From product design and processes to marketing and language, small businesses need simplicity to prosper. So why is it so elusive?

“Less is more”, “short and sweet” and “Keep it simple stupid (KISS)” are powerful philosophies. They sound straightforward, but are actually tricky for small businesses to attain.

Things start off simple. Innovative products, start-up business models and fresh ideas are generally born into the world polished up and free of baggage. But then they attract the sticky tentacles of complexity. Simplicity drifts into chaos as ‘stuff’ flies in to fill up the vacuum.

I’ve long had an interest in, but never mastered, the elusive art of simplicity. Here are some of the things I’ve discovered:

Less is usually more

The temptation is always to add. More features. More options. More words. More stuff. And before you know it, the strong and focused concept you started with is diluted and confused.

“The simplest way to achieve simplicity is through thoughtful reduction.” LawsOfSimplicity.com

Simplicity is prioritisation

But less is not always more. You need to identify what is truly essential, and only eliminate that which is dispensable. Ruthlessly prioritise who, and what, deserves your limited time and attention.

“Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” Albert Einstein

Simplicity is honesty

Say what you really think, even if it’s not what others might want to hear. Too much time and effort is wasted skirting around issues that can be put to bed in one open conversation.

Simplicity is leadership

Delegate to good people then get out of the way. Make timely decisions and stick to them without over-analysis. Don’t be afraid to say no to non-essential requests.

Simplicity looks easy

Beautiful design can look effortless. Brilliant ideas seem obvious in hindsight. But they are usually the end result of hours of hard work and years of study and experience.

“An expert is someone who has succeeded in making decisions and judgements simpler through knowing what to pay attention to and what to ignore.” Edward de Bono

Simplicity is an epic battle

No wonder true simplicity is so rare, if not unattainable. It is a never-ending battle against a tireless force.

But the alternative is chaos. And put simply, that sucks. Do you have anything to add (or take away)?

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Elite sports people often have a routine they go through before a game to help them get ‘in the zone’ to perform at their best. This powerful concept can apply to business professionals too.

Also referred to as being ‘in the flow’, ‘in the groove’, or simply ‘completely absorbed’, the concept has been studied by psychologists for many years.

A state of flow is commonly described by musicians, actors, gamers, spiritual practitioners, programmers, presenters, writers, stock traders and all kinds of business professionals. Young children seem naturally gifted at ‘getting lost’ in a painting, dance or imaginary game.

While getting in the zone can be a complex and hit-and-miss affair, one big part of it is in the preparation. A lot of my job involves writing. And while it’s not something I consciously created, I realised I have a routine that I follow whenever I have a big writing task to focus on.

Here’s my working ritual:

1. Take my mobile and office phones to the other side of the house

2. Clear all the clutter off my desk and put it on the floor out of sight

3. Pour a large glass of water and make a fresh cup of tea

4. Put on a trusty cap

5. Put on a big set of headphones

6. Play the same ancient music mix that includes New Order and Pet Shop Boys (don’t ask!)

Even though none of these things are at all essential to the task at hand, for some reason once I’ve gone through that ritual I feel physically and mentally ready to work productively.

For other business owners it might be cues like starting a fresh notepad, wearing a favourite outfit, cleaning their tools, using a certain brand of equipment or mental visualisation. It’s different for everyone.

Do you have a routine you use to get yourself into the zone, or is all this flow talk just management mumbo jumbo? Let us know your thoughts.
Read 22 comments or add your own at Flying Solo.

Well, exercise could be the answer! We all know the physical benefits of regular exercise. It’s good for our heart, lungs, muscles…pretty much our whole body. But did you know that exercise can also help maximise our productivity at work?

Generally speaking, we tend to feel great after a good dose of exercise. Our respiratory system is activated, our blood is pumping and our mind is alert. Almost every part of the body benefits from the activity and there’s a good chance that your mental state will improve. Therefore, it makes sense that after we’ve exercised, we’re in a better frame of mind to launch into some productive work.

A recent study by the University of Bristol in the UK, highlighted the link between exercise and improved employee performance and productivity. The study concluded that workers who engaged in regular exercise, were found to:

• Have increased levels of mental sharpness, including concentration
• Manage their workload more efficiently
• Deal with stress more effectively
• Enjoy higher levels of motivation
• Make better business decisions
• Have overall better health, which means fewer sick days

Pretty compelling evidence, huh!

