Howdy ya'll!

Hope Fall is beautiful wherever you are. I have an exciting group coming up in January I wanted to tell you about.

The Frozen to Focused is a 4 month teleclass/coaching/consulting group for folks who are looking to move their program to the next level (or to just get unstuck!).

In the course of the four months, we meet on the phone one a week for an hour each time, discussing various aspects that every program needs to be successful and sustainable. Topics include:

• Start-up Needs (Insurance, formation, etc)
• Strategic Planning
• Finding your Ideal Client
• Message Development
• Marketing Plans, PR, Advertising
• Websites, Brochures, Newsletters
• Selecting your Ideal Herd
• Grantwriting & Funding

We have special guests each month who are experts in their fields, including Mike Sowinski CPA & CFO, Brenda Dammann (who co-wrote the book with me), who specializes in Marketing, Strategic Planning & Message Development, and Elizabeth Barbour, who knows it all about networking and finding your ideal client.

And of course you'll get MORE THAN YOUR FILL of ME!!! Cool!

In a nutshell, this program combines professional consulting, personal mentoring, inspirational experience, & educational information through powerful (but simple) technology to save you time and money & get you on the road to success.

Click here to visit the information page on the HorseSenseBusiness.com website. It's got all the info you need to join! If that doesn't work, go to Equine Assisted Business Consulting section of HorseSenseBusiness.com website, and click on From Frozen to Focused Masters Group.

There is an application process, and we are accepting applications now for January's group. Download your application by visiting this page!

Look forward to having you there!

Shannon

Shannon@HorseSenseOtc.com

The story behind the August Free Monthly Telecall with Dr. Anne Perkins

Well, yesterday was another example of how we may have a plan but must always be willing to adapt in Equine Assisted Practices.

This past month I was asked to be a Graduate Advisor for Prescott College's EAMH & EAL program. (I'm really, really excited about getting back into academia, in some small way, as I miss the environment and the students.) In order to "get oriented" to this school and my role, though, I had to get myself out here to Arizona for the Orientation & Colloquium August 20-23. That entailed me flying out on Wed the 19, the day set aside months ago for our Free Monthly Telecall with Dr. Anne Perkins.

While I made sure I wouldn't be in the air during the call, I could not get from the airport in Phoenix to my hotel in Prescott fast enough to be in my hotel room for the call, which was my goal. At about 20 minutes to the call time (at which point I KNEW I wasn't going to make it to the hotel,) I began looking around for a quiet parking lot for me to host the call on my cell phone. Although I found one, I must say I wasn't looking forward to an hour long call in a car in a parking lot in 100+ degree heat. I began to drive around the small town of Black Canyon City, Arizona.

Suddenly, I spied the joint Visitors Center and Chamber of Commerce for the town in a little shopping area. Thinking it couldn't hurt to ask, I walked in, introduced myself as a business owner in need of a room (a broom closet would do!) to host a telecall for one hour. They graciously gave me a desk and a chair, and I was all set!

So, you never know how your local (or someone else's local) Chamber of Commerce will be of benefit to you. Join your Chamber and get involved!

Happy Trails,

Shanon

You know the old adage...”The customer is always right.”  I had an experience the other day that highlighted abysmal customer service (I was the customer and I was right...), and hence my topic for this blog. 

Lord knows we have all dealt with customers that are difficult, and it is all we can do to try and be respectful, polite and “move them along”.  But that is the key...respect and politeness.  We can do more damage to your businesses if we choose to be rude, belligerent, loud, etc. 

My experience had to do with a bad meal and failure of the owners to rectify the problem.  In fact, when the problem was staring them in the face, they still ignored and denied it.  Needless to say it hurt them.  The power of “word of mouth” and the health department had them contacting me and apologizing profusely and offering me a lot of free meals. 

Unfortunately, they can’t go back and “unring the bell”.  They left a proverbial “bad taste” in my and my family’s mouth.  Remember...you can’t unring the bell once you have rung it.  Last impressions (good or bad) are just that...last impressions.  Those impressions move you and your business forward or set you back. 

Obviously in the world of EAP and EAL there will be moments of uncertainty where the client is concerned.  Maybe the client had a bad day, a powerful session, an emotional breakthrough, etc.  All the more reason it is paramount that we as professionals be mindful, present, polite and appropriate.  That does not mean you have to accept verbal abuse or feel threatened. 

