It’s 2012 and with the season of New Year’s Resolutions upon us, it’s time to kick things into high gear and crank out every last bit of productivity that you can!

To help make this the most productive year of your life, check out the following rules to help you get more done each day:

1. Identify your peak productivity time – We all have times during the day when we’re naturally more productive.  Respect these times by focusing on only your highest priority items during these times.

2. Clean up your work space – A cluttered work space leads to a cluttered mind.  To get the most out of your time, lessen distractions by cleaning and uncluttering your work space.

3. Develop a “to do” system that works for you – In order to be productive and efficient, you’ve got to have a system in place for tracking incoming and existing “to do” items.  David Allen’s “Getting Things Done (GTD)” method works for lots of people, though it’s more important that you develop a system that works for you.

4. Batch process your tasks – Complete similar items at the same time to avoid the time that’s lost switching between unlike tasks.

5. Break up big tasks into small ones – The thought of launching a new project can be overwhelming, but taking a single step towards completing it can be much more manageable.

6. Set rewards for milestones – If you’re tackling a major project, reward yourself along the way by setting up small treats to celebrate each milestone you achieve toward the project’s completion.

7. Try the Pomodoro technique – “Pomodoros” are 25-minute work sessions that are broken up by short and long breaks.  Use one of the many Pomodoro trackers online to enforce these time limits and see how much you can get done in just 25 minutes!

8. Eliminate digital distractions – Yes, digital tools are important, but there’s no doubt they can be distracting as well.  Try to spend at least an hour each day with all digital devices turned off so that you can focus on the task at hand.

9. Change your scenery – Experiment with being productive in different locations, like the library, coffee shops or anywhere else with free wifi.  You may find that different atmospheres allow you to focus differently than the one you’re used to.

10. Identify top priority tasks – At the end of the day or first thing in the morning, identify the 2-3 tasks that must be done the next day and then do them first.

11. Place a bet – If you’re staring down a big goal and afraid you won’t be able to make it, place a bet on the StickK website, which lets you bet money on your project’s completion.  For an extra kick in the pants, set up the bet so that your cash will go to an organization you dislike if you fail to complete your goal.

12. Delegate more – Not every task involved in running your business needs to be done exclusively by you.  Delegate less important tasks to others in order to free up time to work on your high priority items.

13. Tackle unpleasant tasks first – Leaving items that you know you’ll hate on your “to do” list until last can make you procrastinate on every other task you have to complete as well.  Get the worst tasks out of the way first and the relief you feel will make the rest of your tasks seem easier by comparison.

14. Blast through quick items – Conversely, if your task list is full of small, easy-to-finish items, knock several of them out before moving on to your bigger projects.  The sense of accomplishment you feel at having checked off several items already will help you to power through larger items.

15. Take a break – When you’re mentally fried, take a quick walk or a cat nap to recharge your batteries and return to greater productivity later on.

16. Capture thoughts as they occur – If you have a brilliant idea while you’re working, take the time to jot it down via pen and paper, PDA or smartphone to flesh out later.  Leaving the idea to kick around your brain will only disrupt your current productivity.

17. Take a single step – If you’re having trouble getting started with your “to do” list, commit to completing one item and one item only.  Often times, the simple act of getting started will motivate you to do even more.

18. Stay on top of your inbox – Although it’s wise to only check your inbox a few times a day to manage distractions, get into the habit of making a decision about how to handle each email message you receive as soon as you open it.  Taking action right away – whether that means following up, filing the message or delegating necessary actions to someone else – will help prevent your inbox from becoming a productivity-killing time suck.

19. Make health a priority – If you’re short on sleep or running on a combination of coffee and sugar, you simply won’t be as productive as you could be.  Taking the time to eat right, exercise and get enough sleep will increase your ability to focus and prevent the illnesses that take away from your productivity.

20. Enforce agendas – When working with others, ensure that all meetings and projects have carefully crafted agendas that can be enforced to maintain productivity within the group.

