This year’s Apt Design Ebook and its accompanying blog series are for anyone feeling like their work and life are out of balance. The series will help you realize what’s important in your life and teach you how to go about reclaiming time and energy for your priorities. You’ll learn how to turn off work so you can spend time living. This is not a tirade against your work or your job – its a call to put things back in balance and stop letting work run your life.

The Ebooks

Last year Apt Design started a tradition of creating a small, well-designed ebook.Last year’s ebook was full of helpful tips and advice from around the internet and was first released just to clients.

This year’s ebook takes a different approach. First of all its available for everyone right from the get go. Here it is. Next, it is full of original content from me – tips and advice on creating a great work/life balance. Thirdly, I felt passionate enough about the ideas from the book that I am writing a series of blog posts about creating work/life balance which will be published here on my blog for the next 9 weeks.

So, go ahead and grab a copy of the ebook and then read these posts which flesh out each idea:

1. Know What You Want
2. Set Your Priorities
3. Guard Your Time
4. Separate Work and Life
5. Slow Down
6. Reduce Screen Time
7. Find an Exercise You Love
8. Find a non-work-related Hobby
9. Share Life

Lastly I am also offering this content as a presentation. I recently gave this talk to a group of fellow freelancers on a retreat in Sayulita, Mexico and would love to give the presentation to a group for you as well. Contact me to make arrangements.

Or, read one of these:

1. Guest Blog Post on Creating a Healthy Work/Life Balance
2. Separate Work and Life
3. Free Ebook – Business Tips and Inspiration

Last year I created a special ebook for my clients.  It was named the Apt Design 2010 Client Ebook and was basically a thank you to all of them for being great clients in 2009.  The little book was full of business tips and inspiration I had come across during the year and wanted to pass on.  Being a designer I also spent some time making it special and pretty.

This year I’m working on something similar, although it will be public from the get-go.  This year’s ebook is being written as I prepare for a presentation and  will focus on Work/Life Balance.  Each page of the book will have a blog post to round out it’s idea and will have accompanying wallpapers for your computer desktop.

But, back to last year’s ebook. In looking over it I thought it was probably time to send it out to everyone too.  So, here you have it, the Apt Design 2010 Client Ebook, now renamed the Apt Design 2010 Ebook.

• Get Into Flow
• Know the Right People
• Replace Yourself

with quotes from some of my favorite bloggers and entrepreneurs including:

• Leo Babauta
• Jason Cohen
• Lou Macabasco

Download and enjoy.  Let me know what you think in the comments, and get ready for the Apt Design 2011 Ebook!

Or, read one of these:

1. The 2011 Apt Design Ebook – Creating Work/Life Balance
2. Apt Nominated for Business of the Year
3. Young Business – Part 6

I received survey responses from about 30% of my clients (I offered them the chance to be entered into a drawing for a prize), and am trying to determine whether or not that is a good response rate.

The Numbers

Here are the averages for some of my survey questions (all scored from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest):

• How would you rate your overall experience with Apt Design?  9.5
• How satisfied were you with how easy it was to contact Apt Design when you needed to? 9.15
• How well did you feel Apt Design met deadlines? 9.6

Overall my highest average rating was:

• How satisfied were you with customer service AFTER your job was completed? 9.7

And my lowest average rating was:

• If we used Basecamp (my online Project Management System) how would your rate your experience with it? 8.3

The Words

There were lots of positive responses in fields where clients could fill in their own answers.  Some of these were:

It has been great.  I am impressed and have wondered how Brad keeps up on the whole thing.

Always very creative and open to suggestions.

It was casual yet professional.  The way we like it.

Above par across the board.

Brad has the important ability to become calm when challenges arise.

At this point Brad has our vote and we will happily enter into business again!

[Brad] has been helpful, creative, and supportive and I was so thrilled to be able to hire him to create my website.  Thanks for asking for my input.

Things to work on

Of course, there was some constructive criticism as well, and I took this to heart.  After comparing answers from multiple clients I created a list of things to work on and change to better help my clients.