In fact, the key here is to actively diffuse the situation with as little emotional baggage and further upheaval as possible.  While it may sound a bit cliché, I do believe the key to success here is to be grounded and centered.   

I also believe it is your responsibility to set your staff and business up for success.  Training your staff (and yourself, if you have not) in the area of customer service is critical.  Have some “golden rules” of customer service for your business.  What is your policy for complaints that come in?  What is your policy with respect to deescalating a situation with a client?  Do you have a general protocol or “party line” with respect to how you run the customer service part of your business? 

You can google customer service skills and get an infinite amount of hits.  I have attached the website of the first one I came across and it has a free booklet on “Quick Tips for Outstanding Customer Service”. www.DaleCarnegie.com 

That’s it for now.  Remember...the customer is always right! 

Lisa Wheeler

Director of Operations

Horse Sense of the Carolinas, Inc.

Hey Everyone – Josie here, making my first blog appearance to let you know about this month's Free Monthly Telecall,  coming up next week!

Wednesday,  July 22nd 4:00–5:00 PM EST

Shannon will be joined by insurance expert Mark Fredricksen, Vice President of Peterson, McAnnaly & Tabor Insurance, Co., home to the only EAGALA Equine Liability Insurance Program.

Click here to register!

_____________________________

Mark D. Fredricksen has held the distinction of being a Certified Insurance Counselor since 1986. The CIC is a designation that represents a commitment to continuous enhancement of one’s knowledge and service. CIC is nationally recognized as a symbol of professional excellence and leadership in the insurance industry.

As an insurance counselor, Mark can act as a third-party consultant to assist in the overview of your insurance programs, giving you an insight into the forms and cost effectiveness of your insurance program. Recommending forms, coverages, and risk management methods to help maintain control over your insurance portfolio.

_________

Don't worry if you can't make the time – just register now and an email of the recording will be sent to you after the call has been transcoded!!

Click here to see more calls like this that Shannon has held in the past. And you can visit this page to see more upcoming events at Horse Sense Business Sense.

And, as always, please contact me if you have any questions – JosieM@HorseSenseOTC.com or (828) 683-7304, ext. 113.

Take Care!

Josie

I am fortunate enough to be associated with many companies that have been around for over 20 years. Most of them have been both large companies with over 100 employees, and have downsized at various times to just 5 when they had to. I wanted to give you their secrets on how to create a “scalable” business model that might give you some ideas on how to weather downturns in your business.

• Re-negotiate. Just remember everything in business is negotiable. There is no room for pride in dealing with vendors. If you are having troubles, communicate with your vendors, sometimes they will give you a better deal. Not calling AND not paying is a really bad strategy.
• Link compensation to results of the company. Some clients have moved away from “salary” and replaced it with a base + profit based incentive. This puts all of your employees into the boat with you, and as you do well they share and if you are in a downturn they share in that too.
• Reduce everyone’s payroll. Rather than laying off people, consider a flat reduction across the board. Remember you can’t lift a VW bug by yourself, but if 100 people put 1 finger under it you can.
• Change your workweek. I have seen great success in changing/reducing hours and days of operation based on what the customers need. It’s all about the customer.
• Reset if you have to. In some businesses, a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy is a good option. This allows a business to “re-do” their debts down to a manageable level and can sometimes allow a business the space they need to restart.

Heady times we've been living in this past week: new president, new direction, lots of change! But there's also a lot of fear in the air and, with more and more layoffs being reported all the time and the economic forecast looking grim, where is your focus?

Think about it. As professionals in this field, we know, perhaps better than most, that where we focus usually dictates where we go. If I want to go to the other side of the arena with my horse, and I'm looking down at his ears or down at my feet, we're probably not going to get very far.

If I'm wishy-washy about my intention to get to the other side, for example if my thoughts say one thing but my body language says another, my horse will sense that incongruence and respond accordingly. We may end up stopping and starting and stopping and starting, as my horse looks to me for clarification and says, "If you won't lead, I will!"

If, finally, I focus on the place I'm heading for with both my energy and my body language, we've got a fighting chance to get there, or at least to begin getting there, one step at a time.

We know, as equine-based professionals, that getting where we want to go requires more than just "thinking things into being." We've got to marshall all our resources, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, to head in the right direction for ourselves. We've got to know where our focus is, and course-correct along the way when we get pulled off target. Only then can we get to where we're aiming, whether it be the other side of the arena or the other side of this economic turmoil.

