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Keeping In Touch With My Online Family
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The significant challenges that we face today cannot be
resolved by the same level of thinking that created them.
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Issue #3: May 29th, 2001
Hi <FIRST_NAME>,
Here's What We Have For YOU Today:
1. Publishers's Corner
2. Notes and Quotes
3. Feature Article
4. Helpful Hints
5. Readers' Comments/Suggestions
1. Publisher's Corner
Hi there and a great big welcome to all our new subscribers.
We're happy to have you with us. I trust everyone enjoyed their
long weekends - last weekend for the U.S. and the previous
weekend in Canada.
If you are just starting out online and still haven't decided
which direction you want to take to create your online presence,
there are a couple of things you should be sure to do.
In fact, if you are in the beginning stages, you may actually
have an advantage over those of us who jumped in and tried to do
everything all at once.
Create your own business plan. Know where you want to go
and what you want to accomplish. Write it all down so that you can
follow through. It's easier to keep track if you have something
tangible that you can refer back to.
Organization is also key here. Your e-mail should have
folders created for your particular needs. Use the filters and the
rules wizard. Try to automate as much as possible. Where you
need to - do the same with file folders and file everything as
you finish with it. Be sure you have a system for follow-up in
place.
The most important thing is to make sure you take care of
yourself too. Don't spend 15 or 18 hours a day in front of the
computer without taking time to eat, take a break, read a book
-- whatever. In the end your productivity will lessen. You get
tired and grumpy. This doesn't sound too good when a colleague
calls you up. Go for a ten minute walk or sit outside on the
front steps with a cup of coffee. You'd be surprised how
refreshing a short break can be and how it will add to your
productivity.
I have included two Feature Articles today that relate to these
issues.
2. Notes and Quotes
Coming together is a beginning ...
Keeping together is progress ...
Working together is success.
Henry Ford
We are faced with a series of great opportunities, brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations.
Charles Swindell
3. Feature Articles
Article - Checklist for the New Home-Based Business
By Elena Fawkner
So, you've decided to take the plunge and start your own
home-based business. Congratulations! You're on your way
to true financial independence. Protect your business and
your livelihood by making sure you have paid proper
attention to the following:
1. Cash Flow
Do you have adequate working capital to support your
business (to support you!)during its early stages? Have you
started your business part-time while continuing to work
full-time to make sure it is a viable income producer for
you and that income is adequate for your needs? DON'T give
up your day job until you can give an unequivocal YES to
these questions.
2. Business Licensing
Have you obtained all necessary licenses and registrations
for your business? Do you comply with your local zoning
regulations? This is especially important for both legal and
insurance reasons if you expect to have clients visit your
home office.
3. Insurance
If you expect to have clients visit your home office, have
you taken out insurance in case they are injured on your
premises? Your normal homeowner's insurance will NOT cover
business visitors unless you notify your insurance company
that you are operating a business from home and the insurance
company endorses your policy to include this risk.
In all other cases you should take out a separate policy
to cover your business visitors. In this regard, whether
you comply with local zoning regulations may be important.
Your insurance company may refuse to cover you if you are
conducting your business illegally. For these reasons it
is imperative that you obtain all proper registrations and
licenses for your business.
Another type of insurance you should take out is public
risk insurance. No matter the nature of your business,
if you are dealing with other people (and what business
isn't?), you should have public risk insurance to cover you
in case of a claim for negligence.
A third type of insurance to consider is income protection
insurance. If you have made the transition from paid
employment to self-employment, you no longer have the
benefits that went along with your paid job which may have
included disability or income protection insurance. You will
need to purchase this cover for yourself.
4. Benefits
Once you have left the paid workforce, you may find that you
have also left behind your medical, dental and optical
benefits. You need to make sure you purchase adequate
insurance for these expenses.