Of course, exercise doesn’t necessarily have to occur before or during work hours. Engaging in exercise after a hard day also provides wonderful benefits. It can serve to release any tension that’s built up throughout the day, plus it can even help you sleep better that night.

If you lead a busy life, it can be hard to find time to exercise regularly. But it’s important to make time. Even if it’s 2 or 3 times a week, exercise can be scheduled in to your week just like a client meeting. Maybe first thing in the morning works for you. Perhaps lunch time is best. Or maybe the evening is your ideal window. Whatever works for you, make sure you schedule it in and stick to it.

There are so many simple activities to keep your mind and body in shape, such as walking, jogging, swimming, yoga, cycling, gym workout, or even stretching…it’s all great stuff!

So next time you’re feeling a little sluggish and having trouble concentrating on your work, why not pull on your sneakers and go for a 30 minute walk? Chances are, you’ll come back to your work feeling energised and refreshed.

Working for myself and being able to do it from home is fantastic. But there are some downsides of course, and one of them is a lack of motivation on the odd occasion.

The surf might be calling or the kids hollering, but you know you need to bunker down and keep working. After all, that thing called ‘income’ is kind of important!

So in this article, I’ll share 5 tips that I use to motivate myself when lack of motivation strikes.

Everyone has their own way of pumping themselves up on days when you struggle to get going, but here are some of the things that I like to do when I feel a little unmotivated:

1. I read an old email from a satisfied client, a valued colleague or a supportive friend. They always seem to put a smile on my face and motivate me to get back to work.
2. I re-visit my business goals or dreams and really take a moment to think about what they mean to me. I focus on how I’ll feel when I achieve them and that’s usually enough to get the blood pumping again.
3. I grab the nearest picture of my loved ones and remember why I’m working so hard towards a certain goal. I think about how proud they are of me. This then motivates me to get cracking again. After all, there’s nothing more important than family.
4. I look at my last mortgage statement. That always motivates the hell out of me!
5. I write a motivational statement at the top of each page of my diary.

Think big and re-ignite your motivation
In regards to tip number 5, I read a brilliant book a little while ago called “The Magic of Thinking Big” by David J. Schwartz. Schwartz uses proven methods to show that you don’t have to be highly intelligent or have innate talent to attain great success and satisfaction. What you do need however, is to adopt the habit of thinking, believing and behaving in ways that will get you there. 

In short, there were so many positive and motivating tips in the book, that I summarised a whole bunch of them into a list. When I bought my new diary for 2009, I wrote one positive statement at the top of each page to read at the start of my working day. And believe me, it works a treat.

So next time you find yourself lacking a little motivation, try one of the suggestions above to get you back on track. After all, most of us don’t bound out of bed every single day yelling “C’MON!!” and pumping our fists in the air like Anthony Robbins.

It’s easy to criticise large institutions for their bureaucratic processes and customer service shortcomings. But, by examining what they do well, there’s a wealth of ideas for small businesses. Here are seven…

1. Be firm.

Try negotiating the price of a Big Mac, or getting a cinema to change the time of a movie. It’s easy to get pushed around as a solo operator – weekend work, rush jobs and discounts. For the sake of your sanity, credibility and profits, it’s often best to confidently put your foot down. “This is how we do things around here. This is how much it costs. End of story.”

2. Invest in marketing.

Every big business dedicates resources into marketing, sales and networking. It’s not because they have cash to burn, it’s because it works to grow their business. It doesn’t have to be a Super Bowl ad, it doesn’t even need to cost money, but you do need to invest regularly in business development.

3. Turn away customers.

Try getting a big accounting firm to do your tax return. Large corporates know who their most profitable customers are, target them directly and have set criteria for who they sign up. It’s not because they can afford to turn away customers, it’s because they know that focusing on their core business and ideal customers will generate a greater return from limited resources.

4. Make plans.

As mind-numbing as those corporate workshops, strategy sessions and vision statements can be, they can be the difference between success and failure. To maximise success it’s critical to regularly lift your eyes from the daily grind and look at where your business is heading.

5. Build partnerships.

Look behind the scenes of many corporations and you’ll find a web of joint ventures, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, mutual investments and shared projects. It may sound like something for expensive lawyers, but getting closer to your suppliers, customers and competitors – formally or informally – will create greater long-term value than working alone.

6. Invest in people (that’s you).

Training, certifications, industry events, rewards programs, networking functions, golf days and performance reviews all sound like big business activities, but to be successful all businesses must look after and develop their people – whether they have 1 or 1000 employees.

