October Newsletter: What's Your Time Management Style?

"We're all different and we all have different ways of working. Some of you may feel you're a lost cause or that 'time management' just isn't for you but that's not the case.


There's no one time management methodology or system that's going to work for everyone but there are strategies that will work for you.


In working with clients over the years, I've come across several different time management styles. You may adopt different styles at home and work and you may have a couple of styles you fit into. Here are a few key elements of the main time styles. ..."

Read the full article: 'What's Your Time Management Style?' in October's newsletter - here.

Register for the free monthly newsletter and get additional tips, information and resources to help grow your business and improve your work life balance direct to your inbox once a month - www.clareevans.co.uk.

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Networking Tips #21 Social Media Networking

Image by daniel_iversen via Flickr

These days, anyone who's in business is in to social media - or so it seems.

Now there are still a lot of people who don't 'get' it and many people think it's just another place to waste time on idle gossip (it can be) but it's also a great place for online networking.

It's not that different from networking offline - it's part of your marketing strategy and if you're going to use it for business then you need to have some form of strategy to make the most of it.  Talk to the experts if you need to find out how to make it work for you.

The 'social' part means you don't need to be rigidly formal all the time.  You also don't or shouldn't post purely about business.  Just like face-to-face networking, no one wants to be bombarded with a constant sales pitch.

Use it to keep in touch and have conversations with people you meet in the off-line world.  Get to know people online before you meet them face-to-face.  It certainly helps to break the ice as you feel you already know them.

Expand your network beyond the limitations of face-to-face networking, where you're more restricted by time and location.

Social networking is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise with a wider audience.  It's also a good to way to bring people to your website.

Connect with people on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Search out the websites, forums and discussion groups for your industry.  Find the social media networks that work best for you and

Related articles

• Networking Tips #17 Offline vs Online (clareevans.blogspot.com)

You're Never Too Old

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Over the weekend Fauja Singh completed the Toronto marathon to become the oldest marathon runner at the age of 100 and he only started running 10 years ago.

It goes to show that you're never too old to start something new and while the thought of running a marathon might seem daunting - it's also something that anyone can do with a little planning and a reasonable amount of training.  Think of the number of first timer runners at the London Marathon each year.

If you've never run before, don't let that put you off.  When you start running for the first time, you're not expected to run a full marathon straight off.  Start slowly with a mix of walking/jogging or just brisk walking for 20 minutes if you've not exercised for a while.  Gradually increase the amount of running time against walking until you can run/jog continuously for 30 minutes.

Following a training plan to build you up over several weeks or months, depending on your target.

I've not yet made it to marathon distance but I have run several half-marathons and have another one coming up next year. Before I started running in my 30s I'd never run before - except for the bus and got started the slow and steady route.

It's the same with anything you want to learn or do.  Start slowly and build up your skills and expertise.  Get lessons, get trained, talk to an expert.

Don't forget - overnight success takes years of hard work and training.

Having It All ... With No Sleep

Image by spcbrass via Flickr

Juggling, multi-tasking, doing everything and being a business mum can be tough.

At the recent Business Mums Summit I heard many comments from hard-working mums who were trying to squeeze as much as possible into their day, in order to run their own businesses and mostly managing to burn the candle at both ends.

• Getting up early to get work done before the rest of the house wakes-up.
• Fitting in the shopping, housework, feeding the children, school runs with a phone tucked under your chin, talking to a client.
• Working late after the children have gone to bed to catch up on emails, admin and your accounts.
• Working at weekends, while Dad or the grand-parents look after the children or they've been stuck in front of the TV with a DVD.
• Never spending time with your partner, as you're both too tired after a hard day's work or you're just ships that pass in the night.
• Running your own business alongside a full or part-time job, so you're literally squeezing every hour out of the day.  Coming back from a full days work to start work on your own business.

No wonder you're run ragged, exhausted, surviving on very little sleep and wondering if it's all worth it.  It doesn't have to be this way.

Get some help!
One thing it's important to learn, is that you can't and don't have to do everything yourself.  Whether it's help around the house or help with some of the admin in your business, focus on what only you can do and get help from someone else to give you more time.  Sometimes it's a matter of just asking.

Plan your time.
Not just the time you spend on your business but the time you have for yourself, time with the family and time for your friends.  Make sure that the time you spend working on your business is spent productively, so you can maximise your results.  Know what you need to do on a daily, weekly and monthly basis to grow your business.

Get organised.
Create systems and processes to make life easier and organise your time effectively so you waste less of it.  Rushing around every morning trying to find what's needed for school just creates stress.  Build structure and routines in to your day to make life easier for yourself and your family.

Look after yourself.
This is one of the hardest things for people (especially mums) to do.  You're so busy looking after everyone else that you never find time for yourself.  If you're tired, grumpy and not working efficiently you're not doing yourself or anyone around you any favours.  Make sure you get some time out each day, so you're always working at your best.

If you want to find out how to have it all AND get more sleep - book up a free Strategy Session.

Related articles

• June Newsletter: How To Squeeze More Into 24hrs (clareevans.blogspot.com)
• September Newsletter: Create Better Boundaries (clareevans.blogspot.com)

Networking Tips #20 Business Cards

These are an essential tool for networking and it's useful to carry one or two with you wherever you go.

You never know when you might want to give someone your contact details.  I always have one or two in my wallet for those totally random moments, when you're not necessarily at a business meeting.

It's one of the most important and useful tools for business and worth spending a little time and effort on.

'Free' or low-cost cards can be a quick and easy option if you're really low on budget but believe me - you'll soon be able to recognise a Vistaprint business card at 100 paces.  It doesn't cost a lot to print 500-1000 good quality cards.

What's on your card comes down to personal preference but remember that it also reflects on your business.  Ultimately purpose is to display your contact details, so that's the most important feature - clear, easy to read contact details that make it easy for people to get in touch.

Contact number(s) - more people these days only use their mobile phone for business but should you have a landline number too?  A landline number can give a degree of confidence and a mobile only can be difficult to get hold of - out of range, switched off, weak signal, poor connection.

Email address - use a business address not your ISP provider - it looks more professional.  I've noticed some people don't include an email address but they do include their website.  OK, I could guess but make it easy.

Social media - most of us are on Twitter, Linked In or Facebook and it can be useful to include your social media details on your business card, although it can end up getting cluttered if you include absolutely everything alongside your address, phone numbers, website, email ... etc.

If I pick up or look at someone's business card, I want to know who they are, what they do and how I can contact them by phone or email.

Gimmicky, unusual or fancy cards may make you more noticeable and more memorable but don't forget the basics - readability and ease of contact.

Related posts:

Networking Tips: #14 Any Time, Any Place, Anywhere
What Does Your Business Card Say About You?

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