Posted on Sunday, June 14, 2015

How The Apple Watch Will Increase Your Productivity

(or if you should even care)

I have had my Apple Watch for a little over two weeks now, and as an unabashed Apple fanboy, I have to say I love it. But, could it help you be more productive in your life and business? Read on…

The Hardware

First off, the watch is beautiful. Apple is known for making stylish and elegant hardware, and this is no exception. The screen is Ion-X glass, making it more scratch resistant. It has only one button and the digital crown on the right side. The band fits well, is easy to change if you wish (no blasted pins!), and is comfortable all day. Whether you get the stainless steel model or the aluminum, you can be proud to show it off. The battery lasts all day, but you have to charge it every night. Who sleeps with their watch on anyway?

The Interface

The interface took a minute to get used to, but I soon had it down like a pro. The main screen is the watch face of your choice (10 to choose from, with the ability to customize several features on each). Swipe down to see notifications, just like on your iPhone. Swipe up to reveal app “glances”, or scaled-down versions of your corresponding iPhone app. Think of it as the most important information from the app at a “glance”. Using the digital crown to scroll allows you to see the information on the screen without your finger blocking it.

The Utility face is a good classic style.

Who doesn’t love Mickey? This face is my favorite.

The Solar face is a good example of a different look.

The Apps

The native apps are useful (mostly), and the number of iPhone apps with an Apple Watch extension are growing every day. It can work as a remote for your iPhone’s camera shutter button, control your Apple TV, or give you updates on sports scores. I even have mine programmed to open my garage door! The Activity and Exercise apps are surprisingly motivating (ask me about “going for a stand” sometime), and the built-in heart rate monitor allows me to go biking or running without the awful chest strap I have used for years.

Your Productivity

There have been several times I have noticed a productivity increase, or at the very least a time saver with this watch. Here are a few:

Text messages – If your watch is paired with your iPhone, texts will come to the watch with a chime and a bump on the wrist, leaving your phone quiet. Easily silenced, you can see your texts while in a meeting without ever having to take your phone out of your pocket. Replying is easy, by voice or canned responses, or you can simply ignore them if needed. In the car, it keeps you from reaching for your phone (don’t text and drive).
Phone calls – Yes, you can make and receive phone calls on your wrist. But seriously, don’t. You’ll look like a goober. However, this can be handy while driving for a quick, “Can I call you right back” conversation.
Calendar – Since it syncs with your iCloud calendars, this app is great. You get a distinct bump on the wrist at reminder time, and many of the watch faces integrate the next upcoming calendar item.
Evernote – the Evernote app is stripped down to searching notes by voice and adding voice notes. Handy, because a full keyboard on your watch would be silly. Remember what I said above. Think of it as the iPhone app distilled to its essence.
Omnifocus – This is my go-to daily task and project management application. The Apple Watch app lets you see tasks that are overdue, due today, upcoming, flagged, or in your inbox for processing. For me, the best part is quickly checking the next task on the list, and tapping it “Done”.
QuickBooks Online – As a QuickBooks Online Certified Pro Advisor, I highly recommend this software for your small business. On the Apple Watch, you can quickly see important items such as cash balance, accounts receivable, and overdue invoices.

The calendar also has a daily view.

Quickly call or text someone in your favorites.

Quickly add an Evernote note, or do a voice search.

Use the digital crown to scroll through all notes.

The Omnifocus glance lets you see every category.

Scroll through your Omnifocus tasks, even clear them with a tap!

Scroll through Omnifocus, clearing tasks with a tap!

Check your QuickBooks Online important balances.

Another QBO screen. Collect those invoices!

So, to answer the burning question – should you buy an Apple Watch to increase your productivity? In all honesty, I can’t say that anyone NEEDS this device, any more than you need any watch. But if you properly separate NEED from WANT, and can justify the expense (pay cash!), you will see small ways to shortcut tasks throughout your day.

What do you think? Do you have one, or will you get one? Leave a comment below, and don’t forget to share!