So the message here is clear: Where are you spending your time and attention? On a weekly basis? On a daily basis? On an hour to hour basis throughout the day?

Happy Trails,

EAGALA Conference 2009 in Asheville! Click here to see what we've got planned for you!

This week I’m traveling by car through the New Mexico and Arizona desert, and I’ve been amazed by the way flora and fauna survive in such harsh and unforgiving conditions. I’m learning a lot about the desert, and the surprising array of plant life it supports. The rugged terrain reminds me a lot of the current economic crisis we’re all facing.

I get asked nearly every week how clients are weathering the current financial crisis. As it turns out, all of them are doing better than the national averages in their industries and many have continued to grow in spite of the economic downturn. I thought it would be interesting to share the traits and wisdom these leaders shared with me:

Sales Focus
Well before the effects of the financial crisis began, these individuals already had a marketing plan in place and were executing their plans. They did not scrap these plans or downsize their effort.

Agility
If one part of their business started to turn downward, they re-adjusted their focus into new or more profitable areas.

Boldness
Business ownership means taking risks. These owners continued to take risks and did not shy away from the challenges they were facing.

Curiosity
These business owners are always examining their current situation, and looking for opportunities. They’re aware of every facet of their business operations at all times, and figuring out what dynamics are in play.

Planning
Each big decision is carefully planned with the use of strategic and financial information as a guide to help them make the right decisions. They also make sure each decision fits into their plans and budget for the future.

Get some clarity and direction for the new year by answering three simple questions!
Answer the following questions to give yourself some focus and direction for 2009. If 2009 seems like too much to think about all at once, just focus on January through April. But don't just think it: Ink it!

Then, take this list and post it on your desk, on your fridge or on your mirror to remind you where you want your vision and focus to be in 2009.

What are three things you want LESS of in 2009?

1.

2.

3.

What are three things you want MORE of in 2009?

1.

2.

3.

What do you most want to achieve in your EAP/EAL business in 2009?

1.

2.

3.

When you feel unfocused or like you are chasing chickens, check in with these answers again. They are sure to help guide you!

Shannon
Horse Sense of the Carolinas, Inc.

This time of year is ripe for opportunities to network! A lot of people say you don't actually "do" a lot of business during the hectic holiday season but I believe that networking isn't about "doing business" anyway. It's about "building relationships" and that's fun! Some suggestions to help you navigate this time of year...

1. Be discerning with which events you attend. You don't have to attend every single function you are invited to. Decide where you want to invest your time and energy and choose wisely.

2. Talk about something other than business. It's the best way to really get to know people. Find out about people's hobbies or families or where they like to vacation. Your conversations will be much more interesting that way!

3. Remember to listen more than you talk! You'll make friends faster that way when you ask open ended questions and you really hear what the other person is saying. You learn a lot about the person that way and can know if this is someone that you might want to have further contact with.
4. Use the week between Christmas and New Year’s wisely. It’s a great time to meet people for coffee or lunch because business is usually a little bit slower. Simply visit and get to know one another – that’s the spirit of the season anyway.
 
Remember, networking is NOT just about getting business. It's about making friends, finding resources, and learning about all of the interesting people that make up this world. Plus, you never know when you’ll get a referral from someone that you met at a party two years ago! ☺ So remember to give generously and be open to receiving when the timing is right. And mostly, have fun building your circle of friends. Your life will be much richer for it!

All the best to you and your family this holiday season.
--- Coach Elizabeth
www.elizabethbarbour.com

I talked to Shannon this week after a very successful Business Building Intensive (I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join you all!). She was thrilled with the attendance, with the enthusiasm and with the new ideas generated – both for her business and for all of the attendees. One of the things we discussed (which is often part of our coaching conversations) is the importance of having systems in place for your business.

If you consider yourself an entrepreneur and are building your business, you must read Michael Gerber’s  The E-Myth Revisited. He talks about three different kinds of systems: hard systems, soft systems and information systems. Systems give you structure, focus and accountability. He defines them as follows:

Hard Systems: inanimate, not living things

• Examples include: computer, office furniture, signage, day timer, business card, uniforms etc

Soft Systems: animate, living, ideas

• Examples include: people, sales script, marketing plan… all of the verbal and written communication that a client or potential client will encounter when dealing with you

Information Systems: Provide us with information about interaction of the other two

• Examples include: inventory control, sales activity reports, prospective client tracking system

If you take time to assess all of your systems, you will be able to quickly see what’s working, what could be improved and what’s missing. For a lot of new entrepreneurs, it’s the information systems that are lacking. Yet these are most critical for your business to grow and thrive.

