A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter. ‘What are you doing?’ She asked.
‘Hunting Flies’ He responded.
‘Oh! Killing any?’ She asked.
‘Yep, 3 males, 2 Females,’ he replied.
Intrigued, she asked. ‘How can you tell them apart?’
He responded,
3 were on a beer can,
2 were on the phone.’
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Thursday, 12 June 2008
The End is Nigh!
The end of the financial year that is! aarrgghh, not again! Are you prepared? I’m not, not even close. My books are a mess, my files are lovely and neat with all my invoices and statements filed but that’s about as far as it goes! I bought MYOB months ago to update all my accounts but……
Running a business is hard and it’s made even harder if you don’t know what financial state you’re in. Trying to do everything in your business is hard and gets harder as the business grows so I recommend outsourcing things you don’t like doing or aren’t great at doing. Your accounts are important so should be a high priority, if you’re not confident doing your own books get someone else to do them. I know I’ve left it way too long and seriously need to find someone to take them over. I made a start last week and got in contact with a company who I’ve heard great things about plus they maybe able to help with a few other aspects of my business, woohoo!
I do my data entry daily (well most of the time!) and then file the orders away but I have started to slacken off with the amount of information I enter plus I started to change my system and only got part way through so that’s put me behind. With the end of the financial year getting ever closer I know I need to pull my finger out and get stuck in and knowing what work there is involved it’s never far from my thoughts! It’s like a big black cloud hanging over me, yuk! So don’t get yourselves in the same situation as me, organise yourself and your books from the very beginning - even if you start doing them yourself make sure you keep on top of things. The moment you realise you just don’t have the time or things are getting a little bit tricky seek outside help, it will be one of the best decisions you make for you and your business. I just wish I had done it earlier!!
Running a business is hard and it’s made even harder if you don’t know what financial state you’re in. Trying to do everything in your business is hard and gets harder as the business grows so I recommend outsourcing things you don’t like doing or aren’t great at doing. Your accounts are important so should be a high priority, if you’re not confident doing your own books get someone else to do them. I know I’ve left it way too long and seriously need to find someone to take them over. I made a start last week and got in contact with a company who I’ve heard great things about plus they maybe able to help with a few other aspects of my business, woohoo!
I do my data entry daily (well most of the time!) and then file the orders away but I have started to slacken off with the amount of information I enter plus I started to change my system and only got part way through so that’s put me behind. With the end of the financial year getting ever closer I know I need to pull my finger out and get stuck in and knowing what work there is involved it’s never far from my thoughts! It’s like a big black cloud hanging over me, yuk! So don’t get yourselves in the same situation as me, organise yourself and your books from the very beginning - even if you start doing them yourself make sure you keep on top of things. The moment you realise you just don’t have the time or things are getting a little bit tricky seek outside help, it will be one of the best decisions you make for you and your business. I just wish I had done it earlier!!
Saturday, 7 June 2008
May Stats
Interesting Rainbow Designs stats for the month just gone:
57% of visitors were from Australia, followed by USA with 21%
74% of users use Internet Explorer, followed by 12% for Firefox (which is what I use)
Tuesday was the busiest day followed by Wednesday
2pm-4pm was the busiest time of the day for visitors with 4am being the quietest (not surprising!)
Quite similar to our January stats - the busiest days do seem to vary month to month but are generally Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. These are things that as an online business owner we need to look at reguarly to help us find the best times to increase our online advertising and to also try and organise our week around these busy days. So, in knowing Mondays and Fridays are normally quieter we can plan our week and use these days (or part of them) for working on our business.
Do you utilise your websites stats or just look at them with a smile (or a frown if they’re not so good!)?
57% of visitors were from Australia, followed by USA with 21%
74% of users use Internet Explorer, followed by 12% for Firefox (which is what I use)
Tuesday was the busiest day followed by Wednesday
2pm-4pm was the busiest time of the day for visitors with 4am being the quietest (not surprising!)
Quite similar to our January stats - the busiest days do seem to vary month to month but are generally Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. These are things that as an online business owner we need to look at reguarly to help us find the best times to increase our online advertising and to also try and organise our week around these busy days. So, in knowing Mondays and Fridays are normally quieter we can plan our week and use these days (or part of them) for working on our business.
Do you utilise your websites stats or just look at them with a smile (or a frown if they’re not so good!)?
Monday, 10 September 2007
hmmm… this is my Twitter page - http://twitter.com/RainbowDesigns but I must admit I don’t really know what it’s all about.
It seems to me you just write random thoughts or activities that you’re doing, like a blog but much briefer. My Twitter page only started yesterday and I can’t see me keeping it up but you never know. I definitely can’t see people being interested in it, again a bit like my blog. It’s very ‘me, me’ really, why would anyone care that you’re eating breakfast, heading to the bank, changing your mobiles ring tone etc etc
So what is it all about? Staying in touch with family and friends apparently, isn’t that what phones and emails let us do? Twitter is instant and can be done where ever you are, again like a phone or sms…..hmmm, I’m still puzzled?
Any ideas?
It seems to me you just write random thoughts or activities that you’re doing, like a blog but much briefer. My Twitter page only started yesterday and I can’t see me keeping it up but you never know. I definitely can’t see people being interested in it, again a bit like my blog. It’s very ‘me, me’ really, why would anyone care that you’re eating breakfast, heading to the bank, changing your mobiles ring tone etc etc
So what is it all about? Staying in touch with family and friends apparently, isn’t that what phones and emails let us do? Twitter is instant and can be done where ever you are, again like a phone or sms…..hmmm, I’m still puzzled?
Any ideas?