Posted on Sunday, April 12, 2015

Regrets, I’ve had a few…

I’m in my mid-forties now, and you can’t live that long without making a few mistakes. Poor choices of words in a delicate situation, making a wrong career move, and bad money decisions early in my married life are just a few things I look back on with a cringe. Here are 3 ways I have used to get past regret in my life.

Realize that you are normal

If you hold yourself to a standard of unattainable perfection, you can live with guilt and anxiety your entire life. I once worked with someone who made a significant error on the monthly financial reports. She was a great employee, and had never made a mistake worth mentioning in the time she worked with me. She alerted me to the mistake, we fixed it, and moved on. There were no consequences, and there was no need for any discipline. But, she couldn’t let it go, and ended up crying in her office the rest of the day. Everyone is going to makes mistakes from time to time. Which leads me to the next point –

Don’t let your past mistakes define you

I’ve heard it said that everyone is a product of their decisions made up to today, and I believe that to be largely true. I would add, however, that how we deal with the consequences from those decisions reveals our character and makeup. Every personality type deals with mistakes differently. You may be inclined to blow them off, or you may internalize them. Internalizing guilt and shame can even lead to physical issues. Mistakes are going to be a part of your past, but don’t make them who you are. Learn what you need to from them and move on.

Always look 5 to 10 years into the future

One of the best pieces of advice I have been given, and one I give out regularly, is to make every decision with a view of 5 to 10 years into the future. If you want to save more money, change your career, or finally lose that weight, seeing how that decision impacts your life down the road can really add motivation, and make any mistakes seem small and recoverable.

Seeing ways that we can move past regret for past mistakes or poor decisions can help you make better choices in the future, and be a happier, more productive person. How do you get past prior mistakes? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to share!

Posted on Sunday, March 29, 2015

Spring Cleaning!

I hate Spring. Before you come after me with pitchforks and torches, I know I’m in the minority here. I know I am supposed to look forward to the beauty and rebirth of the blah, blah, blah, but I just don’t get it. To me, Spring is a time of allergies, higher humidity, tax season woes, and the realization that despite what my neighbor’s lights say, Christmas is over. But, it is also a good time to take inventory and do some spring cleaning!

If you know me at all, you know that I am a neat freak. While never diagnosed as Obsessive-Compulsive, I’ve been told that I have “tendencies”. Not enough to be debilitating, but just enough to keep things organized. So, in order to put my disfunction to work for you, let’s hit three areas to work on to keep you running in top shape.

1) Your Computer (Mac)

Over time, your computer gets so clogged with all kinds of cruft, broken links, and general ickiness that it regularly needs a good sweep. To that end, I give you CleanMyMac 2. This lovely application will quickly scan your system and remove unnecessary cached files and broken links. It even optimizes your iPhoto library. I run it regularly, and I usually gain about 500mb of free space each time. Not too shabby. If you want to go even deeper, look at Onyx. It optimizes things I had never heard of before, and gives you several customizable options.

CleanMyMac 2 has a beautiful interface, and is very easy to use.

Onyx is extremely powerful.

2) Your File Cabinet

People have been saying for years that we will see the paperless office. Most have not achieved it, but I can tell you that for a small business, it is entirely possible. Start with a scanner (I use the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i Mobile Document Scanner) and grab the first file in your cabinet. Start small, just the first file folder, and scan all of the documents. Then – here is the hard part – SHRED the paper! Put the scanned documents in a folder on your computer with the same name for now, and go to the next one. There are very few documents that need to remain intact. Even the IRS accepts scanned documents as originals, so don’t be afraid. Put any remaining documents in a fireproof safe (marriage license, passports, social security cards), and welcome to the future!

3) Your Office and Desk

Empty your trash. Take empty coffee cups to the kitchen. Get a wet rag and wipe up that sticky spot that has been there for weeks. Now, take everything off of your desk and wipe it down. As you put things back, ask yourself, “Does this NEED to be on my desk?” Brainstorm for a while about changing your setup. I have found sometimes just rearranging things on my desk can spark some creativity. Keep things minimal. I have my computer setup, scanner, printer (rarely used) and a picture of my wife on my desk. That’s it. Clear your desk, clear your mind.

She loves me so.

