Getting Stuff Done with online systems

Homeschooling Part 1

My daughter is in her first year of secondary school and was settling in just fine, then came a world pandemic and the reality of homeschool. She was familiar with the online systems her school used for homework so the transition to using it for every day lessons didn't seem a big one. As a 12 year old, finding her feet and becoming more independent, we approached her homeschooling in a totally different way to her younger brother's. Of course a primary age child needs supervision and some cajoling to get their 'stuff' done. A 12 year old can follow instructions and get on with it - right?

Homeschooling Part 2

Wrong! On closer inspection my daughter had picked out the bits of work she fancied doing and left the others 'until later'. Unfortunately some of the work she had not completed had the earliest hand in deadline and then she was flitting manically between a variety of tasks getting absolutely nothing done.

Why am I writing about this here?

I'm writing about this here as it probably sounds familiar if you have a small business! Next step was to get my daughter to write out a list of the work she had been set, identifying what actually needed handing in. Then we put those in order of most urgent to least using an online system. She got started on the first task, listening to my advice to not check her emails or new work tasks that popped up on her computer. The work was then completed in the allotted time and she was thrilled to be able to cross it off her list. Quite quickly she was able to make a serious amount of headway. My point is that the first approach may well be how you deal with your own business tasks. For example, in the past I have worked with a Cake Design Studio, two lovely ladies who make the most amazing wedding cakes you've ever seen. They love to meet with customers, design beautiful cakes and of course create them to a perfect standard. 

Tasks like preparing invoices, website updates and research into new packaging often drop to the bottom of their to-do list however as they aren't things they enjoy. These jobs still need doing though and perhaps they end up working until midnight when they became time critical. Sound familiar?

Having Online Systems

There are a lot of great online systems out there if you want to have something more tangible than a scribbled paper to-do list. A lot of VA's swear by Trello, which allows you to set up 'boards' with your own headings. You can make it as simple or as complex as you like, here's an example of one of my own for a large committee meeting I have been responsible for servicing:

It's so easy to use, dragging tasks across as you go. You can even use it on your mobile phone. Either use this system just for yourself to keep track of and check off your tasks, or you can share your 'boards' and allocate certain tasks to someone else. If you choose to outsource some of these tasks it is then quick and easy for your assistant to update you on their progress.

I'll be adding more tips on online systems for administration on my blog, so check back soon. If you'd like to find out more about how I could help your business please do get in touch.

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