Getting the most out of any networking event is about more than just handing out and collecting cards. Some people seem to think the success of an event can be measured by the number of business cards they take away. The truth is it’s better to make real connections with fewer people, rather than to pride yourself on a collection of cards that you may never use. These simple steps will help you to use your business cards effectively and to know what to do next with the cards that you collect at a networking event.

There’s one simple secret to effective meetings: set an agenda and stick to it. The agenda drives the content and outcomes of the meeting and, where appropriate, should reflect the needs of all attendees so everyone has a buy-in and an interest in the outcomes. Follow these simple steps for planning and running meetings and you’ll be amazed at what you can achieve. And, just in case not everyone in your organisation is following these steps to great meetings, I’ve included some key questions you should ask before you accept any meeting invitation…yes, you do have an option and you can say no if joining in the meeting is not the most effective use of your time.

Too often we think we are Supermen or women – able to do everything ourselves. We say things like “it would be quicker to do it myself” or “no one else would do it as well as I do” and we convince ourselves that we are irreplaceable. Working to become an indispensable asset to your home based business is an excellent goal; knowing where to focus your efforts, and when to share the load is even more important. Failure to delegate appropriately reduces your productivity and prevents you from achieving your goals. Choose to become more productive by teaching others and helping to build their skill sets. You’ll give others the satisfaction of learning something new, reward them with more responsibility, free up your own head space to focus on other important things and empower everyone to achieve more. Work on learning these new ways of being and choose to improve everyone’s productivity by delegating.

Networking is as much an attitude and a way of thinking as it is a skill. It is something that many people do naturally while others can find it quite daunting; but it can be learnt. When you acquire the mindset and master the skill of networking you will boost your personal productivity.

Time is one of our most precious assets when we work in a home office. If we don’t invest our time wisely we can easily get to the end of the day and wonder where the day went! Try some of these tips to help make your time work for you in your home based business.

For some of us, working from home might mean our own office or it might mean the kitchen table. Regardless of where you work it is important to consider several desktop strategies to make your day more productive.