• Be even easier to contact, especially by phone.  (My voicemail directed people to email me, and that has been changed)
• Give lots of warning about when I’ll be unavailable / out of town
• Make each client feel like a priority

Things I learned

Overall the survey was a great learning process.  A few of the things I learned:

• Word of mouth = best advertising
• Really gained loyalty through eating costs of mistakes, even if they were made by the client
• Tell clients about my other services, they may be really interested

The most confusing part of the entire survey was this: that while most people indicated this blog helps them decide whether or not Apt Design is an expert in the design field, not many clients read the blog more than “rarely.”  Something for me to wonder about…

What interested you most about these survey results?  If you’ve done something similar, what kind of responses did you get?

Or, read one of these:

1. What Would You Ask Your Customers?
2. Free Ebook – Business Tips and Inspiration

photo by Al_HikesAZ's

I’m talking about a controlled burn.

Controlled burns are used in forestry as a method to “reduce fuel buildup and decrease the likelihood of serious hotter fires.”  Maybe its time to do a controlled burn with your company, to clear out the underbrush that’s getting in the way of your growth.

Burn Your Old Files

The longer you are at any job the more you accumulate a pile of junk.  Old files stack up, in-boxes overflow, receipts and scraps of paper litter your drawers.  Take a few hours, or even a whole day, to go through your entire office and trash what you no longer need.  If you’ve put those files onto your computer do you really need to keep the storage devices they came on?  Do you have piles of old computer equipment that can’t even be used any longer hanging out, cluttering your workspace.  Clear it out!

Burn Your Old Systems

Old systems can clog a smooth running business engine faster than just about anything.  There are certainly advantages to sticking with a system you know, but new business tools are being created constantly that can help you be more streamlined, mobile and efficient.  Try and view your systems from a mindset of a new employee.  Are there things you could be doing faster or better?  Take a broad look at how your business progresses through work and see if you can simplify and speed up your systems using new tools and technology.

Burn Your Old Mindset

Working at a job for awhile can also get your mind in a rut.  When you first started you proabably had lots of great ideas for ways to do things better and faster.  Bureaucracy or an overload of work can strip that mindset away from you pretty quickly.  You need to get that mentality back.  What are ways you can change your thinking to have a more positive state of mind towards your job?  What are some good ideas you had at first that have been sitting on the back burner?  How can you motivate your employees or coworkers to make your company better for yourselves and your customers?
If you keep meaning to do something like this and never can find the time, schedule it out in the future.  Pick a date on your calendar and make it “Burn Day.”  Then don’t let anything else get scheduled for that day.  Shut everything down until you let this fire do its work. Clear out the junk that keeps getting in your way and see new growth appear in its place.

No related posts.

I first heard about the Pareto Principle, or the 80/20 Rule while reading The 4-Hour Work Week, but it is an idea that has been getting a lot of attention in the past few years.  Basically it states that 80% of your returns come from 20% of your efforts.  The 80/20 Principle has been used on everything from setting goals to information security to relationships.

Once you start thinking about it you may realize (I certainly did) how true this principle can be across many parts of your life.  What would it look like if you used this principle to cut out the 80% of your life that wasn’t productive, fulfilling, or fruitful? What if you used the 80/20 principle to take a fresh look at:

• The number of RSS subscriptions you actually read and find worthwhile
• The number of email newsletters you receive
• The websites that you visit every day
• The fluff or small talk in your conversations and emails
• The tv shows that you watch
• The unfocused energy that make chores drag on and on
• The work of your employees
• When you do your best work
• Your business’ advertising
• The amount of time you spend daydreaming instead of creating goals
• How you conduct meetings
• How you are exercising

Creating Groups in Social Networking to Get More Time

One way that I’m using the 80/20 principle to get more time is by applying it to my social networks.  Most of the time when checking in on our favorite networks there are a few people – the 20% – that we really want to find out about, whereas we don’t necessarily want to hear everything the other 80% say all day.

