Over the years, I’ve seen good home office design plans and I’ve seen others that had disaster written all over them. Laying out your home office is easier when you take the time to plan out your space and figure out how big your furniture can (and should) be.

• Start by measuring your home office space (including alcoves, windows, doorways and closets).
• Do a rough sketch of your home office and plug in all the measurements. Your sketch doesn’t have to be pretty, just accurate.
• Using graph paper, redraw your sketch to scale (one square equals one foot). Or transfer your sketch to a computer-aided design program (CAD). I use CAD instead of drawing plans by hand because it’s easier to create several layouts for my clients. But unless you’ll be creating plans often, don’t invest in a CAD program. It can be expensive.
• Measure your existing furniture and either make templates that you can move around on the paper or draw the furniture directly on the paper. Before you draw any furniture, make a few copies of your drawing so you don’t have to erase as often.
• Before you shop for furniture, measure doorways and stairways to make sure that any furniture you buy will fit through doors or up the stairs. A friend of mine bought furniture he knew would fit in his home office, but forgot about the furniture making it to the second floor. When the delivery team couldn’t get the furniture up the stairs, he sent both pieces back to the store.
• Take your drawing with you when you go furniture shopping to make sure that whatever you want to buy will fit in your home office. Don’t forget the doorway and stairway measurements. Your drawing will also give you a good idea of how large an area rug can be.

When you plan ahead, designing your home office doesn’t have to take much time or money. The key is to measure twice, buy once, and enjoy your office daily.

Like anything else, there is a lot of harmful misinformation floating around about what you do and do not need to become a sought-after professional who speaks in public. I heard a real doozy the other day on a teleclass that I unfortunately paid $55 to attend and which brought me zero value. A word of advice: be VERY careful about what “experts” you listen to and remember much of what passes for expertise out there is simply opinion, and often it is not factual.

Case in point, this class was billed as helping entrepreneurs learn to get more paid speaking gigs. It not only did not deliver on that, one of the suggestions was particularly troubling to me as a professional who has successfully helped businesses build their brands and trained numerous executives on how to speak in media and during public presentations. This expert’s advice was that you do not need any training at all—he suggested you try Toastmasters and speak in Church and said all you really need is passion for your topic. Um, excuse me, WHAT?

Enthusiasm for your topic is surely important, even vital, but that alone does not a great speaker make and to think so is naïve.

Would you go to a surgeon who didn’t actually have any formal training but just thought he’d really like to carve up some people? I mean, REALLY.

Granted, lives are rarely at stake during a speaking engagement but your BRAND is, and if you are trying to establish yourself as an expert and differentiate from your competitors you can’t afford to just get up on stage and wing it. No offense, but reading during Church services will not come close to preparing you. Churchgoers are generally kind and very forgiving to those who are brave enough to get up to read—kindness is a big part of the whole Church thing! What horrible person would go to Church and heckle the readers? They aren’t going to tell you if you are off message, or boring.

Foregoing proper training is possibly the worst advice I have heard. Why would a seemingly intelligent “expert” advocate this approach? Because he, like many others, is simply telling potential clients what they want to hear, in an effort to build rapport and sell his services to them.

None of us want to hear that effort is required. We all want to hear that we can be superstars with no training and no monetary investment. Unfortunately, that’s grossly incorrect and here’s why.

1. You need professional guidance. Have you ever pitied the poor guy flailing away on the machines at the gym? Without a professional trainer to show him proper technique, correct his form and guide him safely, he is not getting anything close to an effective work-out and he will probably injure himself as well.
2. No man (or woman) is an island. You need an objective, outside opinion. Yes, you can ask friends and family if your presentation is captivating but guess what? Unless you have especially mean friends and family, they are going to tell you it’s great. And they are probably not your target audience so their opinions will not help you hone a great presentation. You need to know how to instantly connect with your target and engage them. A professional trainer teaches you to do that.
3. You are too close to your own message. Again, a pro that can help you formulate and learn to deliver key message points will ensure your time with the audience (or on TV or radio) is well spent. It’s a learned skill to be able to bridge what you want to say with what your prospects want to hear, and do it ethically and authentically.
4. You need confidence and supervised practice. Working with a person who is qualified to help you and who has trained many other speakers can help bolster your confidence by providing actionable, constructive feedback and will tell you what you are doing right as well as what they can help you improve.
5. You must stay in alignment with your brand in all speaking appearances. It’s easy to get caught up and go off message, or to say something embarrassing. Working with a trainer will minimize that chance and help you keep sight of the brand you are building so your business stays strong and you attract your ideal clients.

