Gadget Blog

You might have heard of SAP software. It’s a software system deployed by the majority of medium sized and large enterprises all over the world. The purpose of the package is to connect the entire enterprise together and enable hundreds and often thousands of employees to store, share and view knowledge about the physical and financial processes of the enterprise. Significant businesses are lead by smart individuals who comprehend the strategic benefits of this type of software, such as how it can give them an appreciation of why difficulties are occurring inside their organisation or where there might be opportunity for improvements.

This category of package is commonly known as ERP. It is very sophisticated, very costly and can take months and often years to deploy. An installation of ERP software is a major capital expenditure but this doesn’t stop major companies purchasing these applications.

Until this year software like this was not feasible or financially viable for tiny companies. As a result tiny firms have not been aware of the significant benefits that ERP systems can deliver. Tiny companies have been hoodwinked by predatory software such as Sage Software and Intuit that small business accounting software is what they need. These packages most often have no features to enable their users to join together the whole organisation or undertake basic tasks such as customer relationship management.

The success of Web based CRM software from enterprises like Salesforce.com is a good example of the small business accounting software organisations misleading or misunderstanding the small business community.

It is for this reason that small business ERP organisations similar to Salesorder.com have started to make great progress in the market. They deliver on demand software containing all of the major functionality a small firm requires at an affordable price. What is even more compelling is these packages are easy to use and can be delpoyed quickly.

Today ERP applications are no longer the privilege of large vendors.

Self discipline more….

Before I present to you my portfolio of great Internet tools that almost certainly assist you to operate remotely, I wanted to discuss one more point related to self discipline and especially to do with maintaining your focus and powers of concentration

I’ve spotted and verified a common behavior in friends who work online and I’ve been in contact with for a substantial period and I call this behavior the fifty minute rule. I identified these members of both sexes who focus and work for fifty minutes and then always take a whole ten mins. rest and are much more productive and produce a substantially greater quality of work than friends who don’t have similar working methods.

OK as promised for your consideration is my list of preferred remote working online services:

Electronic Mail

Google Mail won’t cost you a penny. In my experience the search & label (a bit like folders) functions are superior to anything I have previously seen. Googlemail can be a little slow on aging PC’s

Phone calls

Skype occasionally drove me to despair as the connection performance was unacceptable, but three cheers for the developers at Skype now as they have really improved the quality of the service. For few dollars a quarter ! am able to call and conference in any telephone and Skype user on Earth. The current edition of Skype has a collection of very practical functions and there constantly expanding collection of practical add on applications.

Organising Content

Evernote has acquired over a million users in a very short space of time – it lets you to store, organise and annotate any type of digital media in the Cloud. Just go check it out…it’s free.

Invoicing, Time and Expenses capture, Accounting and CRM

You surely know that my burning desire to work remotely was originally inspired by Quickbooks Online, a small business accounting software web application. But it simply doesn’t even come close to the free edition of salesorder.com – a lead to cash system that’s as easy to use as a toaster I looked at NetSuite whose pricing (and people) scared me off. My choice here is salesorder.com – Go check it out.

The key reason workers fail to adjust to working remotely is they don’t recognise the essential requirement of high-quality organisation and rigid self discipline.

I have been toiling remotely for over seven years since I first found Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software web application and was motivated by the fact that if you can perform accounting on the net then why shouldn’t it be possible to perform other key types of of work at a distance?

Whilst working remotely has a lot of positives there are numerous mistakes that people make which convert into issues that result in lower work output and reduced morale. The key reason for decreases in work output from remote employees is interruption and it is a proven and well publicised fact that it can take a worker up to twenty minutes to establish their original output level after experiencing a disturbance.

Studies also show that men and women who are regularly experience disturbances are more likely to be susceptible to decreased memory ability and are prone to developing mental health trouble in later life. We live in an over communicated era and it is essential that you are acquainted with the problems this causes before you commence working remotely. Whilst operating remotely you must do everything feasible to eradicate the jeopardy of being disturbed.

Here are things that really do work:

1, Get a consistent schedule, make sure that everybody knows it and stick to it!

Good examples are a specific time of day when you review or write and send electronic mail and make or be available for telephone calls. Before I began working remotely I used to get nearly two hundred e-mails a day. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get over 5. To ‘restart’ my electronic mail experience I changed my e-mail address and tenaciously took precautions to shield the details being made known to anyone. I then educated every individual who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it wisely and sparingly. I also set up an automatic reply that swiftly told anyone sending me mail my routine for processing mail and if an e-mail required my urgent attention to mark it as ‘Urgent’.

2. Get rid of alerts.

Turn off absolutely everything that can send you a perceptible alert. This includes mobile and
conventional phones and forms of alerts from e-mail such as visual alerts, warning sounds, screen changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your office and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.

In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – The basic implements’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.

Obviously not everyone can work remotely as some vocations require people to go to their place of work or travel to undertake their duties in person. But for those of us who are able to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share my experiences and give some practical directions by distributing it on the web in the hope that I could give others helpful timesavers for adapting to remote working or supervising remote workers.

I can tell you that there are a substantial number of so called ’experts’ on the net who will try and persuade you to purchase courses for big sums of cash, trust me you don’t have to do this.

I am blessed to be allowed to work anywhere I choose and just about everybody who asks me what work I do wants to get an idea of how I am able to work remotely. Don’t misinterpret me I am still perfecting the art of remote working as all of the time I discover people on the web who tell me about new methods and I am constantly uncovering new systems and approaches that make my life simpler and improve my productivity.

During the past 7 years I have slowly but surely adapted my working processes to enable me to do most of my work remotely with a collection of internet tools and rigid self management. One afternoon whilst searching the web I unearthed Quickbooks online and this made me aware of what just might be possible. My encounter with web based ‘on demand’ small business accounting software was a significant event for me and the launch pad of my ‘remote working career.

I should inform you up front that productively working remotely is as much about the tools as it is about self discipline. Working remotely also means teaching your colleagues, supervisors and customers as to what they can expect and how they will maintain contact with you.

In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Why self discipline is important’ I show you how to focus.

Obviously not everyone is able to work remotely as there are some types of work that require employees to be at their employers premises or travel to undertake their work face to face. But for those of us are allowed to work remotely then I thought it would be useful to share what I have learned and present some practical guidance by putting it on the web with the sole objective of providing useful ways for adapting to remote working or supervising remote workers.

I must tell you you that there are a lot of people out there who will try and get you to buy e-books for vast sums of money, believe me you don’t have to do this.

I am lucky enough to be permitted to work in whatever location I choose and just about everybody who asks me what I do for a living wants to know how I manage to work remotely. Don’t be fooled here I am still learning about the art of remote working as all of the time I find tribes on the Internet who tell me about new approaches and I am repeatedly uncovering new technologies and methods that make my life easier and improve my productivity.

Throughout the past seven years I have substantially adapted my working practices to allow me to do most of my work remotely with a portfolio of web tools and unfaltering self management. One afternoon whilst browsing the Internet I unearthed Quickbooks online and this made me think about what just might be possible. The discovery of ’hosted’ ‘on demand’ small business accounting software was a pivotal moment for me and the launch pad of my ‘remote working life.

I have to state up front that effectively working remotely is as much about the software as it is about self discipline. Working remotely also means getting across to your co-workers, supervisors and customers as to what they can expect and how they will communicate with you.

In ‘Remote Working Part 2 – Self discipline essentials’ I show you how to focus.