Wednesday, 29 August 2007
Time Out!
We all need some down time from the busyness (a word?) of everyday, whether it be reading, knitting (you’ve seen my attempt in a previous post!), gardening or even sudokuing (maybe a word?) it’s good to just do something because you want to not have to. It helps us recharge and relax and clear our minds, even if only for a short time. I know with running my own business it can be all consuming, I eat, breath and sleep Rainbow Designs (although the eat parts not so bad!) and find it so hard to switch off. This is not a productive way to run a business as I find I end up going round in circles - a break is the only thing that helps, even if it’s just 10 mins flicking through my latest copy of Notebook. Weekends are another time that can get over run by ‘the business’ especially with the computer only a few metres away. It is so easy to sit down ‘for just a few minutes’ and find half the day has disappeared, I’ve done that many a time and then later on think ‘what did I actually achieve’? Now I know, sometimes it is unavoidable working long hours including weekends but you need to make sure it doesn’t become the norm or else you’ll burn yourself out.
Taking time out should be a permanent part of your day, like doing orders, ringing customers, paying bills, they all need doing to keep your business running smoothly and your sanity in check!
Taking time out should be a permanent part of your day, like doing orders, ringing customers, paying bills, they all need doing to keep your business running smoothly and your sanity in check!
Thursday, 9 August 2007
Tha Calm before the storm
More often than not the days/weeks leading up to a special occasion (this one being Father’s Day - Sunday 2 Sept) mean racing madly around getting extra everything. Extra packing tape, extra boxes, extra gift tags, extra lollies, extra post bags, extra labels - I think you get the idea. It’s now time to be a mind reader and try and pre-empt what gifts people will be ordering and ensuring there will be enough stock when the orders do start flooding in (please, please). A final check of everything and a last minute flurry of making up more packing boxes before everything is ready for the ’storm’.
The first lot start coming in so I get to work packing them up and carefully organising them in ‘date to be sent’ order - phew, that lot done, time to make up more packing boxes, change the printer ink, refill the paper, empty the garbage bin, find another pen because the inks just run out and a quick phone call to our supplier to check whether they have Freddos and licorice in stock (must be a dad thing)!
I’ve got myself so organised this year that I’m now so up to date I’m driving myself crazing and visiting every blog, forum and online shop I’ve ever put into my favourites and wasting so much time!! Plus it’s making me nervous that my ’storm’ has already hit and it was just a slight breeze but never fear as the moment I type those words in come some more orders - yipee. The sun’s shining but the storm is still raging
It helps to be organised but it can also be distracting, giving you tunnel vision and forgetting all the other elements of your business that still need looking after - paying the bills, answering the emails, sending out your newsletter, chasing up stock orders, following up on advertising opportunities, overdue accounts, dodging telemarketers……
Did I say there was a ‘Calm’??
The first lot start coming in so I get to work packing them up and carefully organising them in ‘date to be sent’ order - phew, that lot done, time to make up more packing boxes, change the printer ink, refill the paper, empty the garbage bin, find another pen because the inks just run out and a quick phone call to our supplier to check whether they have Freddos and licorice in stock (must be a dad thing)!
I’ve got myself so organised this year that I’m now so up to date I’m driving myself crazing and visiting every blog, forum and online shop I’ve ever put into my favourites and wasting so much time!! Plus it’s making me nervous that my ’storm’ has already hit and it was just a slight breeze but never fear as the moment I type those words in come some more orders - yipee. The sun’s shining but the storm is still raging
It helps to be organised but it can also be distracting, giving you tunnel vision and forgetting all the other elements of your business that still need looking after - paying the bills, answering the emails, sending out your newsletter, chasing up stock orders, following up on advertising opportunities, overdue accounts, dodging telemarketers……
Did I say there was a ‘Calm’??
Sunday, 29 July 2007
5 Things I Do Every Morning
Number 1
Turn my kettle on - I must have a coffee (preferably percolated) to get my day started
Number 2
Turn my computer on - although lately I haven’t actually been turning it off, so I just need to wake it up
Number 3
Print out the orders that came in over night and start to write out the gift tag messages. Depending how many there are I may finish this a little later
Number 4
Visit my regular online networks - Messy Desk, She-Essence, Free Business Tips and Small Business Den I love to read what other small business owners are up to, it’s always exciting and motivating to read about others successes - even their difficulties can inspire. You think ‘what can I do to help’?
Number 5
Eat my breakfast - I am trying very hard to have brekky every morning as I have read (and am now starting to believe) that breakfast or lack of can effect your mood for the rest of the day.
I normally allow myself 30-40mins to do the above before I ‘get ready’ for the day ahead. It helps me to ease myself into the day so I don’t start frazzled and stressed before it has even begun!
Turn my kettle on - I must have a coffee (preferably percolated) to get my day started
Number 2
Turn my computer on - although lately I haven’t actually been turning it off, so I just need to wake it up
Number 3
Print out the orders that came in over night and start to write out the gift tag messages. Depending how many there are I may finish this a little later
Number 4
Visit my regular online networks - Messy Desk, She-Essence, Free Business Tips and Small Business Den I love to read what other small business owners are up to, it’s always exciting and motivating to read about others successes - even their difficulties can inspire. You think ‘what can I do to help’?
Number 5
Eat my breakfast - I am trying very hard to have brekky every morning as I have read (and am now starting to believe) that breakfast or lack of can effect your mood for the rest of the day.
I normally allow myself 30-40mins to do the above before I ‘get ready’ for the day ahead. It helps me to ease myself into the day so I don’t start frazzled and stressed before it has even begun!
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