7. Get a corporate jet.

Actually no, the petrol is a little expensive.

Clearly, it’s not easy doing all these things when you’re wearing all the hats. But in many areas a big business approach can work wonders for small business.

What are your thoughts? Get your people to call my people, or make a comment yourself.

Read 21 comments or add your own at Flying Solo

Ok, I’ll admit it. Some of my best ideas occur when I’m naked. Yes that’s right – the shower is the place where I often do my best thinking.

And that got me thinking (in the shower of course); where do other soloists come up with their bright ideas and solutions to life’s problems? Is there a certain place or time of the day when their mind is at its clearest and most productive?

Perhaps it’s a brisk walk in the morning. Maybe others just relax on the balcony with a cuppa. Or dare I say it; perhaps sitting on the loo works for some.

Wherever your ‘thinking place’ may be, it’s important for soloists to regularly take time out to reflect and re-charge. It’s great to have a space or an activity that you know will really clear your mind and let you get on with some constructive thinking.

The problem is, I often find there’s no pen or paper around when the way to reverse old age suddenly dawns on me. It’s a real bummer, because I’m sure my solution will appeal to millions (and quite possibly make me millions).

Therefore, it’s good to always have quick access to a notepad, diary or palm pilot to capture and document the light bulb moments. And when I say light bulb moments, it could be as simple as remembering to email an important client or making a note to improve something on your website.

They may seem like tiny thoughts, but by jotting them down and then actioning them, they could make a big difference to your business.

So where do you do your best thinking? Let us know your thoughts.

And as I like to practice what I preach, does anyone know where I can get a waterproof notepad and pen for the shower? I’m tired of picking soggy paper out of the drain.

In my earlier article Confessions from an email addict, I spilt the beans on my compulsive email behaviours. Despite some frank self talk and bold promises, I’m sorry to report that my email addiction continues.

Behaviour such as checking email in the middle of the night and getting anxious if away from email may seem extreme to some. However, it seems I am in good company with 81% of Flying Solo readers polled saying they were addicted to email and heartfelt email confessions coming in from 60+ readers!

Jazinta admitted pride at having had over 25,000 emails in her inbox. Marie described withdrawal symptoms including heartburn, headache and shakes. Philip’s rapid response rates prompted clients to call him to see why he hadn’t responded to their email from only 20 minutes before!

To escape email’s clutches I declared that I would start checking email only four times per day for three weeks. And I succeeded enthusiastically right up until I fell off the wagon a day and a half later.

I soon found that email was too central to running my day-to-day business to let go of that easily. With most of my work done online, much of it with tight deadlines, long email blackouts seemed to do more harm than good. However, after some experimentation I did reach a compromise.

I have made, and am still making, some fundamental changes to my email habits that are working well:

• I only turn email on in the morning when I’m actually ready to start work for the day – I was in the habit of checking email the minute I woke up
• I now fully shut down the computer at the end of the workday – this cuts the temptation to pop in and check email during ad breaks or on weekends 
• I set aside uninterrupted blocks of time of at least an hour to work on set tasks before checking email briefly – I was previously checking email every 10 minutes 
• I am setting up rules and folders to manage automated or regular emails – these can then be checked when it suits me 
• I’m sticking to the good old fashioned mobile phone – I did have a BlackBerry for a few months but have since avoided the temptation to take my email with me

So there it is, some progress but the battle continues. For many of us, I think email overwhelm will remain a constant struggle. But I am resolved to better manage the symptoms. So far so good.

How are you going in your own fight with the inbox? We’d love to hear your experiences.

Read 22 comments or add your own at Flying Solo

When I woke up the other morning at 3am to go to the bathroom, I thought it would be a routine pit stop. How wrong I was. Seeing the office door ajar, I quietly crept in and did the unthinkable.

I woke up my peacefully slumbering computer and hit ‘Send/Receive’. I even glanced at my mobile phone to check for missed calls!

Surprisingly, apart from a few eyebrow-raising spam emails, there was no-one urgently needing my attention in the middle of the night. Did I really think there would be?

It was then I knew that my email addiction had become severe.

The next morning I took a deep breath, gazed into the mirror of truth and had a good, hard look at my email habits.

Here’s what I realised.