21. Visualize your desired outcome – Taking a second to visualize the feeling of completing a task or project can help you feel more motivated to get to down to business.

22. Find accountability partners – By teaming up with a few friends or colleagues to discuss your major business goals and projects, you can support each other and provide an extra kick in the pants when a partner’s productivity is lagging.

23. Don’t overthink things – Stop getting caught up in whether or not your work is “good enough”.  Get something down on paper and revise as you go along.

24. Set deadlines – Set a specific, reasonable date for completing every task on your “to do” list and hold yourself to these deadlines.

25. Work on multiple projects – Focusing on a single project too narrowly can lead to burn out.  Mix things up by working on multiple projects in your personal and business life.

26. Fill in the blanks – Identify tasks that only take a few minutes to complete, and then do them while you’re waiting in line at the grocery store, in the dentist’s office and so on.

27. Wake up earlier – Getting up even a half hour earlier adds more productive time to your schedule.

28. Review progress periodically – Every week or so, take time to evaluate what you’ve accomplished and what you need to do next to ensure you’re on track to meeting your goals.

29. Use time tracking apps to eliminate wasted time – Installing browser plugins like RescueTime or LeechBlock can help prevent you from spending too much time looking up cute cat pictures or planning dream vacations on travel websites when you should be getting things done.

30. Look into co-working offices – If you’re self-employed, find a co-working office in your area and spend a few days a week there.  Working amongst other people instead of from your home office will help to keep you on track.

Any other ideas for getting things done and staying productive?  Share them below in the comments!

Image: bark

When it comes right down to it, brilliant ideas don’t matter all that much in terms of business success.  The truth is that anyone can have a great idea – heck, your Great Uncle Carl probably has a few inventions stashed away in his attic that could make millions if he ever had the gumption to follow through on the development process.

Instead, it’s the people who have a system in place to transform these grandiose visions into reality that succeed in the long run.  No matter where you are in your entrepreneurial journey, implementing the following five steps into your business will have a measurable impact in the success you’re able to achieve.

Step #1 – You must have a system in place to capture ideas

Great ideas can happen anywhere, but they must be captured before you can take action on them, as ideas left floating around your head are likely to remain there.

Sometimes, these brilliant ideas  happen when you’re working at your desk and have easy access to a pen and piece of paper or your “to do” list management system.  But they can also occur when you’re taking your morning shower, running on the treadmill at the gym or even tucking yourself into bed at night.  If you’re serious about taking your ideas from vision to reality, you need a way to capture them as they happen in any situation.

Mobile devices can simplify this process, through the use of apps like Evernote that allow you to capture notes on your smartphone and view them later on your computer.  An effective alternative, though, is a pencil and notepad stashed at each location around your house, or one set that you carry on your person at all times.

Step #2 – You must have an effective way to filter good ideas from bad ideas

While capturing ideas is important, chances are that not every idea you’ve managed to track will be a winner right off the bat.  So in addition to implementing a system to track every idea that comes your way, you also need a process to filter through the stack of notes you’ve collected and determine which ideas are worth pursuing.

The most effective way to do this is to schedule a regular meeting with yourself – either daily or weekly, depending on your needs and your schedule – to review the notes you’ve collected.  Taking a second look at all of the ideas you’ve collected with a fresh set of eyes should help you to quickly filter the ones that should be followed up on from those that should be chalked up to late night flights of fancy.

Step #3 – You must have a process for transforming ideas into action items

After completing Steps #1 and #2, you should have a shorter list of ideas that have merit and should be implemented.  The next key is to turn these ideas into measurable action items that will see your vision through from concept to completion.

Most professionals approach this process by “reverse engineering” the idea – that is, starting from the completed project and working backwards, listing every action that must be performed along the way to achieve the desired result.  The specific process you use may vary, but the most important thing is that – at the end of this step – you wind up with a trackable list of defined action items that must be completed (either by you or someone else on your team) in order to bring the idea to life.

