Our team just received our first Turnstone Buoy and are so excited about it that we have to share the news! This seat is great for the people that don’t like sitting still for too long or tend to distract themselves easily. This seat will make your office tasks more enjoyable as you spin and wobble on the Buoy.

Some of the reasons we love the buoy:

• Height Adjustment - Using a lever you can easily adjust the seat to the height that fits you.
• Mobility - The buoy is light enough to move it around with you and has a handle to carry it.
• Customizable - You can make the buoy your own by choosing the color of the cap, main body, and base. We decided on a teal, white and brown buoy to match our company colors!
• Saves Space - This seat takes up less space and doesn’t roll around like an exercise ball does. It also looks better in an office than an exercise ball.

Think the Buoy is something you’d enjoy in your office? Check out their website and order one today! 

Have you ever felt a sense of accomplishment after responding to all your emails, only to be brought down minutes later by the tasks that are left unchecked on your to-do list for that day? According to Mashable, a 2012 study found that “11.2 hours is the average time spent reading and answering emails each week.  That’s 28% of a 40-hour workweek.” That is a lot of time in your day!

To avoid feeling a false sense of productivity, take a moment to evaluate if the emails you’re processing are actually helping you complete tasks or if they are just creating more work. Perhaps there is another communication channel (instant message, phone, in person, etc.) that would be more efficient or effective?

Need additional help with your productivity? Check out how our Individual Productivity Consulting could help you!

When you are your own boss, there isn’t always someone pressuring you to complete that tedious report or telling you to hurry up with that daunting project. While this can be refreshing for some people, it can also lead to procrastination or added stress because you are fully responsible for your own work load. Here are a few tips we have come up with to help you stay motivated and productive when you’re self-employed:

Establish a routine

Get up and get dressed as if you were going to the office. Make this a habit so you are mentally prepared every morning to work.

Take breaks

Have lunch, get up and walk around the block, etc. Reinvigorate yourself so you are able to maintain your productivity instead of sitting in your space all day long.

Create a work environment

Designate a specific room or desk as your “office” or consider joining a coworking space. Read our past blog posts, “5 Tips to Organize Your Cubicle or Small Desk” and “10 Organizing Tips for a Small Home Office” for additional tips and tricks for creating an effective home office space.

Batch tasks

If you’re self-employed, you’re likely wearing a lot of different hats and therefore doing a variety of tasks. Set aside recurring blocks of time to work on accounting tasks, marketing tasks, or anything else that is needed to maintain your business. The idea is that you want to spend as little time as possible transitioning between tasks because that ultimately wastes time.

Outsource when necessary

Consider outsourcing some tasks to a bookkeeper, human resources professional, virtual assistant, web developer, etc. Identify what you’re wasting time on or dislike doing so you can concentrate on growing your business.

Performance review

Make goals for yourself and evaluate if you’ve achieved them or not. You may want to consider having a standing meeting every 6 months with a fellow entrepreneur to help hold you accountable.

Need additional help staying productive while you’re self-employed? We offer individual productivity consulting!

When a client signs a contract with you, the process of faxing or scanning documents is tedious and makes the negotiation process longer and more stressful for everyone involved. Fortunately, EchoSign has changed the way in which people can do business. EchoSign allows users to send, sign, track, manage and access documents digitally.

Here’s why we love this app:

• It works on your iPad and iPhone. However, the iPad is probably a little more user friendly if you want to use it with your clients
• It connects with Dropbox so you can upload an agreement directly from your Dropbox account
• It’s capable of in-person signing when you’re on-site with clients OR you can send a document to get signed via email
• You can easily access the status of documents that are out waiting for signatures

E-signing your documents through EchoSign is a great way to save time and paper. You also won’t have to worry about you or your client losing any service agreements or other important documents.

Want more app recommendations? Download our Free Essential Productivity Apps Checklist!