• I check my email before I brush my teeth in the morning.
• I check my email in the ad breaks during Underbelly in the evening.
• I check my email at least every 10 minutes during the workday.
• I check my email as soon as I walk in the door from being out.
• I get anxious if I have a full work day away from email.
• I often check my email on weekends.
• I get stressed if my email gets sick and I can’t access it.
• I set up web-based email so I can access it anywhere, anytime.
• I have even carried email around with on my mobile.
• I set up auto-replies to look after my email when I go on holidays.

Now, if “Email” happened to be the name of my newborn baby, then this sort of behaviour may be acceptable. But, as it turns out, “Email” is the name of my slave-driving, productivity-sapping master. So much for working for myself.

When examined in the light of day, it may look like I’m an extreme case. But I dare say I’m not alone in these clandestine behaviours.

Productivity gurus the world over tell me that email is holding me back. Yet I cling on to it. Don’t even get me started on Twitter!

It’s got to stop. And it’s got to stop today!

I do solemnly declare, honestly promisely, that I will only check email four times per weekday for the next three weeks. Who’s coming with me?

I invite you to post a comment to confess your email sins and/or consider joining me on this three week quest to break email’s evil grips.

Read 77 comments or add your own at Flying Solo

Meetings, deadlines, multi-tasking, smart phones, caffeine and chaos: it seems business is all about busyness. Ask people how they are and you’ll often get “Mate! Busy!”

But why is busyness considered a virtue? Surely running around like a headless chook is a sign of failure? At the very least it’s a symptom of bad time management, a lack of discipline or poor planning.

Extreme busyness is rife in the corporate world, but even worse for the self-employed. It goes without saying that if you run your own business, you’ll spend your life madly juggling 85 balls just managing to keep them in the air.

Plus, it seems the higher you go in your career or the bigger your business gets, the more tasks and responsibilities are heaped on your plate.

Busyness seems to be worn as a badge of honour for many. So is it a sign of success?

I have a client who is a classic case. He’s highly intelligent, educated and talented, but works 75 hours a week and lives a chaotic life. Surely if anyone can work out how to take control of their life, someone like that can!

I’m as bad as the next person at getting caught in the busy competition. But is it really how I want to spend my life?

It’s about control. If we’re flat out doing things we choose to do then great. But when we’re at the mercy of other people’s priorities and whims that’s a problem.

Why is it that we never check the to-do list on a Friday morning and think “That’s enough from me this week, I’m off up the coast!”? One day soon I’d love a friend to ring up at 2pm on Wednesday and ask me if I’m busy and I could reply “Nope, not at all. How about a game of Twister?” Now that’s success.

According to Leo Babouta of ZenHabits.net and author of The Power of Less the answer is to do less, to get more done. He outlines two simple steps.

1. Identify the essential

2. Eliminate the rest

I’ve long been a fan of his blog and just picked up his book, so I’ll see how it goes. That is if I find time to read it in between checking email.

So how are you? Busy? Let us know but be quick.

Better run!

Read 29 comments or add your own at Flying Solo

So your customer rings and says, “I need something fast, cheap and cheerful, nothing fancy. Could you have a quick look?” Don’t believe it. This is false economy and the result can be less than satisfying for all involved.

Having done quite a few of these small ‘favour’ type jobs over the years, I can tell you that often they cause the biggest headaches.

Quickies are often identified by language such as: “throw something together”, “mock something up”, “just give us your top-line thoughts”, “take a quick squiz”, “while you’re here”, or, “don’t spend much time on it!”

While these all sound fair, reasonable and innocent requests – and sometimes they are – typically these jobs have vague requirements, low budgets and fast timeframes. This false economy is a sure-fire recipe for failure.

The first problem is that people like what they like. If they don’t like the logo you designed for them, their opinion won’t change just because you did it in half an hour.

The second problem is these speedy jobs can end up taking the longest time. Even if the initial execution is quick, the subsequent liaising and clarifying eats away at time.

The third problem is that once a low quality job is delivered, all the control and context is lost. For example people won’t critique your work with the knowledge that it was low cost, they’ll just criticise it based on quality.

In the same way that people quickly forget a high price if you deliver high quality, they’ll also forget the low price if you deliver low quality.

These sorts of favours can work well, but do think carefully before putting out sub-standard work. In the long-term it may be better for you and your client to take a step back and insist on following your regular quality control process, even if you apply mate’s rates at the end.

What’s your experience of the quickie? We’d love to hear your advice or false economy disaster stories.

Read 35 comments or add your own at Flying Solo