Working Solo Minute: Quick Tips from Readers

Each week I'm delighted to receive feedback, ideas, and suggestions from Working Solo Minute readers. Here are four reader tips in 60 seconds that might save you hours (or dollars!):

1. Add a quick-and-easy pocket to file folders.
Dave Thomas of Squire's Service & Consulting in Parma, Ohio shared a tip about filing. Dave takes an envelope (either one he recycles from a bill not paid by mail, or a fresh one), folds back the glued flap, then licks and sticks it to the inside of a file folder. Presto, a quick-and-easy storage space for small receipts or other scraps of loose paper easily lost.

2. Bundle those errands.
Ingrid Sapona of Good with Words in Toronto, Canada wrote in with her variation on my Solo Seven productivity strategy (WSM Issue #12). Ingrid's variation is to set aside one morning or afternoon to do all her errands. "I noticed early on in my solo endeavors that if I had to go to the bank, and say the post office, and maybe the grocery store -- I used to figure I should do one such errand per day. But I found that once I'm out, I dawdle and end up wasting a full morning or afternoon for each, whereas if I just bite the bullet and say, 'OK, I'll do my errands on Tuesday morning,' then I do them all (and probably stop by for a Starbucks or whatever other dawdle I might choose) in one day." Ingrid's right -- it's all about knowing your own time tendencies and making the most of different "chunks" of your day.

3. Discover wikis in a new light (and plain English).
Dave Edyburn, President of Knowledge by Design in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, pointed me to an intriguing instructional video on wikis, the collaborative online software. "Given that most wiki tools are free, I believe this is an essential element for the soloist who engages in collaborative work," Dave says. "Notice the distinctive style these folks use to make their video stand out," he adds. Readers can view the 4-minute video "Wikis in Plain English" here.

4. "Park" new business ideas.
Ken Peach, President of Future Vision Group in Orlando, Florida wrote in response to my thoughts on prioritizing new business ideas (WSM Issue #11). "I maintain a 'parking lot' section of my office file where I put a folder for each new business idea," Ken writes. "This way I can collect research and information on each potential business while focusing on my most immediate projects and clients. If and when the time is right to launch a new initiative, I know where to look." A great idea, Ken -- plus it gets it out of your head and onto paper, where you can trust that it has been captured and (in the words of David Allen) you can free up "psychic RAM" for other work.

Thanks again to these soloists for taking time to write in and share their tips with other Working Solo Minute readers. If you have an idea to share, zip me an email here.

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com