Tag Archives: efficiency

Is it Time to Revamp?

I have always loved the word “revamp” but have never truly appreciated it until I started operating my own small, home business. After all, it can be easy to get in a rut and keep doing the same things over and over again. We don’t have bosses or policy manuals that tell us it is time to give the company an overhaul. Instead, we have to decide for ourselves when it is time to look things over and make the necessary upgrades and changes. You’ve probably heard the term to “revamp your resume’”? Well, the same can be true of … Continue reading →

Suffering (and Coping) With a Slow Computer

Computer troubles and issues can be the plague of any business—but with a small home business, many of us depend on our computers as our sole resource. We keep our books on the computer, generate invoices, manage web sites, conduct e-mail etc. When a computer gets bogged down or particularly slow—it can be frustrating and cost us money! Yesterday, I had a slow computer day and it took all the self control I could muster not to have a major temper tantrum! I try to remind myself that there are other things I can do and that sometimes these little … Continue reading →

Reducing Waste

Finding a way to reduce waste is one of the main tasks of any business—no matter if it is a huge corporation or a small home-based business. Wasted time, wasted materials, wasted effort—it all can take a big chunk out of the profitability of a business. In our home businesses, we actually have more flexibility and are better able to reduce waste than those large, cumbersome companies—we just have to make the effort to get it done. You might be wondering why you should even worry about a little waste if you are such a small operation? It can’t possibly … Continue reading →

Are You Avoiding Going “High Tech”?

I know of a small business where there are NO computers. The bookkeeping is still done in a ledger books and checks are written out using a little “check machine” (I don’t even know what those old-fashioned things are called with the stamping for checks!). The business owner is determined to retire from the business doing things exactly as they have always been done in this multi-generational business. No going “high tech”! I can’t help but marvel at the determination but wonder if this isn’t taking things a little too far. I wonder how many other small and home-based businesses … Continue reading →

Don’t Sacrifice Quality

Efficiency and cost-effectiveness in our home businesses are good things, sure, and it is important for us to keep an eye on the bottom line. After all, we are “in business”–but it is important to make sure that we don’t sacrifice quality and make sure we continue to offer a quality service or product to our customers and clients. “Quality” can be one of those words in the consumer markets that is so over-used. After all, how often do you hear or see it on packaging, in commercials, and in marketing materials for everything from construction to toilet paper? Still, … Continue reading →

Looking for Gaps and Holes (That Need Filling)

When I was thinking about writing this blog, a thought came to mind—that of a cowboy (or girl) or a ranch hand who goes out walking along the fence surrounding the ranch. Walking over every inch, the ranch hand looks for gaps, holes and breaks in the fencing that need to be fixed in order to keep the cattle—the product and potential profit for the ranch—for escaping. Even in a small home business, we need to periodically walk our fence line and see if there are any gaps or holes that need to be fixed so we can optimize our … Continue reading →

Are You “Optimizing” Your Business Computer?

I want to be the first person to admit that I do not know all the programs, bells and whistles that are available on my computer. The one I use for my home business is relatively new—I purchased it brand new less than a year ago and took it right out of the box, hooked up all the peripheral equipment and went right to work. And, while I feel pretty efficient, I am willing to bet that I have not even begun to optimize my business computer and use it for all the things it is capable of… Taking a … Continue reading →

Are You Working Too Fast?

We have talked about procrastination and how some of us wrestle with putting things off and trying to find the time to get things done in our home businesses, but we have not really talked about the fact that some people have just the opposite problem—they have a tendency to rush through things and try to get too much done. For those of us who actually work too fast, we can run into business difficulties when we are speeding through our tasks and contacts. The problem with working too fast is that details can get overlooked, mistakes can get made, … Continue reading →

Looking For Waste and Inefficiency

I know that one of the great things about a home-based business is that we do not have to worry about a big, paper-logged workplace with Human Resources departments and lots of boring meetings. BUT, we can still keep an eye out for ways to make our home businesses more efficient. And, even if we don’t have efficiency experts and consultants breathing down our necks, finding ways to cut waste and improve productivity can pay off in more lucrative and stress-free businesses. What sort of things might constitute waste? Well, it depends on the type of business you are running. … Continue reading →

What is the Dvorak Keyboard?

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For those of you who missed it, this is an explanation of how the Qwerty keyboard came into being. So what is the Dvorak keyboard? When I first heard the name, I assumed it was named the same way the Qwerty was: The top row of letters from left to right. Thankfully, I was wrong in this assumption. That would have defeated the entire purpose of the Dvorak keyboard, which is making it easier for the typist to type. No, the Dvorak keyboard was named after its inventor, Dr. August Dvorak. Dvorak and his brother-in-law, William Dealey, decided to invent … Continue reading →