Productivity Tip: Know When You’re In the Red
Guest article by Sandy Renshaw
As a new business owner, I find myself doing more than a few pro bono projects for worthy causes and discounted projects for organizations to which I belong.
These projects are making a big dent in the time spent on my regular client work. In my quest to find balance, I now color code my project files. Purple is for client work and red for pro bono/discounted work.
On a daily basis, I can now tell when I’m working “in the red.”
As a manager, perhaps you can relate to this. You spend too much time working on “pet projects” and not enough time focusing on the “big rocks” that really get you ahead of your peers. Take time to color code your calendar, and you can see when YOU’RE in the red.
Photos courtesy of Sandy Renshaw
Sandy Renshaw specializes in helping you build business relationships using the latest Internet-based tools and techniques.
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POSTED IN: guest posts, productivity
6 opinions for Productivity Tip: Know When You’re In the Red
Mary Emma Allen
Apr 11, 2008 at 5:24 am
Great tip, Sandy. It’s really such a simple strategy to productivity, like so many time-saving measures are. But often we don’t think of them until someone else mentions them. Thanks for sharing this.
Writers, Are You Making A Profit?
Apr 11, 2008 at 10:04 am
[…] has a guest post called: Productivity Tip: Know When You’re In the Red The author, Sandy Renshaw, has devised a way to make sure she knows when a project is pro bono and […]
Alex Andrei
Apr 11, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Super idea. Thank you for sharing. I know my wife had the same issues when she was doing pro-bono work for non-profits.
Steve Roesler
Apr 12, 2008 at 11:10 am
Sandy, that’s a terrific–and simple–way to give a cue re: the profitable use of time. I like it a lot and am going to use it. Period.
I have a little piece of software called “On the Job” that is unbelievably simple to use and unobtrusive. When I get a phone call, start a project, or do anything–I start the timer under the appropriate category. My hourly equivalent rate is built in. Can’t tell you the real-dollar surprise I got after reviewing a day’s worth of free phone advice, free project advice, and lots of other free stuff that seemed inconsequential until the dollar value showed up on the screen.
Now, off to get the purple and red files. . .
Productivity In Business A Frequent Theme
Apr 13, 2008 at 12:01 am
[…] Productivity in one’s home business, the April theme at Home Biz Notes, seems to be a topic on other blogs as well. I found a very useful tip at Slacker Manager by guest blogger, Sandy Renshaw, Know When You’re In The Red. […]
Sandy Renshaw
May 7, 2008 at 9:08 pm
Hi Mary Emma, Alex, and Steve,
I’ve been swamped with project work and didn’t even poke my head up until now to see that this was posted. I better read more posts so I have more time for blogging! Thanks for your comments.
I’m curious about the “on the job” software. Off to look for it.
Sandy
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