From the Desk of Janet Barclay

Here it is, already the end of April (where does the time go?) and I haven’t yet written about this month’s message on my motivational calendar:

ATTITUDE

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Winston Churchill

Although it’s a pretty obvious statement, it’s worth reminding yourself from time to time that your attitude is a powerful thing.

If you expect things to go wrong, they probably will. And if you expect someone to be unpleasant,  they probably will, if only because your expectation will show in the way you treat them.

Keep that in mind and try instead to have a positive attitude! If you expect things to go right, they will! And if you expect someone to be pleasant, they will, again because you will be more likely to treat them with kindness.

How is your attitude? 

I was very excited to read on Kathie Thomas’ soho-life.com blog about a new group writing project started by Ben Yoskovitz on his Instigator Blog.

The idea is for participating bloggers to post their best productivity tips and to tag others to do the same.

Here is my tip:

Empty your inbox (both paper and electronic) every day. People have a tendency to leave items there as a reminder that they need to act on them, but too often they just get buried and forgotten. Instead, enter the action on your to-do list and put the email or document in an appropriate folder to be referenced when you’re ready to work on it.

I’m tagging: Monica Ricci, Cristina Favreau, Alex Fayle and Ariane Benefit.

Since yesterday was Earth Day, it seems like a good time to write about some of the ways that  professional organizers are helping our planet.

Most obvious is the fact that when helping clients to declutter their homes or workplaces, most, if not all, professional organizers will encourage them to Reduce-Reuse-Recycle. Items that the clients no longer need or want are often donated to charitable organizations.

Especially noteworthy is a group called Simple and Sustainable Pro Organizers who are "interested in simplicity, sustainability, and environmental consciousness as it pertains to our lives, our businesses, and our clients." There will even be a panel presentation and discussion about Simple and Sustainable Organizing at this week’s NAPO Conference, moderated by Claire Josefine. Also participating will be Linette George (recycling), Amanda Kovattana (earth-friendly organizing products), Illinois’ Holly Sherman (educating clients), and Jan Wencel (conscious consuming).

I’d like to thank these women for their work in this area, and I wish them and all the other attendees a very successful and enjoyable conference!

Hamilton’s Triple R Inc. took first place in the Best Business/Service category in the 2007 Readers Choice Awards. As many of my readers are small business owners, I asked Triple R’s President and CEO, Bobby Assadourian, to share the secrets to his success.

Bobby, congratulations on Triple R Inc. being voted Best Business/Service in the 2007 Readers Choice Awards! Would you mind sharing some of your success secrets with my readers?

This may sound funny; however, I credit it to my organizational skills. I am known around the Golden Horseshoe as the Home Renovations Contractor who writes the longest and most detailed work orders on his jobs.
 
Has anyone ever said "you’ve given me too much information"?

Yes indeed!  My response is, the more information I provide you, the more knowledgeable you the homeowner will be with respect to your home renovation project. That puts the homeowner and the contractor on a level playing field. End result is a homeowner ultimately being fully satisfied with the job and there are no disputed points during the work. Happy homeowners make excellent referrals!
 
Have you always been organized?

My parents knew I was organized from the time I was five years old! As a young child I was extremely impulsive and did not listen well. Somehow I still managed to instinctively keep organized. My parents tell me that from a very young age I always knew where things belonged! I was very possessive of my belongings. I always put them away in their exact place; I kept my play area very neat.

My communication skills also came at a very early age. I had a knack for explaining myself very clearly and being able to read people’s body language.  I knew when and how to communicate my point more clearly based on who I was speaking to and if they need more or less clarity on any given subject. Clarity (peace of mind) in my case arrives from keeping everything around me organized: my office, home, work truck, and job site.
 
What advice would you give to someone just getting started, either in your industry or a different one?

First and foremost, be honest with yourself - you are either organized or you’re not! If not, business will suffer. Hire an Organized Assistant - this will enable you to maximize your time and space. After all, it’s all about time…. More time in the business world equals more money. More time in your personal life equals better relationships with your family and friends, and good health with less stress.

The steadily increasing number of individuals with computers and Internet access has made it easier to start a business with minimal investment, compared to the days when nearly all businesses had to have a physical presence to become known. Unfortunately, too many people just jump in without giving any thought to their email address.

Best Choice

Ideally, everyone should have their own domain name. This is not only important for branding, but it tells the world you are serious about your business. Even if you don’t intend to have your own website right away, or at all, you can still benefit from using your own domain name. Since domain name registration costs $15.00 per year or less, it is affordable even if you’re on a shoestring budget. I would be very leery of dealing with someone who doesn’t have enough confidence in their business to invest $15.00 in it.

Second Best 

If, for some reason, you really don’t want to invest in a domain name, you should at least create a separate email address for your business. Many ISPs will give you multiple email addresses at no extra charge, so why not set one up that is yourbusinessname@yourisp.com, or even yourpersonalname@yourisp.com if you haven’t decided upon a business name.

Third Choice

If you absolutely MUST use a free email service, choose a user name that reflects your business appropriately. Keep in mind that many people will be reluctant to deal with a business that uses this type of service, as they are often associated with spammers and here-today-gone-tomorrow operations. Not only that, they may question why you are using an online service and think you don’t have your own computer and must go to a library or Internet cafe to check your email. If this is the case, it is vital that you make every effort to do so every day and to respond to your messages promptly in order to establish your professionalism.

Bad Choice 

Do not use a shared email account (e.g. johnandmarysmith@isp.com) for business purposes. Not only does this send up a red flag - your clients probably do not want your spouse reading their messages to you - but it is too easy for you to miss a message if your spouse reads it first and either doesn’t remember to mark it unread or accidentally deletes it. I have had this happen to messages I’ve sent to clients, on more than one occasion.

Worst Choice 

Under no circumstances should you use an email account with a cutesy or suggestive user name for business purposes, unless of course it relates to the nature of your business. Would you entrust your bookkeeping to babygrrrl@yahoo.com?