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How to Make a More Productive Monday on Friday

With another hectic week coming to a close and the excitement of the weekend just hours away, it’s no wonder why Fridays are less than practically productive. In some business environments, it’s the unofficial slack-off day, one comprised of mundane tasks, a bit of cleanup, and perhaps, some tying of loose ends. Plans for the weekend take away attention from the inbox, and minds wander. Fridays, by-and-large, are informal work days, and that’s a shame, because these could serve as launch pad for serious Monday productivity.

How to Make a More Productive Monday on Friday

Ironically, Mondays aren’t much better, as these are the days returning from the weekends dreamed about on Fridays. The first day of the work week is one that’s often dreaded, in-part because of what wasn’t done on Friday. Talk about a dichotomy, this one scores high on the list. What’s worse, is that your team members aren’t alone in this experience, because you too, are right alongside them, especially on Friday afternoon, after lunch.

Monday mornings are the most critical time of the workweek — they set the stage for the day and week ahead. Most successful people are keenly aware of the typical Monday-morning workplace dynamic of unanticipated events, overflow of communications, and general chaos. —Business Insider

Even with all your entrepreneurial drive, you too, are ready to enjoy the downtime the weekend delivers, and it’s important because it lets you let go, at least enough to refresh. This dynamic doesn’t have to bedevil your company, or more particularly, you. There are some things you can do to make a more productive Monday on Friday:

Plan in advance for the following week. Monday is often treated with disdain precisely because of what it holds in-store. Ironically, it’s what wasn’t done on Friday that makes this a reality. Mondays don’t have to be a scramble to catch-up, they can be a productive day, if you prepare on Friday. So, prime your sales pipeline, get organized, and plan out the week. You’ll do yourself a huge favor, and you’ll avoid that nagging feeling that you forgot something.
Identify one or more things to get done today. Instead of counting down the clock to the end of the day, look at the time available to use for a task or two that’s yet to be completed. When you tackle a project, even if it’s small, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment, and not guilty about taking time for yourself over the weekend.
Reach out to customers early in the day. Because Friday is a lackadaisical day in so many offices, you can use this phenomenon to your advantage. Reach out to customers you haven’t connected with in awhile, and double down by following-up with deals in-the-works.
Leave a small reward to enjoy on Monday. One reason Mondays seem so bland is because they lack reward. Whatever it is that perks you up, and not just a cup of coffee, like a favorite snack, put it aside for next week. You can even set a reminder to make it all the more special.
Begin the week with thoughtful recognition. There is probably at least one person who helped you out this week, perhaps two or three. Show your appreciation by picking something up for them over the weekend and surprising them on Monday. It will keep you eager to get back Monday morning, and will create a sense of appreciation and excitement to the recipient(s).

Another thing you can do on Friday to make Monday more productive is to get that one pain point out of the way. It will make the weekend all the more enjoyable and sweet, plus, it won’t daunt you next week. I started doing this in the form of a game or competition. How many pain point, or high priority projects, phone calls or tasks could I accomplish before I leave on Friday? How many projects or priorities do I have on Monday that I could complete on Friday to make Monday an easy start? And it is working for me with higher productivity, growth and more free time. Make your Friday count so that Monday is a breeze!

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What to Do When Your PPP Money Runs Out

May 7, 2020 No Comments

What do businesses do when their PPP or Payroll Protection Program funds run out? While small companies can apply and receive relief, that money is only finite. It will go just so far before it’s gone. And, once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. Even organizations with business interruption insurance benefits have limited resources. Eventually, the cash will run out. So, what do small businesses do then? PPP Loan Forgiveness Only Solves One Problem It’s important to remember that PPP loan forgiveness — while most certainly helpful — merely solves one problem. Meaning, there are still other debts and obligations to pay and to meet. That alone reveals the fact there’s a lot more to doing business than just compensating employees. Vendors, contractors, and others also need to be paid. The Paycheck Protection Program is a loan designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. —U.S. Small Business Administration This gets to the heart of the larger issue — the inescapable reality of the business world. Put another way, if someone paid off one of your personal debts and you had five, six, or ten more, while that’s a blessing and it’s appreciated, it does not get you totally out of debt. Businesses don’t operate that way because there’s always additional obligations. What to Do When Your PPP Money Runs Out Since businesses stay in a cycle of dynamics, with revolving credit and monthly bills, and they apply and receive PPP money, what can they do once those funds are gone? Here are a few suggestions that might prove helpful to your business: Offer invoice financing. Instead of requesting (or demanding) the entire invoice amount to be paid, give them the option to finance their outstanding balances. You can charge a small fee and/or interest rate — so long that it’s legal and ethical. Ask suppliers for extensions. For businesses that owe other businesses money, it’s worth a shot to ask for some more time or at least try to establish payment arrangements. This will help to take off a little pressure and to free up some cash. Review personnel staffing choices. Most businesses already have or will soon, be forced into this scenario — assessing which team members aren’t essential. It’s a tough spot but because employees most always represent the largest expense, this can’t be ignored. Consider liquidation or selling equipment. Another thing you can do is to sell off non-essential equipment, if available. Or, liquidate some inventory or materials. These are all difficult decisions but they could mean the difference between staying in business and going out of business permanently. Offer new services that are in demand now. Look at what services are in demand now that may be in line with your service offerings or a close extension thereof to provide immediate cash flow. Quickly shift to provide those services by promoting them to your current customer base and use social media to get the word out. Several industries and businesses have done this in recent weeks. What other suggestions do you have? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Transition from a Self-Employed Job to an Actual Business