Do you speak in public or in the media as part of promoting your business? What tips can you share that helped you excel? Where do you think people need the most help? Leave a comment here–we’d love to hear about it!

Listening is an aspect of your life that you do instinctively. You have been listening since you were born, so this ability has become second nature. In some respects that is good, because without thinking you are aware of your surroundings. However, familiarity creates unconscious behavior. You might have forgotten that there is an art to listening. To be a good listener, you must be aware of what you are doing at a conscious level. For some of us, it can be quite a challenge. You may have become so comfortable with what you are currently doing, that you are unaware that there is room for improvement.

• The better you listen, the more effectively you can respond.
• This enhanced exchange creates better communication.
• Better communication leads to improved relationships.
• Improved relationships create a better world to live in.

Here are some areas to focus on to become a better listener:

• Make sure you are giving your full attention to someone who is speaking to you.
• Be aware of what thought processes are going on in your head.
• Stop yourself from judging what is being said because of some personal characteristics of the speaker.
• Don’t get preoccupied with who is speaking; rather concentrate on what is being said.
• Provide feedback when asked. It is encouraging to a speaker to acknowledge that you are listening by nods or asking clarifying questions. However, don’t fall into the trap of giving your advice unless someone actually asks for it. Some people just need to vent. If you are unsure of what is being asked of you, then present the question, “How can I help?”
• Keep an open mind while listening to others. You might think you know the point someone is trying to make, but a good listener does not jump to conclusions. When you allow the speaker to finish their thoughts first, you have a more definitive idea of the information they are sharing. Who knows, you might learn something new.
• Don’t create distractions. The world is distracting enough. Multi-tasking may be advantageous to complete a project, but it is not representative of a good listener. You are not truly listening if you are texting, interrupting or looking for someone you know in a crowded room. If a conversation is going to be substantial, find a place where interruptions will be unlikely.
• One of the most important aspects of listening is taking responsibility for being the receiver of information. When you are not clear on what is being said, or the intent of the speaker, it is your responsibility to clarify by asking questions. Every question is worthwhile if it allows a valuable communication to be shared.

Concentrate on trying each of these tips for a day. Learn what type of listener you are and where you can improve.

Guest Writer – Julie Ann Sullivan

Julie Ann Sullivan has been engaging audiences for more than 20 years. Through her workshops, she inspires participants with a passion to create a life with more joy and less stress. Julie Ann’s unique style and humor will enrich any workplace; leading to increased efficiency and productivity. Her audiences include educators, students, non-profits, and executives and business people from across the United States and Canada. With great energy, enthusiasm, and insight, Julie Ann empowers her audience to make smart choices and live extraordinary lives. Books: Life Lessons, Pocketful of Inspiration, Shape Up for Success

We are so taken with teams that are successful.  In sports it is shown often as fans will support their teams til the end.  Even when the team doesn’t always win there will be cheering and support, watching of games, following athletes, and buying of all kinds of sport gear with the loved team’s name on it.  It’s great that people get so passionate about their teams.

So what happens when we swtitch that to business teams?  Is this really so different?  Any group of people that have come together to go after the same understood goal is a team.  Well almost.  The key is that the goal is understood by all, that there is a commitment from each team member, along with direction and support from a leader.

But how amazing would it be if people loved to go to work because they had ideas used, they were praised, they were noticed, and the job they did was cared about.  Having value would translate to the way the customer was handled immediately.  I believe people want to work and make a difference.

So just maybe it’s not so different a sports team and a business team.  Fan are appreciated by sports teams and so should the customers be shown appreciation by business.  Players are shown appreciation on sports teams and employees at business should be shown this too.  And the cutomers?  Well that is what it is all about.  I’m sure when they see an amazing team it is something to be remembered.

This article was written by Liz Cosline. To get more great advice from Diva Toolbox Media Diva Liz Cosline, visit her website at: http://songofoneunexpectedlife.com

The tailored shirt is a classic that never goes out of style.  The working wardrobe of many women has changed from the structured suit, to elegant and fluid fabrics.  The Shirtdress has become the new reinvented suit for many women.  If you have a work at home lifestyle, nothing could be better than this must have contemporary piece.  If you have a corporate dress code, this one would work as well by adding a scarf or sophisticated jewelry.

You can change the dynamic of the look by adding a pair of pants, a camisole and a belt and you have an entire ensemble that is dressy, casual and elegant.  Add a slim fit pant, and you have playwear for weekends or travel.  Use the Shirtdress as a jacket.  The goal of any wardrobe is to have “options” beyond just one outfit.  This is a must have for spring and beyond.

