Life is busy enough as it is, right? We don’t need to go adding to our days with endless tasks and to dos. If you don’t have a virtual assistant or project manager in your life, you are rocking things out on your own – day in and day out. It can be overwhelming/thrilling/exhausting/trying to make it all happen.
The entire first year I was in business I ran solo – blogging, bookkeeping, marketing, networking, office cleaning – I did it all mySELF. And over time I found a few tricks to shave off several minutes of to dos each week….all without hiring an assistant.
1) Bookkeeping Made Easy with FreshBooks. Now I know there are as many bookkeeping software programs as there are days of the month, but FreshBooks just does it for me in that special way that was previously reserved for double chocolate chip ice cream. I love it so. The love affair started when I read a brilliant little ebook written by the Freshest CEO. Breaking the Time Barrier changed the way I do business (and maybe life). THEN, I started using FreshBooks. It’s easy, intuitive, and it keeps me organized and paid. My invoices are automated so I never have to remember that it’s the 1st and set aside time to build those invoices – it’s done for me monthly!
2) Newsletters are automatic with AWeber. I was with MailChimp for a long time – you can get a free account for up to 2,500 contacts! – but I found that I really wanted to use auto-responders (to save time and brain power, obvi) and you have to pay MailChimp for that. When I realized I was gonna be shelling out a little cash each month for my newsletter, I compared services and realized AWeber was the better choice for me.
3) Images in a snap with ShareAsImage. This one’s a game changer, yo. Look, I love myPicMonkey and Pixlr just like the next gal, but ShareAsImage is my go to for a quick shareable photo. You can upload your own or use the (actually nice selection of) images they have. Font selection is pretty good and filters are there for your choosing too. Once you have an account, it stores your images for you as well as offering a download option. Easy, quick, done.
4) Emails filed for sanity with GMail. You have no idea how much I love GMail. There are about a million ways but my numero uno first love is filtering, baby. Oh how it makes my life easier. I’ve laid out your step by step to setup filtering (with pictures – ohhhh ahhhhh yay!) so you can be just as insanely organized. How exactly does being organized save time? No more staring at your inbox each time you sit down to decide what to work on next. Or searching for that email you got a month ago that is finally relevant but wheretheheckisit?! Your filters love you and want to protect you. Use them.
5) Get focused with Coffitivity. My business BFF Racheal turned me on to Coffitivity and it’s the first thing I turn on every day. Again, doesn’t seem like a time saver, does it? Ha HA (said in one of those TV voices, of course). It soooo is. With coffitivity my uber-quiet workspace is humming and buzzing with action – throwing me right into motion. Something about that background noise inspiring great thoughts or something. It’s science. Trust me.
Now it’s your turn – what products and programs do you use to save time in your day-to-day operations? Share them on our Facebook page or drop them in the comments here.
Here’s to a more productive you!
xo
