Procrastination – How to stop putting things off and improve your company's bottom line!

Have you ever found yourself tackling truly unpleasant tasks simply to avoid doing something else? Cleaning out your desk drawer, for instance, when you know you should be working on the report that's due tomorrow? We all procrastinate – some of us more than others – and we all need strategies to help us stop putting things off and get to work. Finding ways to reduce procrastination throughout your company will have a direct, beneficial impact on both productivity and profitability.

Did you know that researchers have found there are different types of procrastinators? They refer to some of us as 'relaxed procrastinators' and others as 'tense or hesitant'.

• A relaxed procrastinator just wants to have fun. They strive to avoid as much stress as possible and avoid any extra or more demanding work if it might conflict with play time. If you find yourself easily frustrated or bored by complex tasks, or if your boss frequently asks you to redo tasks because he or she feels you haven't done them justice, you may be one of these fun-loving, work-avoiding procrastinators.
  
  
• Tense-hesitant procrastinators are often conflicted. They may not want to complete tasks in case their workload increases. They may be reluctant to put themselves to the test by doing their best on a project for fear that their best may not be good enough. Or they may set themselves such a high standard for success that they find it difficult to declare a project 'finished'. If your desk is piled high with work you never seem to get to, yet you continue to say 'yes' to each job that comes along, you may be using procrastination as a way to get bonus points for effort without the risk that a completed project brings.

This Article has been provided by FunctionFox Systems Inc. For more articles and resources, see www.functionfox.com/articles/.

If you have an article that you would like to share, please contact us Toll-Free at 1.866.369.8463 or email info@functionfox.com.

Cartis Group (pdf)

Accurate time entries + better estimates = higher profits + happier clients.

CARTIS GROUP DISCOVERS THE ADVANTAGES OF TIMEFOX
Cartis Group (www.cartisgroup.com) is a 12-year-old branding-driven advertising and design agency, specializing in high ROI integrated communications. They are headquartered in Austin, Texas, employ 18 people, and claim to have the best clients in the world — some of which have been with them for all of their 12 years.

Cartis Group was using TimeSlips to track their time, but as TimeSlips moved away from the Mac platform, the agency found themselves looking for a web-based solution, because their client base had grown, and more of their employees were working remotely.

"We already knew the benefits of a time-tracking software so our problems were with our current provider," says Shannon Carter. "TimeFox solved all the problems we were having with TimeSlips, and my employees much prefer TimeFox. I had some skepticism about using an ASP model, but now I'm convinced we save money by not having to administer an application in-house."

Maintaining TimeFox has been easy, too, says Carter. "We spend much less on maintenance than we did with TimeSlips. We've made TimeFox part of our job-opening procedure, so it's quite simple."

Cartis has managed to improve productivity, and increase profits simply by changing their time-tracking system. Now they can put their energy where it counts – into strategic planning and creative execution. More...

If you would like your company to be featured in a TimeFox newsletter, on our web site or in our promotional package, please send your request to corina@functionfox.com.

For more articles and resources, see www.functionfox.com/articles/.

In last month's FoxPoll we asked our newsletter readers whether they intend to raise prices for their services over the next year. 78% of the respondents plan to increase their prices, 17% will leave them as they are, and 5% are undecided.

There are several reasons that companies plan price increases. They may need to recoup costs incurred because of inflation or increases in the cost of goods. They may use pricing as a way to fine-tune their client list, eliminating clients that don't see the value in their work. They may have additional expertise to offer. Or they may simply be keeping up with their competitors.

The New Year is a good time to re-evaluate pricing, staffing, policies and procedures. If you haven't had a look at your prices - and the prices of your competitors - lately, do it now, don't wait till the year is half over.

Raising prices may not be the right move for your company to make, although the fact that 78% of respondents plan such increases indicates that for those companies, at least, it makes a lot of sense.

Take your time, evaluate the market and don't make a move to higher prices without understanding how it will affect relationships with your existing customers.

Two Day Seminar with David C. Baker and Dick Truitt in Nashville, TN
Serving Clients Well - Everything You Need to Know About the Account Service Role

Thursday/Friday, November 4/5, 8:30am to 4:30pm

This two-day session has been developed especially for design, advertising, and public relations firms, and it will cover everything about the account service role. Anyone who deals with clients is a perfect candidate for this seminar. The sessions are a mix of anecdote, presentation, hands-on exploration, exercises, and roundtables. You'll learn what your role should be, how to perform that role flawlessly, how to adjust for your own strengths/weaknesses as you deal with clients, and how to make the most of the client assets at your disposal.

Presenters:
David C. Baker, principal of ReCourses and editor of "Persuading"
Dick Truitt, of Truitt & Kirkpatrick in New York

Details available at http://www.recourses.com/pdfs/SEMCLNT.PDF
Phone: 1.888.476.5884
Email: info@recourses.com

If you refer someone to FunctionFox, and they purchase a TimeFox subscription, we'll give you a month's subscription to TimeFox FREE! Refer two new customers; you'll get two months free. If you refer 12 new customers, you'll get a whole year's subscription FREE!

Don't miss this chance to pass the word and realize considerable savings!

Here's how: Ask the person you refer to enter your name/company under 'Referral (Client or Friend)' when they sign up for a free demo at www.functionfox.com/demo or tell a friend at www.functionfox.com/referral_program.

FoxPoll

Is the ratio between billable and non-billable hours in your firm closest to:

• 25/75

• 50/50

• 75/25

• I'm not sure

Click on your answer to participate in the FoxPoll or do so at: www.functionfox.com