Try adding a colorful dimension to your wardrobe by adding dramatic prints or polka dots to the mix through your handbag statement or shoes.

Being dressed head to toe includes the right undergarments.  This season, the high waist biker short is your friend for the flawless finish for lightweight essentials such as cotton.  Smooth out the thighs, mid section and tummy.  Consider this a short cut to wearing an all in one solution for today’s woman on the go.  Don’t forget to pair with a great fitting bra (a must have!).   Go beyond the norm, and take a new look at a timeless classic.

All images from doncaster.com.

By following two simple but thoughtful steps, your computer files will always be at hand.

Just like with our paper files, we want to able to find, retrieve, and put away electronic documents quickly and easily. Although most computers have pretty effective search functions, that still isn’t as effective as simply knowing where your files are.

Your digital filing system should mirror your paper filing system. Conceptually, putting things away is the same, whether it’s in the physical world of paper or in the virtual world of the computer. It makes sense then to use the same category names and file structures you’ve created for your paper in the computer world. The more you use the same structures and folder styles, the easier it will be to find and put things away in both places.

Ideally you want to use the same category names on your computer as you do for your paper. Start by creating a file structure-categories, folders, subfolders-that is based on your paper filing system. Then, open up a new window in your computer and drag your existing folders and files into the new structure you just created.

Label your files methodically. Paper filing is not exactly the same thing as the computer, however, because your papers don’t each need individual names-but the files on your computer do. That’s why it’s so important to have effective naming strategies for your documents. You want to make sure that you name your documents so that as you open a file full of folders, you don’t have to search through and try to determine which one is the actual document you’re looking for.

Most computers now let you name things with a really long string of characters. So having things in the file name like a description of what the file is about, the version number, the date it was created, who created it-all of those things can generally fit in the file name itself. When those things are in the file name you can very quickly open up a folder full of files and very simply and easily find the one you’re looking for without having to open and close each individual file. This can be a major time saver. If you’ve ever opened up a folder full of documents and you had to open and close every single document to find the one that you’re looking for, you know what a waste of time that is.

Create a naming convention for your documents that you can follow going forward. Use that structure for any files that you create; that way all of your new documents will be organized in a fashion that makes it much easier to actually find them and retrieve them later. When you have time you can go back to your older files and rename those and integrate them into your new filing system.

Guest Writer – Joshua Zerkel

Joshua Zerkel, CPOR is the founder of Custom Living Solutions, a San Francisco-based productivity and organizing consulting firm. Joshua specializes in helping busy entrepreneurs save time, be more productive and make more money by getting organized at home and at work.

For more great productivity and organizing ideas, visit www.CustomLivingSolutions.com and download my complimentary special report “The 7 Must-Have Productivity Systems” – it’s filled with essential tips you won’t want to miss!

Are you barely making ends meet with your business right now?

Or are you in a job that you’re not happy at and wonder if you should start up your own business?

If you’re frustrated or concerned with your own business or tired of doing what you’re doing in your job, why not make a change?

Change isn’t as bad as it sounds.  It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to start a new business or jumpstart the one you’ve got like many people believe.

Thousands of business owners and want-to-be business owners start up every month.  Many go into it not realizing what it really takes.

It’s not as easy to sell yourself, for example, as it is that corporate company you worked at for the last 15 years.

Your own business could suck up every minute of free time you have if you’re not careful and you don’t set it up the right way from the start.  You want to have systems, structure, a clear big picture plan and the right marketing to grow your business into a profitable company that you enjoy working at every day.  Otherwise you become your own worst boss!

Depending on what business you’re in or want to start it can actually be quite affordable.  Think about what you can do for free to get started and market yourself and then what do you need to pay for.

The other thing you need to look at is to decide on a business model that fits the kind of life you want to lead.  Meaning, if you can only work 20 hours a week because you have kids in the household then you don’t want to build a business that depends on you charging for your time at a low rate, hour by hour.  Try to find a business model or two that leverages your time and expertise.

Yes you need to have some level of motivation and determination in order to be successful.  But the biggest thing you need to have on your side is the correct training on HOW to be a business owner.

Getting the entrepreneurial training you need should be your #1 priority but hardly any new small business owner ever thinks about that; this is why most go out of business.  They don’t learn what it takes and what’s involved besides providing your products and services on how to be a successful, profitable business owner.

If you wanted to become a nurse for example, you wouldn’t just walk into a hospital and start poking people with needles, would you?  No, you’d go to nursing school.  And same goes for if you wanted to become an attorney, you wouldn’t just go see if you could try a case in court; you’d go to law school.

