Products – CoCard

Mar 20 2018

4 Productivity Hacks to Accomplish More In Your Day

Advice, Blog, Business, business owners, Careers, Industry, Lifestyle, New Product, small business

fiveeightfx-00_00_47_45-still001 There’s nothing worse than being busy and getting nothing done. If you ever find yourself in this predicament—actively standing still—we’d like to share four hacks to make your days more productive.

Make a priority list. Maybe you have a To Do List already, which is great. We applaud you for taking the time to plot out everything you need to do. Yet, we’d like to introduce you to listing only priorities—that which you must complete. A priority list will focus your energy on the most important tasks, while a To Do List has the potential to deflate self-esteem if you don’t check off every item. How good will you feel to know you’ve checked off your most important tasks for the day, even if a few items still remain on the list?

Start with the smallest task, or toughest task first. Like an alarm clock whose ring slowly increases in sound to wake you from your (plus or minus) 6am slumber, so too is the smallest item on your To Do, or as we would suggest, Priority List. Start small, and work your way up to most difficult task. Or skip dipping your toes, and dive into the most difficult item on the list, tackling it headfirst. Everybody loves the start of a productive day.

Check email at certain times. Maybe you want to check your email at 7am, noon, and 4:30pm, or at 9am and 4pm. Scheduling a time to check email keeps you from randomly checking email, just to see who emailed you, or if you received that all-important message. Exceptions, of course, will be time-sensitive messages. Checking and answering emails are a part of the work day, too, but scheduling them for certain times in the day allows you to focus without this sometimes distraction.

Turn off phone notifications. Did someone message you on LinkedIn? Or like a tweet? As exciting as being liked can be, constant notifications can interrupt your day. So try turning them off to, at the very least, avoid distraction from sound. Also, try checking your phone only once per hour or every other hour.

These tips will help you to get more done during the day. And you don’t have to try all four. Just try one, and see how it changes the course of your day. For more productivity hacks, see this article here from Inc. Magazine.

Back to School

Admin

Advice, Lifestyle

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The fall is fast approaching, and that means several things; everyone’s favorite sports are back, the weather becomes more bearable, and students are returning to school. As the semester begins, merchants may see a marked change in their merchants’ business sales; retail merchants may see a slight spike in back to school product purchases, while late night restaurants and college hangouts may notice a subtle decrease in revenue. Regardless of the market, the annual change of pace that comes with the fall semester can still be used to a merchant’s benefit. Here’s a few tips to tackle the return of school correctly:

Take advantage of the opportunities presented with college students returning to class; sign your business up for display at a few job fairs to scout local talent, and potentially find a hidden gem. With so many bright young minds currently attending college, there’s no limit to the potential at your fingertips.

As a business owner, consider whether or not taking a few courses in the fall could benefit you. Are you seeking another degree? Or are you simply just interested in learning more about economics or marketing strategy? It’s not too late to register for a few courses, and you just might learn a bit more than you expect. As you get more educated in the classroom, take some time to learn a bit more about CoCard as well. As a cutting-edge merchant services provider, many of CoCard’s current marketing strategies align directly with the same materials covered in college classrooms. CoCard even has an education center, just for merchants like you!

Stay on top of your kids! With all of the changes that come with the fall semester, it can be easy to lose track of your own child’s schoolwork and activities. Stay in tune with their daily schedules, and be sure to keep track of their grades from beginning to end. Managing a business and a family is never an easy task, but making small strides each day significantly reduces the difficulty.

Welcome the new school year with open arms, and have a plan for the coming months. Although school can be a difficult thing to handle at times, don’t forget to stay positive and look for the potential benefits involved with it. Take some time to get a little more educated with CoCard’s education center, and think about whether or not it’s time for you to make a change. If you have any questions or concerns about how CoCard can assist you in the coming months, call us today!