Efficiency – Page 14 – Minerva Accountants Bristol and Somerset

October 5, 2020September 18, 2020

What is decision fatigue? (part 2)

Decision fatigue is the exhaustion that comes with making constant decisions. My tip this week is to remove some more of the smaller decisions in your life, so here are some ideas for deciding what to eat AND trying to keep it healthy(ish).

I really admire those people who spend a day each weekend bulk cooking for the whole week. Although I love cooking I’m not that organised.

Plan your meals a week ahead so that you don’t end up ordering a takeaway or snacking on junk just because you’re hungry and can’t decide what to eat.
Cook double quantities and freeze half for a busy day.
Order a veg box. You just have to cook what turns up, whether you like it or not. If anybody has any recipes for courgettes where you can’t taste the courgettes then please send them to me. It’s not just the veg box but the only things I have growing in my garden are tomatoes and … courgettes.
Order a fruit box. Healthy snacks! Also pots of dried fruit and bowls of homemade popcorn instead of crisps for those who prefer something savoury.
‘Hello Fresh’ and similar meal boxes. Choose them in a matter of minutes ready for the following week. It’s great for trying new things and they come with brilliant instructions so the teens are able to cook a meal without input from me.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

September 28, 2020September 11, 2020

What is decision fatigue?

Decision fatigue is the exhaustion that comes with making constant decisions. My tip this week is to remove some of the smaller decisions in your life so here are some ideas for deciding what to wear.

I’d like to think that I simplified my wardrobe long before Steve Jobs or Barack Obama but I don’t know when they started to wear their ‘uniform’ rather than spending time deciding what to wear each day.

The simplest thing is to limit your wardrobe to one main colour so that you need fewer changes to match outfits. You may have noticed that I’m almost always wearing blue with black footwear.
I also wear branded polo shirts and jeans for normal work days. They’re as comfortable as a t-shirt so can be worn when working from home but the collar makes them slightly smarter. Choose something that matches your business image.
These days I follow a 333 clothes system where I choose 33 items of clothing (excluding underwear and sports kit) to last me 3 months. Any seasonal clothes get stored in a box in the loft. I’m pleasantly surprised that I haven’t needed to cheat yet but you set your own rules.

Give it a try and let me know how you get on.

September 21, 2020September 4, 2020

My confession about cash

In spite of doing all the right accounting entries and knowing how to do a cashflow forecast, like many small business owners, I still use my bank account to manage my cash.

My business model is pretty simple and I bank with one of the challenger banks that make it very easy to have savings spaces for everything; tax, VAT, buffer to cover overheads, next dividend etc.

Often it’s the simple systems that work best so let’s focus on practical solutions.

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

Minimising your interruptions

Interruptions can be a real pain when you’re trying to get on with the real work or the sort which requires concentration.

Here are a few ideas of how you can reduce, or at least manage, your interruptions:

Calendly is my best friend. Linked to my diary people can book phone calls at a convenient time. No more of those emails backwards and forwards trying to find when everybody’s diaries are free. The first tier of Calendly is free.
If you have a PA or receptionist then give them clear instructions for managing your phone calls
If you’re on your own then invest in an answering service. We use Answer IT who will either take messages or put through calls like your own receptionist. They can even manage your diary. You can divert your phones to them whenever you need to focus.
Turn off your notifications or leave your phone in another room. Yes, I know you’ve been told before but actually do it please.
A default diary makes it much easier to control your week. I block time out when I need intense concentration.
If you have a team then an open/closed door can be a good indicator of when they can and can’t interrupt you

Try one or two of these suggestions and let me know how you get on.

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

Too many ideas and not enough time

Some people struggle for ideas for their business. They have read so many books and been to so many talks but they don’t have time to implement everything or don’t know where to start.

I’m a bit like this. The ideas make it as far as my ideas folder but sometimes don’t go any further. In all honesty some of them probably don’t deserve to go any further as they were bad ideas in the first place. But it isn’t just a waste of the money and time that I spend reading/listening/watching, it’s the lost potential for a fabulous business.

The best way I found to get out of this dilemma was to work with a business coach. Yes, I know I’m a coach myself but I still work with a coach for exactly the same reasons that you may need one.

She helps me see the wood from the trees when I’m too busy
She is a critical friend who will challenge me when necessary
She has experience in my industry so is great to bounce ideas off
She helps me to plot a clear path and turn my ideas into an action plan
She (metaphorically) kicks my backside to get things done before our next call
She helps to celebrate as she know how much work really went into those “overnight” successes.

Anyway, a big thank you to my coach this week as we’re set to launch the ‘ScaleUp Blueprint’ course and my ‘Growing by Numbers’ book moves further along the publisher’s pipeline.

April 15, 2020April 15, 2020

Mastermind or business coach?

Masterminds can be really good. I belong to one for my speaking. We are all at about the same stage in our speaking careers but with different business models. At the moment we are all learning and sharing what does and doesn’t work and why. It is really helpful and costs nothing, but we don’t have all the answers and we all have a long way to go.

But I’ve just been selected to speak at a very prestigious event later this year (more later when I’m allowed to talk about it) which could really make my speaking career. None of my peers have the experience to help me. So I’m about to invest several thousand pounds in a speaking coach who will help me to refine both my content and my delivery to make the most of this 30 minute opportunity.

So, whilst masterminds can help with regular, day to day support it still takes an experienced coach/mentor to push on towards excellence.