use your energy cycles.

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 10:49 am
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We all have times in our day when we feel productive and other times when we feel sluggish. Use these highs and lows to your advantage. Get complex and mentally challenging tasks done during your energy highs. During the lows, take care of low priority, routine or non-challenging tasks.

Carol’s Confident Comment – “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot” – Michael Althsuler

September 17, 2007

Keep your eye on the hidden costs of purchases…..

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 9:51 am
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The actual cost for supplies you buy for your business isn’t the only expense you incur in purchasing them. For instance, if you bill your services at $75 per hour and spend 2 hours in driving to and from office supply stores, the cost of your time is $150!!! Yikes!Instead, select an office supply store you like and sign up for their rewards program. Watch for their coupons and buy all your supplies from the same store.

Carol’s Confident Comment – “The definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result”.

Visit CarolBirkey.com for more information and tips!

August 16, 2007

Customer Database

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 11:28 am
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If you don’t have a customer database, start creating one. Collect your customer’s names, addresses, birthdays, anniversaries and email addresses even if you have no clue what you’re going to do with them.

Contact me and let me help you start your database and show you how to use it effectively.

CarolBirkey.com

July 10, 2007

Organizing your Desk

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 1:09 pm
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1. Start at the beginning. Remove everything from your desktop. Put back only the necessities and keep large clean space for current projects. What are the necessities? Phone, notepad, calendar, step-file organizer — keep the cutesy items in sight but off your desk.

2. Place your phone on the left side of your desk if you are right handed and on the right if you are left handed.

3. Keep a spiral notebook by the phone for messages. Start with the date each day. By doing this, you will have reference info when you need it.

4. Keep or delete? If you use something every day, leave it in your desk. If you use something once a week, you should be able to reach it from your chair. If you use something once a month, keep it in your office or work area. If you use something less than once a month, keep it elsewhere.

5. Keep your office supplies in one drawer. Keep only the supplies you use frequently in your desk. Do you really need 25 pens and 15 packages of salt?

6. Look around – End each day (or at least each week) by tidying up your desk and returning everything to its place (Yes, everything should have a place).

***Quote for the month: “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” – Henry Ford***

“With personal coaching, I assist you in making more money, saving more time and networking more effectively.” Carol Birkey, Personal Business Coach and Mompreneur

July 9, 2007

“Your Time – Manage it or Lose it”

Filed under: business coach, organization — carolbirkey @ 8:45 am
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Be like a coach in a game that’s tied with two minutes left: manage the clock.

  1. Plan your time – Starting your day with no plan is like packing a suitcase without knowing where you are going.

  1. Take 15 – At the very end or very beginning of each day, take 15 minutes to consider the things you must or want to do during the coming day.

  1. Know Thyself – Are you a morning person? Afternoon? Evening? When are you at your best? Plan your most demanding tasks for that time and you’ll get better results.

  1. Beware the Time Bandits – Neighbors, friends or colleagues who drop in unexpectedly during work hours may be bored or lonely and looking for company. It’s your time, be tactful but firm.

  1. Schedule your “ME” time – You must have “ME” time to do things just for you. Relax and recharge

***Quote: “The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.” – Michael Althsuler***

With personal coaching, I assist you in making more money, saving more time and networking more effectively.”

http://www.Carolbirkey.com
Personal Business Coach/Office Support

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