If you do one thing to work on your business this week instead of in it, make buying and reading this book your top priority. You won’t regret it!

--- Coach Elizabeth
www.elizabethbarbour.com

Every business experiences growth. The best (and most valuable) businesses grow every year. This time, I wanted to share some tips on how to control your growth, and keep things from getting out of hand while the business grows.

• Plan. Darn it, there’s that word again-but every successful business owner does it. A business plan and budget is not optional if you want to keep from making the big financial mistakes.

• Start with enough capital. A lack of capital will constrict your growth, and cause other financial problems down the road. Monitor your personal financial picture and make sure that you know how much you are able to invest in the company, and that it is enough to pay for the growth you have planned.

• Match debt with the assets purchased. If an asset has a long life, have debt terms, and don’t pay for it with cash. If you have a tractor for example that will last for 20 years, don’t finance it for 10--or worse, pay for it in cash. The monthly payment will be higher and will hurt your business’ cash flow and amount of capital available for growth.

• Monitor your monthly payments. The important number to monitor is not how much total debt you have, but what the monthly payment is. As long as your monthly payments can be supported by the business, you are on the right track. 

• Monitor your growth rate in revenue and expenses. Periodically make sure that your growth in expenses is not exceeding your growth in revenue. If it is, see if there are some expenses that you can control more effectively.

• Take action. If you see a problem, fix it. I have seen more money wasted in this area than any other. The decisions are sometimes difficult, but waiting until things improve…particularly in the growth phase is a bad idea.

As the Practice Administrator for Horse Sense, I serve as Shannon’s “right hand." In essence, my job is to run the daily operations of Horse Sense. From EAP to EAL to Horse Sense, Business Sense, it is my job to have my “fingers on the pulse." That doesn’t mean micro-manage and be a part of every aspect, but rather to know what is going on. So let me share with you some things I have learned about doing my job, and keeping up with the business.

Principle 1: Have a “go to” person
When you are as busy as Shannon is (and now me) you need a person that you can depend on to help out with the “little stuff," to be a sounding board, to be a “barometer," etc. For Shannon, on any given day, that is one of my responsibilities and I feel honored that Shannon trusts and respects me. My “go to” person in our office is Josie. She fills those rolls I just listed and she does a lot more! 

Find this person in your business. I don’t think it has to be an employee necessarily if you are not structured to support this, but find someone (friend, consultant, spouse). Finally, here are the two most important components of this relationship: trust and respect.

Principle 2: Thank the people who support you (and do it often).
Acknowledging staff routinely is critical for morale and productivity. It can be one of the hardest areas to remember in the daily grind. It is so easy to be critical and find fault. I would guess for all the good going on in your business there is much less wrong or in need of change. However, I bet it is pretty easy to find fault and be critical (even of yourself). 

Recognize the daily grind, the mundane, the monotonous work that has to get done daily just as readily as you recognize something special that has occurred. A simple “thank you” goes miles! I sent an e-mail to one of the Horse Sense staff thanking them one evening, and it was the first thing they saw the next morning when they came into work. That person thanked me and told me what a bright spot that was for their day. It was easy for me to do. It took no time at all. It was sincere, and it made a difference.

Another fundamental business issue that entrepeneurs face often doesn’t relate to their work at all. It relates to their personal lives. Who they are. Who they are being.

You’ve got to have a strong personal foundation to build a successful business. Here are some areas to look at in your personal life and see how it’s impacting your business.

1. Energy Drains: What are you tolerating? What are you putting up with? What’s draining your energy? Make a list of 20 things and start eliminating them one by one. You’ll immediately free up extra energy and time.
2. Environmental Assessment: How does your environment support you? Do you love your home? Do you need to paint some rooms? Do you sleep in a comfy bed under the best sheets you can buy? Inventory all aspects of your personal environment – your home, your car, your work – and see what you can clean up.
3. Extreme Self Care/Daily Habits: How do you take care of yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually? What activities do you engage in to care for your health in all aspects? Do you have any bad habits that you need to quit? How you care for yourself is often a reflection of how you care for others and ultimately how you will care for your business. 
4. Your support team: I couldn’t agree more what The Riding Writer Brenda said, it’s all about relationships! Consider who is on your personal team – your family, your partner, your friends, your spiritual community. Note who is on your professional team – people in your profession, entrepreneurs in your community, colleagues in complementary fields that can support you. Actively seek to build and maintain these relationships and they will celebrate with you when business is great and support you when the road gets tough.
   