So, why is it that hundreds of thousands of people think they can just print up business cards, slap up a website and call themselves an entrepreneur? They think they’ve got the recipe to become successful but many have no idea what they’re doing.

There are so many business models that can be entered into with little to no start up funds – some online, some offline – the opportunities are endless if you have the desire and drive to control your own destiny, the right advice, training and resources and a flexible schedule!

Want help figuring out what you can do to tweak and monetize more the business you have or want to start?

Here are 10 questions to ask yourself:

1. Which business models are right for me and what else is possible?
2. How do I monetize what I’m already doing more?
3. How do I get paid for what I really want to do, my passions?
4. Where can I find customers who will pay what I’m worth?
5. What systems and structures do I need to be more efficient in my business?
6. What can I outsource and take off my plate so I have more time for making sales?
7. What types of passive-income business models and ideas can easily and quickly be added to what I’m already doing?
8. How confident am I to step up and into my higher purpose?
9. How motivated am I to take the leaps of faith I need to take?
10. Where can I get help to figure out my big picture plan, systems, structures and marketing I need to jumpstart my business?

I would like to invite you to do more than just make a decision to make these changes but take it to the next level and really design the type of business that you want making the kind of money you want to make.

Are you one of the thousands of people who have resolved to find love in 2012?

It sounds like a great idea, but how do you actually go about finding love? Is it even possible?

My short answer is no. It’s not possible to “find” love. It is possible to find a potentially great partner and create a loving relationship. Here’s what I would recommend.

1. Start on the inside and love yourself more. All of your romantic partners are a mirror to show you how you feel about yourself. Think about it: what kinds of things did former lovers say to you? Those are the themes in which you are unloving of yourself. Try for a kinder, gentler you this year, starting with yourself.
2. Make a list of what you want in a partner. Not just physical attributes (who doesn’t want to date Robert Pattinson or Bradley Cooper?) but also personality traits and attitude toward life. Keep it positive and don’t dwell on the things you don’t want or you risk attracting more of that into your life.
3. Ask a few trusted friends to honestly tell you how you act when you’re in a relationship. Are you a stage 4 clinger? Are you a relentless nag? Be ready to hear the truth, and thank them for speaking it. Then try to figure out why you would act like that. What unmet needs are getting poked when you’re in a relationship?
4. Get out and circulate. You won’t get a date if you’re sitting home watching TV. Go out with other single friends, or go to public events that interest you. One caveat: don’t go to events that you’re not interested in. I know this sounds obvious, but don’t get caught up in going to places where you think eligible strangers might be, unless you’re genuinely interested in the event.
5. Ask for help. Ask your friends, married and single, to introduce you to interesting people. Here’s the trick: don’t ask them to set you up on a date with said interesting person. Instead, go in with no expectations. Meet somewhere non-threatening, like the local coffee shop. You might find a boyfriend, but you are just as likely to find a friend who has a friend who knows this guy… I think you know what I mean.
6. Don’t be afraid to go on-line. I know, everyone has heard horror stories of jerks who lied in their profile and were total dogs. But some of my friends have met wonderful men through on-line dating services. Be honest in your own profile (but don’t feel the need to air your dirty laundry) and take it slow.
7. Be open to love. That sounds obvious, but I’ve worked with tons of people who said they wanted to be in a relationship when they really didn’t. They were really just terrified of being alone, and that is a terrible reason to be in a relationship. If you’re not comfortable in your own skin, happy with where you are in life, and at least reasonably in love with yourself, do the inner work before you subject some innocent by-stander to your baggage. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but I’m honestly just trying to save you some heartache (see #1).

This article was written by Johanna Lyman.  To get more great advice from Diva Toolbox Media Diva Johanna Lyman, visit her website at: http://www.romancerecovery.com

You can look younger if you avoid these 3 things.

1. Sun
2. Smoking
3. Drinking

Hey, I can’t tell you how much you can drink or smoke. Do whatever you’d like in that regard. Just know that the more you consume, the older you look at a faster rate than those who don’t. And if you don’t smoke or drink, congratulations you are already well on your way to staying youthful looking – long term.

But one thing EVERYONE has to deal with at one point or another is the sun. You may live in an area where it’s sunny year round. Or maybe you are 2 feet under snow right now. Whatever your situation, you are most likely outside sometime in the day. So what can you do to ensure the sunshine isn’t stealing your youth?