Step #4 – You must have a way to motivate yourself or others to complete these action items

Once you have your action items in place, the obvious next step is to complete them!  Of course, anyone who’s ever tackled a major project or idea knows that getting down to business and motivating yourself and your team to complete every step you’ve listed is easier said than done.

So if you’re struggling to maintain the motivation necessary to turn your ideas into reality, consider the following productivity tips from Scott Belsky of Behance:

●  “Actions should be kept separate from email.” According to Belsky, burying “to do” items in email inboxes can be distracting, due to the number of communications that must be navigated through in order to find relevant action items.  Instead, manage “to do” items using a separate system.

●  “A degree of voyeurism and transparency keeps us engaged.” Belsky’s team has found that Twitter and other online “activity stream” services are much more useful than standard “progress update meetings”, as they allow people to tune in and tune out to the work that’s being completed as needed.  Consider implementing these tools in your own office.

●  “Darwinian productivity: The “nag” and natural selection.” In Belsky’s opinion, “Nagging should be a formal part of project management.”  Often, the relative importance we assign to action items depends on how badly other people need it to be done, which makes nagging a valuable part of ensuring the most important items are completed first.

Step #5 – You must have a way to evaluate progress and implement course changes as you go

The final step in this process is evaluation.  Despite how ingenious your ideas may seem, chances are that, as you go along, you’re going to hit bumps in the road that require you to deviate from the course of action you laid out in Step #3.  In fact, when you encounter these problems, the worst thing you could do would be to forge ahead, unfazed, with your original plan of action!

Instead, build time into your project completion schedule for regular evaluation to determine if any course corrections should be made based on the results of your initial completed action steps.  Doing so will help prevent you from wasting time on ideas that won’t pan out or that don’t contribute substantially to the future success of your business.

Images: cjsimmons

No matter what you do or what industry you’re in, chances are you could benefit by getting more done in less time.  Even the entrepreneur with the best-managed “to do” list recognizes that getting things done faster means extra time to spend on high priority items or with family and friends, doing the activities you enjoy most.

So if you’re ready for a kick in the pants, check out the following ten tips on how to get things done faster:

1. Implement a solid task management system – No matter what type of system you use, having all of your tasks organized appropriately will help you to move through action items more quickly.  David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” method is the best known of the standard task management systems, but don’t be afraid to come up with your own mish-mash of techniques when finding a system that works for you.

2. Eliminate distractions before they occur – One of the biggest hurdles to getting things done quickly is the number of distractions that occur throughout our work sessions.  To be as productive as possible, try to set aside at least one hour a day where your phone is shut off, your Outlook notifications turned off and you’re free from any personal distractions either at home or at your office.

3. Manage passwords automatically – If you work with multiple clients (or simply manage a number of web-based resources in your work), you know how frustrating it can be to spend time shuffling through your email inbox looking for the login information you need.  Instead, eliminate this hassle and get things done faster with the use of a password management program like LastPass or 1Password.

4. Create effective filing systems – Similarly, without a good file management system in place, it’s possible to waste tons of time looking for the digital and physical files you need to complete the task at hand.  Investing time in setting up your computer-based and physical file systems in a way that makes sense to you can pay off big in the long run.

5. Practice making decisions faster – Sure, some decisions that must be made in your business – like the next product you’ll launch or the next person you’ll hire – require careful thought and planning.  But in most cases, the stakes aren’t high enough to warrant hours spent hashing out different options.  To speed up the decision making process, practice setting a timer for one minute and coming to a conclusion on simple decisions before your time runs out.

6. Limit education to task-specific items only – Yes, it’s important to education yourself and sharpen your skills, but too often, a simple “Google” search for information can turn into several hours spent reading news articles in your industry – at the expense of whatever project you were initially working on.  Instead, build regular time into your schedule for education, and limit all other researching to finding the exact answer to your question – and nothing more.

