Keep your office space in Toronto organized with these 25 tips

25 Tips to keep your office organized and running smoothly by Janet Taylor 

1) Clean out each desk drawer, to free up even more valuable storage space.

2) Clear off the top of your desk, then wipe off the surface of the desktop.

3) Keep essential items on your desktop (computer, phone, fax, card file).

4) If you work with more than one person create an in box for each person.

5) Have a master to-do list for each day at your desk.

6) Pre-Sort the mail.  To-File, To-Read, To-Contact(write or call).

7) Use a variety of containers to organize office supplies, paper clips and pens.

8) Use a variety of desktop organizers or trays to organize papers that come across your desk.

9) Create a separate drawer for personal paperwork, items, etc.

10) Use storage boxes to store dated files.

11) Purchase Magazine boxes to store booklets, magazines, catalogs you want to keep.

12) Create a file for magazine articles or scan them into your computer.

13) Filing system should be simple easy and manageable.

14) Color-coding your files makes it faster to find information.

15) Do not over stuff folders.  It may be time to toss some of the information in the folder .

16) Never overload filing drawer.  It will make it difficult to retrieve information in the drawers.

17) Sub-divide larger files with interior file folders.

18) Tab hanging file folders in the front.

19) Return calls in batches.  Leave specific messages and the time you called if the person you’re trying to reach isn’t available.

20) Empty workspace of everything but the project you’re working on to cut down on distractions.

21) Keep an assortment of all-occasion cards and stamps in your desk.

22) Keep takeout menus from favorite restaurants so you can  order ahead and pick up dinner on your way home.

23) When using more than one checking account, color coded checks are an easy way to identify each account.

24) At the end of each project or event, organize paperwork and file or store it.

25) Straighten desk at the end of the day and especially at the end of the week so that you can start each morning with a clear desk

 

Originally posted here…

Magic Johnson’s business tips

By Jason Q Freed

Early on in the process of opening 125 Starbucks locations in urban communities across the U.S., Earvin “Magic” Johnson decided to take out the traditional coffeehouse tunes and replace them with albums from Lionel Ritchie, Smokey Robinson and other African American artists. He ditched the scones and instead stocked sweet potato pie.

The NBA legend, entrepreneur and philanthropist learned early on in his business career that a clear understanding of his customers would be critical to success

“I understand what minorities want and I deliver it to them, and that’s been the key,” Johnson told a packed ballroom of National Restaurant Association Show attendees during his keynote address Sunday. “Everything I do is about the customer. It’s never about me; it’s always about my customer.”

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Tips every startup can use

FAST GROWTH IS A GOOD PROBLEM, BUT WITHOUT GUIDELINES AND STRUCTURE, CAN BE A DETRIMENT TO YOUR NEW STARTUP. HERE’S HOW ONE FOUNDER GREW HIS COMPANY, AND WHAT HE LEARNED IN THE PROCESS.

BY MATT EHRLICHMAN

Over the past eight months our company has tripled in size, expanding from 25 employees to 125. During this time we transitioned from working in the basement of my home to a 17,000-square-foot office in Seattle, outgrowing two other temporary spaces in the process.

Growing so rapidly in a short of period time isn’t easy, especially for a young startup, but it was a great experience and learning process. Here are six things we learned during this time of fast growth:

1. YOU ARE PROBABLY OVERLOOKING PARTS OF YOUR BUDGET

It’s crucial to sweat the details and have a very clear understanding of the cash flow curve for your new office. Without a plan, spending can quickly get out of hand.

Take into account both the “people” and the “property” costs surrounding a big move. You must have a clear employee target number and growth timeline. Factor in the costs required to get newcomers hired and up to speed as well.

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5 non-digital tips for business growth

5 NON-DIGITAL TIPS FOR BUSINESS GROWTH

BY

SMEs are constantly searching for the next technological advancement but digital isn’t the sole driver of business success.

Here are five non-digital tips for growing your business.

1. Stay true to your values

Clients and consumers want to do business with companies whose values they can respect and share in. Work out early what your company’s values are and make sure they underpin everything you do. This includes being prepared to turn business away if you are not 100 per cent certain you can deliver the deal.

Refusing business may seem like madness for a growing company but why compromise your values for the sake of a quick buck? Repeat business and recommendations are real drivers of growth but they come through staying true to your values and remembering that you are only as good as your last deal.

2. Reinvent sectors with a poor reputation

Identifying new areas of growth can be tricky, however, existing sectors such as estate agencies and payday loans are crying out for a fresh approach. Introducing a radically different business model that delivers what customers want is key. We launched Astus in 2003 when media barter had a “dodgy” image because the way it was done left many advertisers out of pocket. We changed the business model to deliver the advertiser’s side of the deal before taking payment. This removed the risk for them and so persuaded some to give our approach a chance. Changing perceptions of a sector involves rebuilding trust one deal at a time but it is possible to do.

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Tips for fast and focused meetings in Toronto

5 TIPS FOR FAST AND FOCUSED MEETINGS. NO MORE CROWDED ROOMS OR RAMBLING OPINIONS — MEETINGS CAN EASILY BE SPEEDY AND PRODUCTIVE WITH THESE FIVE TIPS.

