Category: How to…

Brandon Schroth, a Digital Analyst for RAMS Home Loans says his tool of choice for communicating effectively is Slack: 

“I’m always trying to figure out ways to become more productive in order to meet tight deadlines. Communicating effectively with my team plays a large role in that and I’ve found that the most efficient way to keep in touch with everyone is through an app called Slack. Instead of trying to communicate through phone calls, texting, email, and Skype, everything runs smoothly as it’s integrated through the app. 

It’s really cool because I can talk about various subjects in different channels so that everyone on the team is able to see any updates, pictures, files and more. I can’t tell you how many times I struggled to maintain email threads that were a mile long. This tool has really helped condense all of that. It’s really easy to find content as well. Everything is searchable from one main search box.”

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There are now so many helpful apps available when it comes to organising your To Do list and projects, but choosing one that suits your needs can be confusing. This week Marisa South from Vet & Pet Jobs shares why she is a fan of EverNote:

“I think the best organization app is EverNote. I really like it because I can create to-do lists for projects, write down reminders, take pictures, brainstorm ideas, create timelines, and so much more. I can save things from the Internet, and everything gets synced to all of my devices. It’s really cool because I can draw, write, type, record audio, take videos and create PDFs. Then everything is organized into notebooks. I’ve found it really useful when collaborating with team members, especially when feedback is needed on projects.”

Marisa South is the General Manager of Vet & Pet Jobs, a career website for employers and job seekers in the veterinary field.

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After a short break over Christmas, our Tuesday Tips are back. This week we caught up Brian Gill from Gillware Data Recovery, who explained way OneNote is his favourite app:

“My favorite app for staying organized is OneNote, from Microsoft. I’m able to document everything relating to all of my projects, including typed notes, audio recordings, pictures, and much more. 

I like it because when I save my notes, everything is synced to all of my devices. There’s a variety of formats included as well. So you can make checklists, conduct research, attend meetings, and record lectures while taking notes. 

Another great feature is that it’s built for collaboration. Multiple users can be connected to the same notebook to either view the information that’s stored there, or make edits. Everything that gets edited is highlighted so everyone involved can easily see the recent changes. It’s really proven to be useful in my day to day business interactions.”

Brian Gill is the founder and CEO of Gillware Data Recovery, an industry leader and world class data recovery company. Learn more about Gillware Data Recovery at www.gillware.com. 

Kate Shelby lives in a townhouse with her three children. She recently wrote a personal article about how she survives in a 3 bedroom townhouse with three children. 

Kate says, “The best thing I have discovered is the washer/dryer stacking kit. This leaves more overhead room in the laundry if you need to use the sink or hang clothing up when it rains.” Here’s an example of the stacking kit. 

Kate’s article is definitely worth a read if you live in an apartment or house where you’re struggling for space. 

Kate Shelby is an Australian blogger, mother and lover of superheroes in tight pants. 
Read more of Kate’s engaging articles on motherhood, family life and more at www.australianmum.com. 

After struggling with prioritising important tasks in his business, Prosper Taruvinga decided there had to be a better way to manage his time and move his business forward. These were some of the tools he implemented to do this:

“I run and operate an 8 man Digital marketing agency of which half of the staff is overseas. This proves to be a bit hectic as the time differences and deadlines are met in different time zones. We now use tools like Slack and Calendley to schedule meetings and briefings. For me personally I found that I was always just all over the place without any direction or accomplishment. I have attached my trusted partner as a pic. 

I designed a timetable which I follow religiously. I now get everything done and don’t miss out on the important stuff like family.”

Prosper Taruvinga is a Digital Marketing Expert for Live Long Digital, who help businesses get clients. Learn more about what he does here. 

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Working from home isn’t always as great as it sounds. It can be isolating and challenging to remain disciplined. This week founder of menswear brand Tophat London, Andy Kitt shares his advice on boosting productivity when working from home… 

“Occasionally I work from home and I was realising that my productivity was terrible. So, I started to mentally and physically replicate the office environment as much as possible. Firstly, I clear my desk of anything that’s not relevant to what I am currently working on. Secondly, it is important for me to wear a suit and shoes rather than just rolling out of bed and sitting at my desk in a t-shirt and jogging bottoms. This increases my productivity and also improves the perceived level of professionalism when speaking to people on the phone and even emailing. Lastly, I always take an hour break for lunch and leave the house. This leaves me refreshed for the second half of the day. 

Thanks to Andy for sharing this this advice. Andy Kitt is the Founder of transparent, slow fashion menswear brand, Tophat London. Check out Tophat’s cool product range here: www.tophatlondon.com

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This week’s organisation tip comes from business mentor, Lorraine Pihiri, who advises:

“Track your time! Spend a week writing down how your spend your time and see where it really goes. I guarantee you probably waste at least ten, if not 20 hours a week doing things that you shouldn’t be doing. It’s not until you get a reality check by writing it down that you will be able to really assess how your time is spent and make the changes to keep you on track to a more productive future.”

Baby boomer specialist and business mentor Lorraine Pihiri help business owners over 50 who feel tired, worn out and dissatisfied with life find clarity, purpose and direction. Learn more about what Lorraine does here: www.relaunchyourlife.com.au

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Everyone has at least one organising secret, tip or hack that keeps them on the ‘straight and narrow’. It might be a little habit they’ve incorporated into their daily routine, or a unique way of doing things that saves them time (and sanity!). We threw the question: “Do you have an organisation tip/hack that has changed your life?” out there, and the resulting posts are the goodness we received in return…

How to label kids’ toys:

This tip was kindly shared with us by Linda Eagleton, Professional Organiser from Creative Surrounds in Sydney. 

“I run a Professional Organising business in Sydney and one of the most successful tips that all my ‘mum’ clients love is the labeling we use for kids stuff. When organising kids storage, always use labels with images. This is a quick, easy visual so even if your kids are too young to read, they’ll still know where all their toys should go when packing up! You can laminate them and add a cute ribbon to tie to the baskets.”

Check out Linda’s website, www.creativesurrounds.com.au to learn more about what she does. 

Stay tuned for more goodness next Tuesday…

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