I’ve started creating groups that include that 20%.  (You can easily create group in the upper left of the screen in Facebook, with Twitter you’ll have to use a 3rd party app like TweetDeck.)  Then, when I log on I can quickly check in on one group to see just what they have posted.  If I have more time I may open up and read more about what everyone is thinking.  But if I don’t I’ve hit the highlights and can move on.

Give it a shot and let me know – how can using the 80/20 Rule free up more of your time?

Or, read one of these:

1. Guard Your Time

Build a Great Team

Professional teams don’t just happen by coincidence.  They are built over years of trading, drafting, and recruiting.  Managers spend lots of time and money getting the exact person they need to complete their roster, even down to their bench players.

Choose your team carefully too.  Look for people with a strong work ethic who are willing excited to learn and contribute.  Even if you find a player with lots of experience, make sure their head is still in the game.  Each player on your team should be interested in helping the whole team get to victory.  Don’t grab the first Joe to apply for your new position, be as rigorous in finding that perfect person as an NBA manager.

Even if you are a single-person business like me, you can still build a great team.  Friends and family can provide support, local business owners can be great for helping with ideas, and industry contacts can help give feedback on specific projects.

Be a team player

Its a well know phrase that “great players make everyone around them better.”  It is a thing of greatness to watch a superstar elevate an entire team’s performance during a game.  Amazing passes, high energy and confidence in others inspire everyone to be awesome.

So, once you have that great team in place don’t ruin it by still trying to do everything yourself.  Its imperative that you know what each of your teammates does best and give them those shots. Have confidence that they can make the play, then let them do their jobs.  Lastly, as the leader encourage them when they put the ball in the net.

Get a Good Coach

Why do you think the Chicago Bulls won 6 championships and the LA Lakers grabbed 3 NBA Finals in a row?  Sure, it had something to do with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Shaq.  But don’t count out the fact that they were all coached by the same person.  Phil Jackson led both teams to the Finals over and over again.

A great coach makes teams and players reach new heights.  That’s why we all need one.  Whether it be a life coach, a business mentor, or a paid consultant – look to others to give you advice on how to make your business even better!  With an outside perspective and practical knowledge they can challenge your team to grow and win.

Don’t get a Tech

In basketball, as in many sports, unsportsmanlike conduct can get you penalized or taken out of the game completely.  This can be a serious detriment to your team and your game.  Just as hazardous – fans often think less of players for poor behavior. (Ok, this video isn’t basketball, but it fits the idea.  Watch Serena Williams lose the US Open semis for going…crazy)

Its the same way in business.  Keep your cool, don’t let business decisions get too personal.  Make sure you are on your best behavior when around customers.  Be honest with your team and yourself.  Don’t cheat others, treat everyone well.  Don’t give current or potential clients a reason to hear negative feedback about your performance.

What else can we learn from basketball?  Leave your great ideas in the comments!

Or, read one of these:

1. Young Business – Part 4
2. Young Business – Part 5
3. Young Business – Part 2

photo by Kristina B

There are considerable number of positives to business blogging.  Don’t get me wrong in this article – I think most companies should have a blog.  However, putting a blog on your site is not a quick fix; its not an automatic easy way guarantee that your traffic will boom and your website be a success.  Blogs take time, energy, and more time.  And because of this many blogs on business websites can actually hurt the business.  Few things worse looking on a professional site than a blog with one post, or a blog that hasn’t been updated in months or years.  So, take some time to think about if blogging is right for your business.  My suggestion?  Don’t start a new blog if:

You Aren’t Going to Update Consistently

Of huge importance to your blog is your consistency in posting.  I usually recommend clients try to be able to post 1 new article a week, twice a month at the least.  Even more critical though is the commitment to regular posting.  Its fine to even let your readers know how often you plan on posting to help them know when to come back for more.  Its not always easy (email me for my #1 tip on how to post consistently!), but it is important.

If you aren’t going to post consistently and just plan on updating your site with news about your business – don’t call it a blog!  Just have a Recent News section or something.