When Shannon asked the Virtual Team “What do you think are fundamental business issues that entrepreneurs face?” I knew my first answer immediately. Of course, there are probably 5-10 major issues that we all face but I’ll start with my perspective on the foundation of it all.

You’ve got to LOVE, LOVE, LOVE what you do.

When you work for yourself, you will likely work harder than you ever did for anyone else. When the bottom line rests with you, there’s a lot at stake! Your livelihood, your reputation, your dreams, your ability to serve others, your ability to employ others… get the picture?

No matter how long you’ve had your business, it’s easy to get bogged down in details and get overwhelmed by all that you “have to” do and think you “should” do to keep things running smoothly. It’s easy to lose connection to your passion and it’s important to rekindle it from time to time. Ask yourself these questions.

1. 1. Why am I in this business?
2. 2. What do I love the most about the work that I do?
3. 3. Is this what I would be doing with my time and energy if I won the lottery and didn’t have to generate income for a living?

Happy Spring and Spring-cleaning!! Tis that time of the year to try and review the basics and straighten up accordingly. For us it is audit time with our insurance friends. So I actually have a motive to get it done. So what does this look like from my position as the Practice Administrator?  Here is a basic list to review and clean or straighten up:

• Personnel Files
• Policies & Procedures
• General Ledger (the books)
• Tax Payment records (state & federal)
• Insurance (review health, worker's comp & liability)
• Internal audit of client records
• Grant paperwork/files
  

Some people are great at keeping up with all these materials on a regular basis. Some people prefer to do periodic cleanings (more my speed). There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way as long as at least once a year you are going through these things. Call it a self-audit.

April is a very busy month for us, and probably one of the hardest as far as paperwork, premiums, federal and state reports, etc. So May is a great month to re-cap and straighten up. For example, my staff hasn’t seen the wood on the top of my desk in probably a month (I pull everything I am working on and keep it out on my desk), but they will in the very near future. I have done my hoop jumping for the first quarter and now it is time to review all areas, file what needs to be filed and find my desk.

It seems like a lot, but don’t despair! You don’t have to do all the above in one day. Spread this out over the course of the month, and get help if you can. Start simple and work up to the more difficult and arduous. By the way, no, I don’t know what the easiest one is to start with. I will tell you that I will be starting with personnel files because it is always the last one on my list. This year I am making it the first.

So jump in and fear not! You will feel great when it is done and be surprised upon review how organized you are and how much you know.

When I first became a coach back in 2000, I learned a very valuable tool from my own coach to help me set my first fees.

First, choose a number that you wouldn’t bat an eye at to say to someone else. For example, let’s say that you would feel comfortable asking $75/hr for your service.

Second, take that number and double it. Did you almost choke at the thought of charging $150/hr for your service? If you did – good! You’re a step closer to finding your fees. (If you didn’t almost choke, well that’s an indicator you started off too low to begin with!)

Third, now that you have the higher number that feels just a wee bit high, back down from that number and see how easily it rolls off your tongue. So if you try to say “my fees are $140 an hour” and it’s still too hard, get down to a number that you can comfortably say (you might still be a bit nervous but it will come out of your mouth). Perhaps it’s $125/hr or even $100/hr.

Whatever your end result, it is likely to be higher than your gut instinct. Remember that what you are selling is a highly specialized service and you deserve to be compensated emotionally, spiritually and financially appropriately! Believe in your pricing. You must believe that your EAP/EAL services are worth what you are charging or you will never be able to attract clients who see the value.

--- Coach Elizabeth

www.elizabethbarbour.com

Looking back on how I built my business from 0 clients to 32 last year, I wanted to share the most important resources I used to accomplish it.

The Chamber of Commerce – While you may not get any clients from it, this is the easiest way to get plugged into the community.  If you go to as many events as possible, you will build your contact list from 0 to 300 in a year.

Business Groups – I attend two groups weekly, one that discusses the latest businesses to enter the market, and one that is exclusively for business owners (my target market).  If you spend some time thinking about who to go after, you will find groups of people that fit your client profile.  Meanwhile you are continuing to “network” and insert yourself into the community.

