This blog provides practical solutions for people who want to be organised at work, home and in life.

January Tip – Failure to plan is planning to fail

Posted: January 1st, 2012 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | Tags: | No Comments »

Hey welcome back! I've got plenty more organising hints and tips to share with you...

The month to get your Business Plan, Budgets and Marketing Plan Sorted.

Review and update.  Have fun setting new goals and challenges for the next 6 to 12 months and look at your long term goals.



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December Tip – Renew and Recharge

Posted: December 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, Down time | Tags: | No Comments »

Enjoy the networking opportunities over the festive season.

Do you have a plan of action for the New Year?  Some small business owners are quiet in Jan/Feb so make the most of it and review your Business Plan, Budgets and Marketing Plan.

Take Stock and take action to make the coming year the best yet!



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November Tip – Clear Christmas Communication

Posted: November 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At home, At work | Tags: | No Comments »

Have you got Christmas Sorted?

Get in early to make your message one to be remembered.  Do you know what hours you, your clients and your suppliers will operate during the festive season?  Check it out so there are no surprises.

Recommended Read; The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber – all small business owners should read it – demystifying running your own business.  Put it on the list for Santa!



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October Tip – Update Key Data

Posted: October 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | Tags: | No Comments »

Do you have an uptodate database of your business contacts?  Most accounting/email software has a simple card system.  Spend time this month updating contact details and create an excellent asset and resource for your business – just in time for your Christmas mail out.

Recommended Read : You Inc by John McGrath – how to attract amazing success into your life and business.



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September Tip – Christmas! Nail it this year

Posted: September 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | Tags: | No Comments »

Have you considered the marketing opportunities Christmas can create for you?

List your most valuable clients/marketing contacts/suppliers and decide what to send them this year (check your budget/targets are on track first).  What will you send?  Custom printed cards, a special offer, gifts, email etc.

Get Christmas Sorted early to save money, time and stress.

Create an opportunity to reinforce your point of difference to your contacts.

Helpful link: www.quotationspage.com look for quotes to add to your Christmas message or include on your invoices, emails etc.



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Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Posted: August 22nd, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work | Tags: , , | No Comments »

This fabulous Dr. Seuss poem provides food for thought regarding our approach towards challenges and the choices we make.  This will save you time by helping you to keep focused on your goals, get out of any slumps and have a laugh at the same time!  Are you waiting for something to come along or out there moving mountains?  Enjoy……

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You’re off to Great Places!

You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.  And you know what you know.

And YOU  are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets.  Look ‘em over with care.

About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you’re too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you’ll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you’ll head straight out of town.

It’s opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don’t worry.  Don’t stew.

Just go right along.

You’ll  start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!

You’ll be on your way up!

You’ll be seeing great sights!

You’ll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.

You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’ t

Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so

but, sadly, it’s true

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump,

you’re not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they’re darked.

A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out?  Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF  you go in, should you turn left or right…

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you’ll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…

…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a  train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or a No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That’s not for you!

Somehow you’ll escape

all that waiting and staying.

You’ll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you’ll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored.  there are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame!  You’ll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t.

Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some  times

you’ll play lonely games too.

Games you can’t win

’cause you’ll play against you.

All  Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something

you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance

you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go

though the weather be foul

On you will go

though your enemies prowl

On you will go

though the Hakken-Kraks howl

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike

and I know you’ll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course,

as you already know.

You’ll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life’s

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never  mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU’LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So…

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O’Shea,

you’re off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So…get on your way!

—Dr. Seuss



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August Tip – Action your Accountant

Posted: August 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | No Comments »

Does your accountant have your figures for last year?

If yes, archive your records and spring clean your files.

If no, make an appointment and get them done so you know your tax liability/status.



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July Tip – Planning for one of life’s certainties; TAX!

Posted: July 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | Tags: | No Comments »

Do you know your tax liability/status for the last financial year?

Book in an appointment with you accountant so you have a deadline to finish your accounts by.  Review your budgets and set targets for this financial year.



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Goals for 2011

Posted: February 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work | Tags: , | No Comments »

What goals have you set for 2011? Checking email only twice a day with a
max of 5 lines per message – this is scary but I am willing to make it work
- anyone else want to be brave and try it with me!!



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February Tip – Are you ‘Out There’ in your target market?

Posted: February 1st, 2011 | Author: Clare Fountain | Filed under: At work, In business | Tags: | No Comments »

Get your marketing Sorted this month.

Create opportunities, follow up leads, build relationships, renew your marketing tools/material, update your website.  Take a look at your business from an outside perspective and give it an overhaul.



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