September 24, 2020 No Comments

There’s a really big difference between owning your own job and owning a business. we’ve touched on this subject before, and how to tell one from another. But if you’re in this situation (read: predicament), You’re probably wondering how to transition or more particularly, transform, your self-employed job into a full-fledged business. it’s not necessarily a simple process, but it’s definitely not impossible, in the vast majority of cases. With the right advice, and a bit of vision and perseverance, you can make the transition from a self-employed gig to an actual business. The Difference between “Owning” Your Own Job and Owning a Business If you’re reading this article, chances are excellent that you are in a particular set of circumstances. That is, you don’t work for an established corporate entity, but do work for yourself. However, you’re a one person show. You do it all. Everything is up to you. Most Americans love the idea of starting their own business and being their own boss. Who wouldn’t? If you already have the skills to deliver the product or service to customers, why would you not set out on your own? The sad truth is that most business owners in today’s world do not actually own their own business — their business owns them. They never learn how to create business models capable of producing both time and financial freedom. —Forbes It’s you who is responsible for the productivity, the customer service, the back office stuff, marketing, and everything that goes into making it possible. But, you don’t have any employees, or contractors, or only occasionally rely on others to pick up when you simply can’t do it on your own. In other words, if you’re not working, you’re not earning. However, if you can leave the operation to others, and are not the soul producer, then you own a business. This represents the key distinctions between the two. How to Transition from a Self-Employed Job to an Actual Business Now, given those very stark differences, how exactly do you transform your self-employed job into a real business? Basically, you’ll have to change and break a number of routines and habits. Here’s some helpful steps you can take to make the transformation happen: Envision what you would like the business to eventually be. This is something that you’ll have to constantly revisit in order to make your dream come true. Even if you hire someone part-time, or get to a position where you have more than one full-time employee, you must always think about the next step up. Expand your team. Okay, This sounds blatantly obvious, but it’s something that too many people in this position get hung up on for way too long. They might occasionally rely on a freelance contractor, or even higher on one or more part-time or full-time employees. But, they’re always focused on productivity, rather than actually expanding the business with marketing, networking, and more. Instead, bring in one person to contribute to the work at hand. Then, bring on someone else to help with the administrative side. You can repeat this process a couple or few more times to really build up a fully legitimate business. How to Cash Flow Expansion. One of the greatest challenges for solo business operators, is to ensure they sufficient cash reserves and cash flow to capitalize their expansion. Consequently, they simply accept their current status and don’t take on the risk to expand. Frankly, your risk of starting your business was much greater than expanding! This will help; Forecast or Budget what you estimate you will need in terms of capital to cash flow the next 6 months of expansion (new hires, added marketing, etc.), until the sales increase sufficiently to offset your increased cost of hiring support. Then, the key is to offload your responsibilities that can be done by someone else, and only take on those responsibilities that brings in revenue and the highest value to your expanding business. What other suggestions do you have to truly transform a one-person gig into a legitimate business? Please take a moment to share your thoughts and experiences so others can benefit from your prospective! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

My Employees are Making Excuses about Coming Back to the Office — What Can I Do?

March 31, 2021 No Comments

Although many parts of the country are reopening, some people might not be ready (or comfortable) with returning to the workplace. Of course, if this is happening to your business, it can not only be frustrating, but quite harmful to your company’s overall health. And, it’s certainly more preferable to bring back known quantities, rather than to try and replace trusted staff. But, you’ll have to convince those reluctant individuals first. Common Coronavirus-Related Excuses Employees might say they get the same amount from unemployment as they earned prior. Some will say their child’s school is closed or they take care of an elderly parent. Others might cite ongoing health conditions and any exposure to COVID is a severe risk. Unfortunately, these reasons are difficult to argue against. While a one-time incident may be overlooked, small-business owners cannot afford to accept excuses for ongoing performance problems. In a small organization, other employees quickly notice when excuses are allowed. By tolerating excuses, you create a culture of avoidance rather than responsibility. —Houston Chronicle Small Business However, employees who believe the workplace is unsafe is another matter. It’s much easier to convince them about proactive and other protective measures. But, that certainly doesn’t mean it’s a cinch to change their minds, either. How to Deal with Employees Who are Stalling Coming Back to Work Obviously, if someone is obstinate enough, it might not be worth the time and energy. But, if there are a few minimal concerns, it’s entirely possible to convince them to return to the workplace. Here are some helpful suggestions: Emphasize safety. If they are concerned about being around a large group of people again, you can always reduce the number of people in the office, and/or space them apart. Having the office sanitized from top to bottom by a professional cleaning service will also go a long way in reducing worry and anxiety. Give them more flexibility. Consider changing your sick policy in order to accommodate people who might be out for an extended period of time. You can also look into different health insurance plans to see if there’s something better available. Offer incentives. If someone is truly fearful about returning to the workplace, this probably won’t work. However, people that would rather continue to work from home will most definitely want to take advantage. The type and amount of incentives are up to you, but they could go a long way in changing minds. Use your influence. While you might prefer not to result to ultimatums, sometimes these are the only way to really get through to the most stubborn people. Obviously, you can’t do anything illegal, but you can change your businesses policies in regard to working remotely versus remotely working on-site. What other suggestions do you have to deal with employee excuses about returning to the workplace? Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts and experiences. Perhaps others can benefit from your unique perspective. Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.

How to Make a More Productive Monday on Friday

How to Make a More Productive Monday on Friday

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Related Posts

What to Do When Your PPP Money Runs Out

How to Transition from a Self-Employed Job to an Actual Business

My Employees are Making Excuses about Coming Back to the Office — What Can I Do?

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