7. Use browser tools to enhance productivity – The internet is a distracting place, so if you find yourself unable to focus, use browser tools like RescueTime or LeechBlock to police what you see online.  LeechBlock allows you to cut access to specific websites, while RescueTime runs in the background, tracking how much of your time is spent on productive versus unproductive websites.  Review your log every day and try to spend even less time on unproductive sites versus the day before.

8. Delegate or outsource more often – Not every task on your “to do” list must be done by you exclusively – especially if you’re a single entrepreneur trying to manage not just your business but your finances, legal issues and other needs as well.  Evaluate every task on your list and if your specific involvement isn’t required, consider outsourcing or delegating the item to someone else to free up your time for more mission critical projects.

9. Keep deadlines short – It’s widely acknowledged that a task will expand to fill the time you allot to it, so keep deadlines short in order to minimize the amount of time wasted on a given project.  If you still find yourself struggling to meet these self-imposed deadlines, put a little more skin in the game by using a site like StickK to enforce consequences for failing to meet your target cutoff dates.

10. Enlist the support of accountability partners – As a self-employed professional or entrepreneur, staying productive and accomplishing tasks quickly can be challenging.  After all, there’s no boss peering over your shoulder to enforce productivity – the only one you’re hurting by delaying is yourself.  So if you find yourself dragging your feet on tasks that must be finished quickly to meet your goals, recreate this experience by enlisting accountability partners who can help keep you on track with the deadlines you set for yourself.

Of course, these tips are just a starting point.  If you have any other techniques that you use to help get things done faster, share them below in the comments!

Image: Zanthia

As entrepreneurs, we often get so caught up in the rush of productivity that we become beholden to the little flashing red lights on our Blackberries or the Outlook pop-up notifications in our inboxes.  Every email becomes our “number one” priority – bumping other items further and further down the list as we attempt to put out fires and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.

Of course, you know how this story ends.  A day spent trying to stay on top of every email message that arrives or text message that’s received is – too often – a day in which nothing really seems to be accomplished.  These interruptions aren’t just frustrating to deal with.  They could literally be killing your productivity and preventing you from reaching the goals you’ve set for yourself.

According to a fascinating Microsoft study, which recorded office workers over a number of hours, the average cube dweller is interrupted a whopping four times per hour – and in 40% of cases, the interrupted worker never resumes the previous task.

As you might expect, the implications of this finding are huge.  Think of all the missed opportunities, lost productivity and forgotten projects that occur because we’re so concerned with handling each interruption as if it’s the most important thing on our plates.  Chances are you’ve always known that you could get more done if you weren’t subject to constant interruptions, but now’s the time to actually do something about it!

The key to managing interruptions lies in quickly assessing their relative importance and urgency.  Surprisingly enough, as the following matrix from Stephen Covey’s “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” demonstrates, these two terms don’t actually mean the same thing.

Let’s look at each of the categories in this matrix in more detail to understand why that’s not the case…

Category 1 – This “top priority” category contains items that are both important and urgent.  That means that not only are they “important” enough to the overall mission of your organization that they should be pursued, they’re also “urgent” enough that they must be tackled right away in order to prevent harm from befalling your company.

A good example of this would be recreating a lost presentation an hour before a meeting with your company’s largest potential customer.  Not only is the task important in meeting your sales goals and advancing your company’s agenda, it is urgent in the sense that it must be done right away to prevent a negative outcome from occurring.

Category 2 – Category 2 contains items that are important, but not urgent.  As an example, consider the process of training and developing both you and your staff.  While it’s important to build the skill sets of the people on your team, it’s rarely a top priority and can be brushed aside to accommodate items from Category 1 as they appear.

Most long-range planning priorities and personal development tasks fall into this category.  However, it is important to note that Category 2 activities can become Category 1 activities if they aren’t managed properly.

Category 3 – In this category, we find the items that are urgent, but not important.  Be aware, though, that in this sense, “urgent” refers to the fact that the items must be handled in the moment – not that they have any enduring value to your organization.

Typically, this category is made up of unexpected meetings, drop-in visitors and other unanticipated interruptions, which is why it’s important to implement a system for identifying and dealing with these items before they can interfere with your Category 1 and Category 2 priorities.

