Managing Information Overload

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You've been working around the clock to get that up-and-coming home based business running smoothly, when you check your email to find 50 e-mails screaming for your attention and everyone wanting a response, now! Sound familiar? Here are some of tips to help keep you afloat in this information-heavy age * Be ruthless in filtering information. Keep what is absolutely relevant and delete everything else. Don't hoard. It is the "just in case" syndrome that contributes to information overload * Use and optimize organizational tools, Make use of functions accompanying e-mail and Internet programs (e.g. Outlook Express) that allow you to organize, sort, automate, mark and perform other functions to make life easier. For example, tag "follow up" flags to e-mail messages as reminders. * Create and use smart filing systems. Create filing systems for both electronic and hard copy documents and sort regularly to avoid pile-ups. Remember, ten minutes spent filing smartly now can prevent a frustrating two-hour search next month. * Minimize clicking "cc" and "Forward." We all know how frustrating it can be to sift through unnecessary e-mails (frequently jokes). Avoid contributing to the cycle. * Take time for family and friends. Running a home based business can be extremely exhausting at times. Be sure to always surround yourself with people that are there to cheer you o­n. There is nothing better than the feeling of those you love pushing you to do better! * Perform efficient Web searches. Familiarize yourself with search engines and directories to avoid millions of results. Set up folders and sub-folders to compile bookmarks/favorites systematically for future use.For an o­n-line tutorial o­n OUTLOOK 2000 use this link: http://ipr.iupui.edu/outlook/ or http://www.publicworks.ab.ca/outlook_tutorial.htm For a tutorial download direct from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/Education/O2kTutorial.aspx Everyone that runs a home based business will at some point feel like they are in overload sequence. Be sure to sit back, relax and assess the situation. A business flows much smoother when the captain is in charge! ------------------------------------------ Justin Hawkes runs BizOpz-Online and a number of computer service companies in Western Canada. A self proclaimed "doubter" of o­nline business methods until recently, when he started learning the internet could be used to more than quadruple his net income in o­ne year.http://bizopz-online.com ------------------------------------------