5. Accounting and Tax Advice
The best time to seek accounting and tax advice is before
you start your new business. Your accountant will be able
to advise you about things such as the most tax-effective
structure for your particular business and what types of
expenses you can claim against your business income. It is
important to obtain this advice at the beginning of your
business venture so you know exactly what records you should
be keeping and whether it is best for you to purchase or
rent capital equipment such as your computer.
6. Time Management
Make sure you have thought through how you will deal with
the day to day distractions that will come up when you work
from home and plan accordingly. For example, if you know
you will not be working from 3:00 pm until 8:00 pm because
this is the time between when your children return from
school and when they go to bed, try to schedule as many
non-business activities for this time period as possible
rather than taking breaks during your business hours. Need
milk? Get it when you're out picking the kids up from
school, not at 11:00 am because it's easier than starting
that new webpage. Remember, self-discipline is your best
friend and vital when working from home. Procrastination,
on the other hand, is your greatest enemy.
Working from home is the dream of many. Don't let that
dream turn to ashes by overlooking the "basics" of sound
business and risk management.
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Elena Fawkner is editor of the award-winning weekly ezine,
A Home-Based Business Online, a down-to-earth publication
containing practical home-based and online business ideas,
telecommuting job listings, original articles, free e-books
and much more. She also runs the A Home-Based Business
Online website at at http://www.fawkner.com. You can
subscribe to her newsletter at the site.
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Take Control of Your Time and Take
Control of Your Life
By Archie R. Lawhorne
If you're ever going to take control of your life
and make it grand, you'll need to start by taking
control of your time. Without question, effective
time management is fundamental to succeeding in any
area of life. In fact, it is often the main difference
between life's achievers and those who, although
always busy, never get anywhere.
Not surprisingly, an entire industry has been created
out of the need to better manage our time. But if you
look a little deeper, you'll see that its not so much
about time management as it is self management. Because
in reality, you can't control time, but you can control
yourself and what you do with each moment of time.
Most experts agree that success is the result of habit.
Therefore, the first step in improving how you use your
time starts with your habits (self control). And your
habits start as consciously made decisions (i.e. what
time you get up, what kind of books you read, etc.).
Once established, good habits become second nature. In
many cases, success is not so much the result of doing
the unusual, but rather the result of one's ability to
"master the mundane." By consistently performing all of
the little rudimentary tasks that are important, over
time these activities transform into huge achievements.
Here's some simple rules to follow for better time management:
Don't procrastinate. Do it now. When people put things
off, it kills momentum, slows achievement of current goals
and restricts future opportunity as time is clogged up. The
way to tackle procrastination is to set deadlines by which
goals should be achieved. The way to avoid last-minute
deadlines brought on by procrastination is to set
intermediary goals which must be achieved and then
steadily track progress.
Track your activities. Memory is a poor guide when it
comes to assessing how you spend your time. A better
way is to record your activities throughout the day,
listing everything you do. Most people will find that
they have about three hours each day that can be used
in a more constructive or efficient manner. Take stock
of the time you spend chatting on the phone, flipping
though magazines or aimlessly surfing the Web, and
eliminate all that isn't necessary.
Concentrate on results. Many people spend their days in
a frenzy of activity, but achieve very little because
they are not concentrating on the right things. Don't
confuse working efficiently with working effectively.
Activities can be tension-relieving, but not goal-achieving.
By concentrating on fewer "major" priorities regularly,
you can achieve a lot more in less time.
Remember the 80/20 principle: 20% of your key activities
will give you 80% of your results. Your aim is to change
this to ensure that you concentrate as much of your effort
as possible on the high payoff tasks.
Use travel time wisely. It's easy to overlook time spent
traveling in your assessment of time management. Consider
carefully whether this is time that you could use more
productively. For example, if you opted to take the bus
or train to work, would this provide an opportunity to
make better use of your commute time? Or if you do drive,
are you listening to educational or motivational tapes
(rather than the Top 40) which could help improve your
skills and make you a more productive and well-rounded
person?