Following just a few regular routines like this can keep your small business office (and mind) clear for more creative thinking and planning. If you ever need any assistance, give me a shout!

What are some of your cleaning rituals that help you focus on the more important things? Leave a comment, and don’t forget to share this post with your friends!

Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Tame Your Email Inbox Forever

Is your Inbox overrun with unread messages? Are you using your Inbox as your to-do list? Are messages falling past the bottom of the screen, only to be lost forever? Do not fear, I’m here to help.

I am a neat freak. I have been ridiculed throughout my life for having a place for everything, and putting everything in it’s place. But more than once in my working life, my email Inbox has been a tragic mess by any standard. I see it every week in one clients office or another. Here are some ways to get on top of the problem, and make “Inbox Zero” a reality.

Declare Email “Bankruptcy”

This is exactly what you think. Pick a start date, highlight EVERYTHING before that date, and hit the delete button. This is clearly not the best way to organize your information, but chances are you are not going to go back and read or use those 2 year old emails anyway.

Create 3 simple Inbox folders

This is the system I use, and it has absolutely changed the way I process my messages. It is based on the book Getting Things Done by David Allen. In your Mail program (I use Apple Mail), go to Mailbox->New Mailbox.

In the “Name” field, type @Action. Do this two more times, creating @Waiting For, and Processed Mail. The “@“ symbol makes it sort properly. When you are done, it should look like this:

Now, it’s time to process your email. Go through each email (Touch it ONCE ONLY!), and do one of four things:

1) If you no longer need it, and know you will never need it again, delete it and don’t look back.

2) If you no longer need it, and but need it for future reference, drag it to the Processed Mail folder. With today’s advanced search functions, you can easily find it again if needed.

3) If it is something for which you are waiting on a response before you can act on it, move it to the @Waiting For folder.

4) If requires your action, move it to – you got it – @Action.

Work through your Inbox until it is empty – and I mean EMPTY. Now, with your messages sorted into the proper folders (and many deleted), you know where to go for the proper action. Once you achieve Inbox Zero, you will never go back, I promise. Let me know if these tips work for you, or feel free to add yours in the comments section.

Posted on Sunday, January 11, 2015

How To Be Profitable And Still Lose Your Business

How could this possibly be? If I’m showing a profit, isn’t my company doing well? Don’t I have money in the bank?

Not necessarily. The culprit is poor management of:

CASHFLOW

Failing to properly manage cashflow is one of the largest deficiencies I see in small businesses. I am constantly being told, “My books show that I made money this month. Why is my cash balance so low?” Failing to monitor cashflow will sink your small business faster than anything else. Cashflow is one of the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) that is vitally important to monitor on a regular basis. Here are some tips that can help:

Cash does not equal profit

Cash = Money In – Money Out

Net Profit = Revenue – (direct costs + expenses)

Money in is not always revenue. Cash can come into a business from investments made to the company (equity), money paid back that had been previously loaned out (asset), or loans taken from a lender (liability). Likewise, the opposite is true. Money out can be something other than expenses. Repayment of loans, dividends to investors (like you, the owner), and loans made to others take cash out of the business, but have no impact on the net profit.

Expenses and direct costs aren’t always money out

If you receive a bill, such as a bill for utilities, and record it into your accounting system (you ARE doing that, right? Right?), it is registered as an expense, reducing net profit. However, the cash remains in your account until you pay the bill.

Revenue is not always money in

If you sell your product and services on credit, or simply send out invoices, the sales are recorded as revenue. But, depending on your average days to get paid, the cash may not come in for 60-90 days.

How do I fix this?

There are several tools available to you that can help manage your cashflow, and make sure there are no surprises. The first option is a simple Statement of Cash Flows. This should be readily available from within your accounting software, or your accountant can create one for you on a monthly basis. Another option is third-party software, such as LivePlan. LivePlan connects to your QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Xero account. It gives you web-based, realtime metrics to monitor cashflow, and many other important budgeting and forecasting tools.

If you are looking for help with managing your cashflow, or simply would like some help getting setup with some of these tools, feel free to comment below, or send me an email.