You Don’t Have Time

Image by TomStardust

As you might be starting to see, writing a blog is going to take some time.  Make sure you know that and plan for it.  If you see the potential for new business that your blog could bring you (many businesses main source of revenue stems from their blogs), plan to spend time on it just as you would other promotions.  You are planning out time for promoting your business, aren’t you?

You Don’t Know what a Blog is

This might seem silly, but many people think that by adding a blog or setting up a Twitter or Facebook account their company will automatically be inundated with orders from the internet.  Again, it has the potential for that, but it does not come easily.  If you don’t know much about blogs spend some time learning.  Read tops blogs in your industry, read blogs about your favorite hobby, read blogs by your friends.  Respond in their comment section and get involved in the site.  Spend time analyzing and seeing what works and what doesn’t in blogs.  Writing for the web is different than writing press releases or sending an email.  Expose yourself to the blogging world a bit before you dive in.

You Don’t Have a Target Audience

Promoting your business in any way begins with the knowledge of who your target market is.  Big businesses spend millions learning who will be most likely to buy their products and even more figuring out how to reach them.  You should always know who you are trying to get to in your marketing, and this is just as important with your blog (and your website in general).  The more niche a blog is, the better chance it has of standing out in an already hugely crowded market.  Also, knowing who you are writing to can really help you decide what to write about.

You Just Want to Sell Sell Sell

People don’t read blogs just to hear about how great your product or company is.  If you are expecting to draw in readers by just blogging about the latest promotion your store is running you probably have the wrong idea of what a blog is.  People read blogs to be informed of something they are interested in.  Continually tooting your own horn gets old quickly.  Make sure you are giving your readers quality content that benefits them.

You Don’t Want Feedback

The best blogs are a place for community to develop.  Authors may be the originators of the discussion, but responses comes from a huge variety of people and places.  New technologies like blogging are all about hearing from your customers and being able to engage them.  Lastly, don’t assume that all feedback on your blog will be positive (plenty of negative comments here), hearing people’s honest opinions can be tough, but its important to stay honest and transparent – something everyone can appreciate.

–

Still have questions about blogging or if a blog is right for your business?  Go ahead and contact me for free consultation!

Or, read one of these:

1. 4 Ways to get More Traffic to Your Blog
2. Guest Blog Post on Creating a Healthy Work/Life Balance

Recently I’ve been spoiled again by an online application called Mint.  Mint allows you to track and analyze your personal finances, and it does almost everything for you. After inputing some data about your bank accounts Mint automatically pulls in updated information about those accounts everytime you log in.  It instantly gives you a snapshot of your current worth, how you are doing on your monthly budget, and alerts you to any strange or big movements in your accounts.  When you are ready you can drill down for reports on all your transactions, including comparing your spending in certain categories to others in your area.  The interface is remarkably easy to use and every part of the Mint website is beautifully designed.

I’ve been spoiled, and now going back to QuickBooks, which I use for my business finances, is like using an old DOS machine.  Now that I know how simple, intuitive and beautiful finance software can be (even when its totally free!) it makes it harder to accept anything less.  (Has anyone tried LessAccounting?)

As more and more applications move to the cloud and User Interface becomes increasingly important I expect I’m about to get spoiled more and more.  Here’s what comedian Louis C.K. has to say about it:

Here are the 6 applications or websites which have spoiled me:

Mint

Super easy personal finance software.  All-online, all-free.  Intuitive and beautiful it takes the workload off of keeping track of your expenses and makes personal accounting fun!

Gmail

The best thing to happen to email since…anything.  Threaded conversations, chatting inside Gmail, integration with Google’s Tasks and Calendar, 7+ GBs of free storage, and hundreds of more features.  Once you make the switch to Gmail you’ll never go back.  Plus now you can set it up via Google Apps or MailFetcher to be your full-time email client no matter who you have email with!

BaseCamp

The online Project Management System that keeps my business flowing.  BaseCamp set new standards in ease-of-use and simplyfing online interfaces.  I run everything through BaseCamp to set deadlines, track time, communicate with clients and more.