Category 4 – The final category of our matrix is made up of items that are neither urgent nor important.  Web surfing, reading for pleasure and gossiping around the office water cooler all fit this bill, and while some downtime is important for mental health and relaxation, entrepreneurs must carefully guard their valuable time against infringement by too many of these tasks.

But knowing these categories and how tasks are classified within them isn’t enough.  Heck – we all intuitively know how to lose weight and get fit, and yet too many of us hit up fast food restaurants for dinner and spend our evenings unwinding on the couch.  Instead, what we need is a concrete system for applying these principles to our daily workload.

The best way to do this is to get into the habit of asking yourself two key questions when confronted with a new task, project or interruption:

1. Will my company go out of business (or will I experience some other terrible harm) if I don’t handle this task right away?

2. Does this project contribute in a meaningful way to the success of my organization?

If you answer “yes” to both questions, handle the project right away, as it’s a Category 1 item.  If you answer “yes” to only the first question, you’re dealing with a Category 3 item, which should be avoided or delegated whenever possible.

If your answer to the first question is “no”, but the task ultimately is valuable to your company, make a note to handle the project in the future or place it on a list of all ongoing Category 2 items (from which you can escalate items to Category 1 status as needed).  Obviously, if you answer “no” in both cases, you’ve got a Category 4 task on your hands, which should be avoided until all Category 1 and Category 2 items have been completed.

The beauty of this system is that it can be quickly and easily applied to any area of your life in which frequent interruptions are giving you trouble.  Incoming email messages can be sorted according to this system, as can phone calls and text messages.  Even in-person interruptions can be handled appropriately if you’re willing to take charge of your time and implement the “urgent versus important” matrix to manage ongoing priorities.

Image: KennethMoyle

Whether you’re slogging through the daily grind of running your own business or trying to tackle a major project, there will always be times in your professional life when you just can’t seem to get down to business.  If you find yourself in this situation, don’t panic.  Instead, check out one of the many helpful personal productivity blogs out there for the advice you need to get back on track.

Take a look at any of the following sites if you need an extra boost to tackle your current task list:

43 Folders – 43 Folders is a fun site run by productivity expert Merlin Mann, which features useful tutorials on everything from tackling writers’ block to reaching new levels of performance.  The site can be a little tricky to understand, so be sure to start out on the “How to Use 43 Folders” page.  While you’re there, take a look at the clever “What Sucks?” list to find specific advice on the issues that are giving you the most trouble.

Unclutterer – Although this site doesn’t specifically relate to productivity, it gives you all the advice you need to declutter your home and office spaces – which, for many people, often results in a major improvement in personal productivity.  Owner Erin Dolund’s bio on the site sums up this philosophy nicely when it says, “Experience has taught her that a clean, uncluttered home is an essential component of a less stressful life.”  Give the site a visit if you’re afraid that the stacks of documents on your desk might be distracting you from reaching maximum productivity.

Four Hour Work Week Blog – Author Tim Ferriss is proud to have earned the moniker “World’s best guinea pig” from national news magazine Newsweek, and on his Four Hour Work Week blog, he shows readers how to implement the ninja-like productivity techniques he’s developed to manage his businesses while traveling the world and learning new things.

Of particular interest to entrepreneurs will be the “Protecting Personal Time”, “Outsourcing” and “Automating” categories, which feature interesting articles like “The Holy Grail: How to Outsource the Inbox and Never Check Email Again” and “Scientific Speed Reading: How to Read 300% Faster in 20 Minutes.”

Steve Pavlina’s Personal Development Blog – Pavlina’s blog is titled, “Personal Development for Smart People” and even a quick glance through his site’s archive demonstrates why.  Covering a wide range of topics – from personal productivity to interpersonal relationship skills – Pavlina’s easy-to-read style effectively conveys the information that will help to make you more productive and more fulfilled overall.  To get started, check out his comprehensive, “33 Rules to Boost Your Productivity” post for quick motivation techniques that you can easily implement in your life.