SUNSHINE

Unfortunately it’s true, a gorgeous fun day at the beach drinking margaritas with all your girlfriends is going to age you. But guess what? It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing or sunny outside your window right now. You can use these tips year round. Fair skin or dark skin or anything in between, here are the things you can do to look young for as long as possible every time you are outside!

HAIR:
Protect your hair
Your hair can get damaged by the sun in the same way as when you tan. You can help to protect it by using a mousse or gel that has a built in sunscreen. This will provide the protection that your beautiful locks need to stay healthy.
Protect your scalp
Have you ever burned your scalp from being in the sun too long? It’s not pretty. To help avoid sun exposure to your head, I recommend wearing a fabulous, enormous hat, the bigger the better. That’s right, when it comes to hats, the bigger the better.

SKIN:
Protect your skin
Naturally you want to protect your skin with the use of sun screen. Personally, I like to choose something that has an SPF of 50 or higher. Sometimes I even like to use a 70 or 100. It definitely protects your skin from the sun and you certainly don’t want to forget to apply it to your face. It’s really important to apply sunscreen, especially to your face, every single day no matter where you are. If you do this you will ward off the botox needles for much longer than your friends who don’t use sun screen. And remember your skin EVERYWHERE the sun kisses (even in the cold winter months – if your neck or tops of your hands are bare, they will look older faster if you are not putting sun screen on them).
Protect your eyes
Finally, you want to protect your eyes. You’ll want to keep your gorgeous eyes looking fabulous with a big pair of what I call movie star sunglasses, and they don’t have to be expensive at all.
Protect your lips
You also want to protect your lips, so be sure to get some kind of Chapstick or a gloss that has a built-in sunscreen to keep your lips nice and kissable, year round.

Now, that sounds just like exactly what you need to get your business fired up and moving along! But then reality creeps in.

There’s the pressure of creating a fresh, interesting and new idea. You can’t just reach into a magic hat and pull that perfect idea out. Sitting and waiting around for that genius to strike doesn’t seem action-oriented enough for you. You’re ready to get started on what’s next… but you need the idea to begin with, plus the insurance and assurance that it’s a good one.

Then there’s the danger of introducing fresh ideas into your brand. You’ve worked long and hard to build your brand and nurture your fans and clients. So, naturally, you’re worried that you’ll come up with an idea that’s fresh, exciting, new and different, pour your heart and soul into developing it, and do all the incredible work behind getting that idea out into the world… and after all of that, your clients and fans won’t like it.

That they might freak out. What if they don’t like the idea you worked so hard on? Wouldn’t it be terrible if clients who were going to hire you decide, based on your new idea, not to?

Or, worse yet, that your chatty, happy and engaged clients and fans clam up, withdraw and become uninterested and disengaged. Clearly the opposite of what you’re looking for, and a sure sign that you’re on the wrong track.

Why are new ideas so tricky?

Introducing new ideas takes a special mix of ingenuity, bravery and finesse.

Here’s how they work together:

The ingenuity to generate an idea – OK, this is more like “a bunch of new ideas”. so you can have the freedom to create a bucket full of many less-fantastic ideas on the way to one fresh, new, interesting idea. And then you need the foresight, common sense and client-understanding to sort out the good from the not-so-good ideas.

The bravery to launch that idea and incorporate it into your brand and marketing. After all, your brand is precious and you’ve worked hard to build it. Launching a new thing can be both exciting and scary – exciting because you’re proud of your new idea and can see the possibility in it, and scary because you’re not quite sure how your clients and contacts will react to it. You can cut down on the scariness by selecting a few of your clients and unveiling the idea early, to see how they feel about it and what questions they have. That way, you can fine-tune your idea with their input, to make it make the most sense and impact possible.

The finesse to introduce the idea to your clients in a way that doesn’t freak them out. This is the part that takes the most discipline. You have to roll out your idea in a way that brings your clients along with you and your excitement over it – instead of making them slam on the brakes. That means keeping them comfortable before, during and after your launch – and letting them know whether this is a whole new direction or if you’re still offering the things they’ve gotten used to.

When you bring ingenuity, bravery and finesse along on your quest for new ideas, you’ll find yourself creating the kind of innovative, interesting and engaging ideas that keep your clients coming back for more.

Guest Writer – Erin Ferree

Erin Ferree is a branding coach, design genius and strategic thinker. She loves connecting the dots between passion and profit, mixing strategy and inspiration and shaking things up. She’s branded over 450 small businesses in the last 10 years. Erin works with entrepreneurs who want to help more people and create an open, honest, inviting brand with integrity – instead of using icky, pushy, sleazy marketing tactics and trickery. Learn more at http://brandstyledesign.com