Let's face it - it is December, we have lots of family stuff to do, lots of end of the year stuff and I'm suggesting you should get your 2012 planning done now. Yeah, what planet did I just drop off of???
Well, these two, planning and procrastination, go hand-in-hand and part of the reason is that planning usually requires knowing where you have been and if you don't know the answer, sometimes reviewing the past year in your business can lead to disappointment, anger and frustration at a time of the year were are supposed to be jolly, happy and giving. Take heart, the past is done, so "get over it" and build your plan for 2012 that will make your business thrive.
Now, slow down. . .jumping into planning is not the best - planning to plan is usually better. If you are struggling with moving forward, here are some simple tips:
1. Do the toss and pitch
- get rid of the stuff that is in your way. Sometimes it is walking into
your own office from the eyes of your customers. Be critical, be honest,
and recycle, repurpose and pitch the trash.
2. Clean your desk - physically, get it in ship-shape. Both David Allen of Getting Things Done and Ellen Rohr advocate "cleaning out the office" when you want to be more productive. Getting everything in its place and put away really will help you get your head around the next year.
3. Setting the stage for success:
-
Don't worry about imperfection
-
Minimize distractions so you can focus
-
Think healthy, get some good sleep, eat right and maybe
exercise some
-
Know the time of day you are best for thinking and working
-
Schedule when you will do the planning
Your challenge this week is to get ready for planning your 2012! Take the time to get ready
Linda Fayerweather MBA EA
Linda@ChangingLanes.biz
419.897.0528
Like us on Facebook
Tweet us at Twitter
Changing Lanes LLC
______________________
The Right Computer for the Job - Part 4
Over the past few weeks I've
been sharing a story about a client of mine who's outdated and slow computers
for his front office staff were actually costing him over 25 hours a month of
lost work time. Last week we spec'd out the computers based on our wish list.
For the three data entry computers we need to find an i5 with 4 gigs or ram, Windows 7, 21" monitor (can buy separately). Pretty straight forward. For the marketing computer we need an i7 with 8 gigs of ram, Windows 7 64 bit, 1 gig video card with dual DVI outputs or a single DVI and a DVI splitter, dual 21" monitors (can buy separately) and a second hard drive or an eSata port for an external hard drive. These specs give us a pretty wide range to work with. We could have a computer built for us or find a pre-built system from a major computer manufacturer. Let's explore these options.
Custom built computers can
offer several advantages, such as, the hardware can be better and you can
customize the computer even more. The down side is it can cost more and you
can end up creating a computer beyond your needs. For the average person a
custom built computer is overkill. But it is an excellent option when you
need a solution beyond what a normal work computer would be able to do.
Pre-built systems will
be a great solution for most computer users. The cost is lower compared to a
custom built computer because they are mass produced. In general they will
satisfy the needs of a general computer user but yet can still be upgradable.
So getting back to my client,
since we know what type of computer we want, the first thing we need to do is
find out what is out there and to do some research. Check out stores online
such as Amazon, Dell, NewEgg, TigerDirect, MWave, Lenovo, HP, GateWay, Asus,
etc. If you don't feel comfortable shopping online, check out stores like
Best Buy, Walmart, Dell, Fry's, etc but don't be surprised if you end up
paying more.
Find the computers that are the
type of computer you are looking for. You will notice several things.
The next thing to do,
especially if you are shopping online, is to read the reviews. Take in
consideration the difference between user ignorance and actual issues. User
ignorance issues are problems or issues that could be solved by learning.
Other ignorance issues might be the reviewer complaining that the color is
black, not slate black or the case doesn't fit in the same spot as their old
computer. Actually issues could be, the power button sticks, the case fan is
cheap and died in two weeks, the case isn't big enough for a certain brand of
video card.
Once you have compiled a list of computers with all the different specs, create a price median, For the best deal you will want to find a computer that has the better specs but is at the lower end of your price median. For example, if you are finding i5 computers for $600-900. You will want to find a computer that has better specs than most, should cost $900, with good reviews, for $750.
But you might not find that
deal the first time you search. Don't get discouraged, keep looking you will
find it. It might take a few weeks but you will find your perfect computer.
To speed up the process of finding a deal check out sites such as
DealNews.com, Woot.com, slickdeals.net, etc.
After going through this
process with my client we found about 15
computers that would work for the data entry staff and about the
same amount for the marketing person. Five of the fifteen computers were
better than the rest but non were a deal. After watching the prices for about
two weeks we got the deal we were looking for, for the data entry computers.
It took another two weeks to find a deal on a computer for the marketing
manager.
Once the we got all the
computers setup and the office staff properly trained/accustom to their new
computers and software, we ran the same time waiting test. The time spent
waiting was cut down to about 5 hours a week between all four of them. On top
of the gained time, obviously productivity is up, but so is office morale.
The owner has also scheduled bi-weekly training sessions to keep up on the
new software installed on the computers and has committed to yearly
technology reviews.
Think of your computer as a
tool (which it is). Like any tool you should have the right one for the job.
Even though you can get the job done with another tool, it might not be done
properly or as efficiently.
If you are still not sure what
kind of computer to buy or where to start, ask a friend who is tech savvy to
help (but if you do, don't take their help for grant it, buy them lunch!) or
head over to your local computer store.
Copyright 2011 Jeff Mendelsohn
Liquid Mechanix Studio, LLC www.liquidmechanix.com 419.297.3364 |