Awaken

An alarm clock for Macs, Awaken lets me wake up to any song or playlist on my computer.  Much better than an annoying beeper.  Awaken can also launch apps for you, be a countdown timer during the day, and put you to sleep to music.

Spaces

Mac’s brilliant innovation lets you have multiple workspaces on your computer.  Keep all of your music applications on one Space, your work files on another, and 60 open web pages on another.  Sure beats minimizing things to try and find what you’re looking for.  Check out the demo here.

Pandora

How about an online application that creates personalized radio stations based on the music you like?  Free (with ads), you should try out Pandora to hear old favorites and let Pandora introduce you to new artists based on your ratings.  Its on all day in the Apt Design office.

Ok.  How about you?  What website or application has spoiled you – made your life incredibly easier and that you couldn’t imagine not having?

Or, read one of these:

1. Make Your Premium Services Wow

If you tell the truth you don’t have to remember anything.

Mark Twain

Honesty solves a lot of problems by never letting them show up in the first place.  And its just as important in business as it is in your personal life.  Here are a few places to think about your honesty:

Be Honest with your Employees

To a large extent you need to let your employees know what’s going on with your company.  Finding and keeping good employees can be difficult for any business, and if you want quality employees that will last you need to let them be invested in the company and feel like a part of the team.  Nothing breaks that down faster than them knowing that there is something going on and not being able to ask you what it is.

I’m not saying you should open your accounting files and let anyone scroll through, but the more involved an employee is along the way the more important and satisfied they will feel.  Ideally they can help brainstorm solutions with you and may help you solve issues.

Be Honest with your Potential Clients

With some businesses there can be a lot of smoke and mirrors before the sale.  Cut that out and let them see why they should work with you – without all of the fine print.  Be upfront in your sales discussions about your costs (you should be able to back up your prices anyways).

Another important thing to keep on the up and up is your delivery time on a client’s project.  Let them know exactly when you’ll be able to get it done.  If it’s going to take longer than they think – let them know up front. There is little chance that it will be a deal breaker, but it is certainly much easier than trying to deal with an aggravated customer when you completely miss deadlines.

Be Honest with your Current Clients / Customers

Some of the biggest assets you have are your current customers.  If something happens that they should know about – tell them.  When something is going wrong, let them know.  This sounds simple to say, but can be hard to do for fear of losing a client.  Own up to your mistakes, then make things right with your customers.  As your best source for new business, don’t let them have the opportunity to say, “Well, they’re good, but they won’t tell you about this….”

Be Honest with Yourself

Lastly, it’s important to be honest with yourself.  Are you purposely keeping your employees in the dark, trying to hide things from potential clients, or afraid to tell clients whats going on?

Also, are you stepping back periodically from your business and try and look at from the outside, as a whole?  Take time to assess what’s working and what isn’t and how you could be working to help your business succeed even more.

Let me know in the comments how being truthful has helped you in business, or problems that have arisen from not being so.

No related posts.

When I called to tell my wife the news she said, “You sound much more calm than I thought you would.” That’s because the night before the crash my automated weekly backup (via the very nice iDrive) ran and all my client files were safe and secure in the cloud of the internet.

While I had always heard the importance of backing up your computer, that day’s calmness confirmed just how vital this task is to any business.  After using TechTool Pro I was able to boot the drive up for a couple hours and pull the few files that didn’t get backed up (of course, I back them up now), but all in all the crash was nowhere near the disaster it could have been.  Surprisingly the closest certified Mac technician is all the way down in Ellensburg, but in just a few days the awesome guys at CCS had me back up and running.  In the meantime I could keep working on my laptop and everybody stayed happy!

Two lessons from this story:

1. Apple no longer has the shiny halo around it that it once did for me. (the hard drive was only 1.5 years old!)
2. Backups are critically important.  The time they take (which, with automated backups is virtually none) is never wasted.

No related posts.