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Welcome to Vantage Business Support & Insurance Services
We all know how important small business is to the U.S. economy. Some statistics that you may not know are:
(1) they represent 99.7% of all employer firms, (2) they employ just over half of all private sector employees, (3) they pay 44% of total U.S. private payroll (4) have generated 64% of net new jobs in the past 15 yrs.
VANTAGE has been servicing the small business community for over 35 years. Over the years we have accumulated much knowledge, contacts and experience in helping to protecting small businesses and help them become successful and grow. As such, we will be publishing a semimonthly newsletter geared toward providing small businesses with the latest news, products, and guidelines to assist in their success and growth. Please feel free to comment and/or request topics that are important to you for us to research.
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5 Tips to Help You Hyper Focus
 Feeling distracted? Who isn't? Here Inc. columnists share ways to hunker down and focus on important priorities.
These days the demands of business put more on most people's plate than they probably can handle. It's not intentional, but every company is trying to extract maximum efficiency out of every resource. Overwork and massive distractions can create unintended mistakes or substandard performance.
When I find myself overloaded I add additional structure to my process. For example, if I have been largely improvising my schedule I might choose to create specific times of day for email or phone returns. Even though I don't like to be that rigid most of the time, when I'm really busy this approach gives me the ability to find hours where I can just think and write with little distraction. A little organization can not only free my time, but also my mind.
Here are additional insights from my Inc. colleagues.
1. Understand Your Personal Work Style The place I am most productive is sitting in a coffee shop with headphones on and music flowing. It is my preferred location for writing my column, finishing up a big proposal or getting through a large writing assignment. My wife, the keeper of the finances and human resources of my businesses for the past 15 years, is the opposite. She must have complete silence and is better left to do her work in solitude with no one else around. In order to get focused work done, you must understand and accept your work style, and accommodate that of those who work with and for you. Build in blocks of time that allow you and others to capitalize on the ideal to accomplish critical, focused tasks in the most efficient manner possible. Eric Holtzclaw--Lean Forward
2. Stay in the Present After years of yoga I still can't get up into a headstand alone. Recently, a yoga teacher helped me by bracing one leg while I pulled the other into position. "I'm so frustrated that I can be in this position but I can't get into it by myself!" I griped. "Well, you're in it now," she answered calmly. It was a memorable lesson. I'm always looking around corners, anticipating the next task. As business owners we learn to think this way, but it's a terrible habit that ruins our focus. So I'm trying to learn not to worry about the next headstand while I'm still upside down in the current one. Minda Zetlin - Start Me Up
3. Use the 4 Ds Of all the tools I have seen to help people stay focused, the most effective one is the simplest. It is called the 4 Ds and was initially used by President "Ike" Eisenhower. The key is to distinguish between importance and urgency of tasks. Eisenhower's mantra was: "What's important is seldom urgent, and what's urgent is seldom important."
* Do those tasks that are important and urgent.
* Delegate tasks that are unimportant and urgent.
* Defer tasks that are important and not urgent, but make sure you assign a due date and do those personally.
* Dump tasks that are unimportant and not urgent.
4. Respond, Don't React When head clutter takes over you're likely to make rash decisions and react to the unexpected in ways that aren't in your best interest. Although it may feel like you're too busy to get ideas, concerns and goals out of your head and onto paper, clearing your mind will actually add to productivity and lessen stress. Clear the fog by building in daily "think time" to make your lists, assign priorities and problem solve. And don't feel pressured to make quick decisions; unless you're an ER doc there are few things that can't wait. Marla Tabaka--The Successful Soloist
5. Reward Yourself For Focus The first thing I do is to maintain a daily "to-do" list, which comprises--in order of importance--the things that I absolutely need to get done that day. As I complete each item, I check it off my list and then move on to the next item. The second thing I do is to turn off my email, my text messaging and my phones for several hours at a time when I'm really under the gun to meet a critical deadline. I find that much of my email traffic is not time critical, and reading and responding to the messages just distracts me from what's most important. Finally, I reward myself for accomplishing my key goals by taking a quick break, going for a quick walk or grabbing a coffee at a local cafe. And then I get right back to work. Peter Economy--The Management Guy
SOURCE: Kevin Daum
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DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY
Our firm provides the information in this e-newsletter for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of legal advice, tax advice, accounting services, investment advice, or professional consulting of any kind. The information provided herein should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, accounting, legal, or other competent advisers. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation. Tax articles in this e-newsletter are not intended to be used, and cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding accuracy-related penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. The information is provided "as is," with no assurance or guarantee of completeness, accuracy, or timeliness of the information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability, and fitness for a particular purpose.
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