Develop action plans. An action plan is a brief list of
tasks that you have to complete to achieve an objective.
It differs from a "To Do" list in that it focuses on the
achievement of a goal, (and the specific steps to get
there) rather than just on the goals to be achieved in
a period of time. Whenever you want to achieve something,
drawing up an action plan allows you to concentrate on
the stages of that achievement, and monitor your progress
towards that realization.
Respond quickly. For example, take care of your mail as
you receive it. Don't let those bills and letters pile
up on you. If you're unable to respond to a letter
immediately, file it in a special place that's visible,
and note on the envelope the required action and date
you intend to resolve it. When possible, act on requests
the same day you receive them. Don't let your computer,
your desk or your mind become clogged with useless things.
Be Decisive. Learn to say no to people. Your time is
important, so don't let other people impose or use you
to compensate for their poor planning. Eliminate
distractions as much as possible. Close your door,
turn off the ringer on your phone or simply ask not
to be disturbed.
Schedule time to relax. When you're organizing your time
and your business, make sure to set aside some time for
relaxation. If you plan for it in advance, it's less
likely to come up spontaneously and distract you from
other tasks. (No, sitting at your computer with a mouse
under your hand does not qualify as relaxing).
Your first step toward better time management is to take
stock of the time you waste each day and from there,
reorganize your activities to maximize every minute.
(Essentially, it boils down to exercising better self
control - it's simple, but not easy). Above all, stick
to your plan. Your schedule will work only as well as
you commit to it. Keep it with you everywhere you go and
refer to it often. By following these tips, you'll create
more space to be, do and have more in your life. Best of
all, you'll approach life in a more proactive and
intentional manner.
Archie R. Lawhorne, APR, is an accredited public relations
professional, marketing writer and consultant. Archie's
FREE 7-Day MLM Crash Course uncovers the dirty
secrets and exposes the ugly under-belly of MLM like you've
never seen before. Don't make another move or invest another
dime until you read this material. For instant delivery, send a
blank email to: MLMInsights@infogeneratorpro.com, or visit
http://www.profitleader.com. FOD: 403-934-6061 (Doc. 362104).
4. Helpful Hints
Do you use an autoresponder? If so, remember to change the
responder message when you update your web site, or make
changes that should be reflected in the autoresponder as well.
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Tip from The Newbie Club, creators of "How A Newbie
Built A Website In Just 2 days - Absolutely FREE."
Details --> http://newbieclub.com/builder/free_at_last
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If you receive a warning about a virus and are unsure whether it
is fact or fiction, go to
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/hoax.htm.
This is page is loaded with information about the current hoaxes
and will help everyone save valuable time. Mark this page as a
Favorite.
5. Readers' Comments/Suggestions
This is your 'spot' subscribers. I do appreciate the favorable
comments I have received -- thank you.
I'm in the process of transferring my domain and re-working my
site. My new host is a wonderful guy with the patience of Job.
I'm putting Newbie Website Builder to use. :-) There is a lot
to learn but it really helps when there is a real person
answering you and not a robot that selects words out of your
message and may answer you three or four days later with a reply
that is totally irrelevant.
Do you have any comments or concerns you would like addressed
in KIT?
mailto:free_at_last@skyweb.ca?Subject=KITComments
Do you have any special tips you would like to share with the
other subscribers:
mailto:free_at_last@skyweb.ca?Subject=KITTips
Do you have an article you would like to publish?
mailto:free_at_last@skyweb.ca?Subject=KITArticleSubmission
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Privacy Policy: Keeping in Touch respects your privacy. Your
e-mail address or personal information will NEVER be sold,
traded or disclosed to any third party member.
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Contact Information:
Keeping in Touch With My Online Family is published by:
Free At Last Enterprises
P. O. Box 88
Elie, Manitoba
R0H 0H0
Canada
Phone: (204) 353-4096
Fax: (204) 353-2248
E-Mail: free_at_last@skyweb.ca
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