Category: Office and Homeworking

Everyone who's ever worked in a fast-paced company knows how much of an effort it can take to effectively manage the never-ending stream of emails being sent his or her way. And this becomes even more difficult if you're the person in charge, since so many people are depending on your quick and clear responses in order to do their jobs well (no pressure!). Managing your inbox takes some commitment, but when you finally figure out a system that works for you, you'll find you spend a lot less time worrying about your emails, and a lot more time being productive at work. Here are a few tips to help you get started:Get Organized If you've ever spring-cleaned your desk, decluttered the various stacks of business cards and organized all of the…

Many small businesses are finding a great deal of value in hiring interns. In fact, according to a 2015 survey from the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 92 percent of businesses have internship programs. Why? Interns provide additional team members for a fraction of the cost of hiring someone full time. Plus, they can give companies a valuable fresh perspective, help the student gain professional experience and companies even choose to give interns a full-time position after the internship is over. If you're considering hiring an intern, take a look at these ways you can make the most of the process while growing business:Decide Exactly Where an Intern Could Be Useful The last thing you want to do is hire an intern just to send him or her out for…

When you are running a small business, it's up to you to keep track of all your meetings, phone calls, deliveries and other happenings. That's a lot to remember. If you aren't already using a physical planner or a calendar app, you are missing out on a great way to help manage your time and business. Here are some tips for using those tools effectively:1. Find the one that works for you If you dislike the way your planner is organized, you just might bury it in your office and not use it. Similarly, if you are uncertain about the way to use a calendar app, you might not take the time to learn it and will end up forgetting about appointments. Finding the app or physical planner that fits your needs will make…

We've all been there: You're heading home from work and you can't stop replaying a conversation you had with your boss in your head. Or you're out at happy hour with a few co-workers and can't seem to get off of the subject of work. Or you're laying in bed at night worrying about everything you have to get done tomorrow. When you get into the habit of bringing work home, it can affect your productivity in the office, your personal life and, let's face it, your sanity. So, here are some steps you can take to leave work stresses behind when it's time to leave the office:Make Your Work Hours More Productive One of the key ways to separate your work life and your home life is to make…

Meetings can be a very productive way to get multiple people up to speed, handle an issue efficiently or provide useful information to a group. On the other hand, they can occasionally be an unproductive use of time, which could potentially cost you and your employees valuable opportunities to get essential work done. That's why it' important to only hold necessary meetings that have a specific objective. But how do you know which meetings are going to be productive? Here are four questions every boss should ask himself or herself before scheduling meetings:1. Could This Meeting Be Held in Another Way? The first step in deciding whether a meeting will be productive is to determine if there's another way to share the information easily and effectively. Here's an example: If you want to give someone a quick update regarding…