 

If you slowly feel your soul draining and your mind turning to mush right now–and if you’re reading this on your smartphone–there’s a very good chance you’re currently sitting in on a truly unproductive meeting.

Rather than getting bogged down in any more overcrowded and underproductive business meetings, try implementing these five tips, and start refining those daily tests of endurance.

1. CUT THE NUMBERS

When too many people cram into a meeting room, solutions gravitate toward the lowest common denominator. As film director Darren Aronofsky puts it, “Ten men in a room trying to come up with their favorite ice cream are going to agree on vanilla.”

 

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30 Simple Tips That Can Significantly Improve Your Business’ Online Marketing

By Tara Banda

If you didn’t already know, this week is National Small Business Week. This week celebrates all small businesses and what they do for consumers, the economy, and the country. And now that today’s consumers rely more on the Web to find and choose local businesses, online marketing has become a high priority on the list of things SMBs need to do.

But that list is often long and takes a while to sort through. So, here’s a roundup of some of our most popular blog posts with quick online marketing tips. From search advertising best practices to social media tactics, these are tips that any small business owner can use to help consumers find them online.

Tips for Great Search Advertising:

1. Know the Text Ad Format – All text ads aren’t created equal. Bing, Yahoo!, and Google all have slightly different text ad formats, so identify and follow the rules of each before running your search advertising campaign.

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/online-marketing/30-simple-tips-can-significantly-improve-online-marketing-0884685#J74IjVPyj1OAS2th.99

The recipe for winning at business event planning

This excerpt is part of Entrepreneur.com’s Second-Quarter Startup Kit which explores the fundamentals of starting up in a wide range of industries.

In Start Your Own Event Planning Business, the staff at Entrepreneur Press and writer Cheryl Kimball explain how you can get started in the event planning industry, whether you want to work part- or full-time planning anything from a first-birthday party, bar mitzvah or wedding to political fundraisers and product launches. In this edited excerpt, the authors talk about the things that will help you succeed — and those that will make you fail — in the event planning industry.

Here are some of the pitfalls specific to the event planning industry:

Misunderstanding your client’s require­ments. If your client wants a con­servative business meeting and you deliver a Roaring Twenties theme party, you’re in trouble. Although this is an extreme example, remember that you need to know all your client’s requirements in detail before you can arrange a successful event.

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How to be more productive in the meeting room

5 TIPS FOR MAKING MEETINGS MORE PRODUCTIVE  – Lou Orfanos

Whether taking place over the phone, online or face-to-face, meetings are where deals are made, decisions agreed, and relationships with clients and colleagues strengthened.

Yet, despite offering many benefits, they can also be a big drain on workers’ time if they aren’t managed effectively or organised with a clear purpose.

A study by Epson and the Centre for Economics and Business Research suggests that less than half of the time Brits spend in meetings is actually productive. With the average worker in meetings for four hours a week, the impact of unproductive meetings can be substantial. In the UK, estimates suggest that unproductive meetings could be costing the economy as much as £26bn each year.

Here are five tips for having more productive meetings.

1. Be prepared

As any good businessman will tell you, preparation is the key to success and meetings are no different. Whether you’re attending a weekly catch-up or pitching to a big-name prospect, it’s important to have a back-up plan in place in case the session doesn’t go as expected. For instance, if you are due to give a presentation but your PC won’t turn on, it could be game over, but if your files are saved on a USB stick or stored in the cloud, you can simply switch to another machine.

When presenting, practice really does make perfect. It is well worth taking the time to rehearse what you want to say so that you can see how much time you will need to say it. If you keep running over or find yourself being repetitive, you can cut down on your slides or how long you spend on each item and prioritise the points that you want people to remember.

 

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Create Increased Customer Engagement

SIMPLE TIPS TO CREATE INCREASED CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT – Scott MacFarland

Simple Tips to Create Increased Customer Engagement

Customer engagement is a term that is tossed around frequently in marketing circles. I am finding out that even though many of us are using it in daily conversation, there is an element of confusion. This phrase has become more buzz-term friendly than user friendly. Let’s clear up the confusion, shall we?

The goal of this article is to not provide a comprehensive guideline to create customer engagement. However, it will provide some simple basics that will jumpstart your thought process and point you in the right direction to increase your customer engagement.

Provide A Clear Customer Path: Think about where your brand is coming in contact with the customer. Consider how this is happening as well as all the touch points along the customer path. Keep in mind, there many be channel hops and places where the brand is not displaying your message consistently along the path. Many times this causes the customer to click away from your brand.

 

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Up your game in 2014 with social media management for your business

20 SOCIAL MEDIA TIPS TO RULE IN 2014 BY Drew Hendricks

If you’re in charge of social media management for your company, it’s time to up your game in 2014. It requires more than the random postings about your great sale, latest product or a shameless plug in the local paper. Social media marketing is easily a full-time job, and for good reason. Here are 20 ways to optimize your social media strategy in 2014 and beyond.

1. Choose the right platform

There are hundreds of social media platforms, which means there are many options beyond Facebook,Google GOOGL -1.16%+, Twitter TWTR -0.43%, Instagram and YouTube. Take some time to see which platforms are best for your business and limit them to five max. No full-time employee has time to manage anything more, and you may find you’re a better fit for an underdog platform than Pinterest.

 

Read more of this ‘Forbes’ Article…