Meet new friends, and your enemies – I went to lunch nearly every day with everyone I could think of that could even remotely help, including my competitors.  It’s amazing the doors that open through the use of food.

Teaching – Go to your local community college and see if they will let you teach a free class related to your field.  This is a HUGE way to recruit new clients, and establish yourself as an expert.

In summary, never discount that next person that you meet at an event such as the ones I described.  You may think that they can’t help you, but believe me when I tell you that business often comes from the person you never thought was even listening.

Mike Sowinski, CPA
www.cfoconsultants.net

Hey gang! I realize that it's Coach E who gave me the nudge to create a theme for my year and she's got some great thoughts on how to come up with your theme. Enjoy! -- SK

Aaaaaah! A new year! New beginnings! New Possibilities! It’s quite exciting, isn’t it? It’s a time to release the year past and begin anew with new ideas, new plans, new dreams.

It’s been said that 60-80% of all New Year’s resolutions are broken in the first two weeks of January. Have you broken yours yet? Or maybe you didn’t bother to make any because you know how ineffective they can be. I think people make New Year’s resolutions without thinking carefully about what they really desire, what they really crave and what would really change their lives in a positive way.

I coach my clients to create a “Theme for the Year”.  It’s a fun and inspiring way to stay on track and focus on what really matters without getting caught up in the details and goals and “shoulds”. Similar to having a vision statement for your business, having a theme for your year helps you to stay focused and make decisions that support your desires. You could even have a theme for your personal life and a theme for your business. It’s up to you.

Here are some easy steps to help you start to uncover your theme.

1.      Make a list of all the things you desire for the coming year for your life and for your business. Consider all aspects of your life: financial, career, relationships, spiritual, fun, health… you determine the categories, it doesn’t matter as long as you take a wide angle lens view of what you desire in 2008.

2.    Review your list and notice the themes. A theme is a recurring pattern or a unifying thought that connects disparate ideas together. Themes could include fun, creativity, self-care, organization, productivity, joy, fiscal responsibility, adventure or rest. The sky’s the limit.

3.     Choose a phrase or a sentence or a word that resonates for you as your theme. I invite you to get other tips on creating your theme by visit my blog. Some of the themes I’ve heard from my clients this year are:

-         connectedness

-         simplicity + consistency

-         intention + attention = results

-         the year of passive revenue

-         the year of clarity

As for me, 2008 is “Elizabeth’s Year of Extreme Self Care”. What’s yours?

Have fun discovering your theme!
Coach Elizabeth
www.elizabethbarbour.com

Greetings Bloggers,

In many of Shannon's teleclasses and training sessions over the last year she has mentioned the concept of "chasing chickens." That phrase certainly conjures up a clear visual picture for me of my youngest brother in my great grandmother's chicken coup trying to catch one of her 25 prized chickens and each going in 25 different directions!

In business we face the same thing . . . they're called distractions or interruptions. How do we handle them? Do we allow ourselves to be sucked into the moment and make each interruption a priority, thus wasting valuable time on something which could have been addressed later?

Four distractions identified:

• An associate sees you alone and not appearing to be "busy" and assumes you are available.
• A friend or family member shows up and sees you out in the barn so you must not be busy doing anything important.
• Your office door is open and your assistant or other co-worker assumes you are not working on anything important.
• A client or colleague wants to meet you for lunch with the intended purpose of "catching up."

Four Tips for handling distractions:

• Schedule regular "closed door" periods of time and block them out on your calendar so that everyone knows.
• If interrupted and you're sitting, stand up immediately if you desire to get back quickly to your work. If you are already standing when interrupted and you cannot engage in the interruption at that moment, begin moving so that the individual will know that you cannot be interrupted.
• Avoid eye contact.
• Make fewer trips through the office or common areas.

The cost of our lost time with distractions goes something like this: 30 minutes per day equals 210 minutes per week which equals 180 hours per year and 180 hours per year is equal to 15.8 8-hour work days. Some of us allow more time to be lost on distractions. I don't know about you but I sure would love to have that 15.8 days to add back to the value of my business which in turn gets passed on to my clients like Shannon.

VIRTUAL TASK: What's distracting your valuable time?

VIRTUAL ACTION: Put one tip for handling distractions into play in 2008.

Virtual Lauri
Shannon's Virtual Assistant