Lifehacker – If you have the sneaking suspicion that you could be getting more out of your life, Lifehacker will show you the tips, tricks and hacks needed to be as productive as possible throughout the day.  The “Productivity” section, in particular, features helpful tutorials and recommendations that will help you to develop optimum focus and maximum productivity.  Start here, with an interesting article on the “Top 10 Ways to Create a More Focused and Productive Work Environment.”

Zen Habits – According to author Leo Babauta, “Zen Habits is about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives.”  And while this mission statement may sound “new-agey,” the concrete advice Babauta provides to help readers become more focused and productive is as real and effective as it gets.  Beginners on the site should start with the “Start Here” page, which features a helpful summary of Babauta’s favorite posts, while more experienced productivity gurus can search the site’s archives or navigate directly to top posts like, “The Half Step that Will Change Your Life.”

GTD Times – David Allen, founder of the “Getting Things Done” task management method has long been regarded as the master of the personal productivity industry.  So, as you might expect, his blog – the GTD Times – is nothing short of revolutionary in terms of the amount and quality of information shared.  Although it’s helpful to have a background understanding of the GTD process when perusing his content, plenty of great, actionable advice can be found on his site, even if you’ve never heard of David Allen or the Getting Things Done method before now.

Lifehack – Not to be confused with the Lifehacker blog listed above, Stepcase’s Lifehack blog contains even more of the same helpful productivity information designed to take your motivation and your business to the next level.  Business owners should navigate directly to the “Productivity” section, where you’ll encounter interesting and informative posts like, “Force Yourself to Be Productive with Conditional Events” and “How to Move a Mountain.”

Of course, it’s worth remembering that, while reading productivity blogs is a valuable way to improve your workstyle and increase your ability to handle complex, difficult projects, all of the helpful information you read won’t do you a bit of good if you never go out and apply it!  Bookmark this list of sites and come back to it whenever you need help getting started, but then close your browser and get to work once you’ve found the information you need.

Image: john schultz

According to Mark Evans, a principal with ME Consulting, working for a startup company is a great way to make a difference in your community by providing needed products or services, while expanding your skill set in a challenging – but fun – environment:

“Working for a startup offers tremendous professional and personal experience and education. Even if you end up working for a large company, you will bring a different perspective and skill set that will continue to be a huge benefit.”

But despite these major perks, there’s a common misperception that exists that only tech geeks or Silicon Valley insiders are able to land the best positions within these young companies.  In fact, the world of startup workers is a lot more varied and diverse than you might expect!

Here’s what you need to know about the people who work for startups and how to best get your foot in the door with the companies that interest you:

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Smartphones are no longer a luxury item afforded only to the wealthiest members of society. Instead, they’re practically a requirement for business owners who travel or need to be productive on the go.

To be sure you’re getting the most out of your mobile environment, check out the following mobile apps:

Evernote (free)

When it comes to on-the-go note taking, there’s simply no alternative better than Evernote, which allows you to record text notes, capture voice messages or take and store pictures to help you remember those brilliant ideas that occur while you’re away from your computer. Best of all, the app offers a desktop version and internet-based browsing, which means that you can access and edit your notes wherever you are and whenever you need to.

TripIt (free for basic app; $69/year for premium features)

If you’re a business professional on the go, TripIt gives you all the tools you need to manage hotel reservations, flight arrangements and other pertinent details in one master travel itinerary. Using the app is as simple as creating a TripIt account and sending your travel plans to the program, though you’ll need to upgrade to the premium program to take advantage of flight alerts and other perks.

Dropbox (free)

Like Evernote, files stored in Dropbox can be accessed and synced from any computer, making it a great solution for mobile professionals who need to manage files from multiple locations. The app is free to install, and the “Basic” version of the program gives you 2GB of storage for free (more space is available through the company’s Premium offerings at affordable monthly subscription rates as well).

iTerminal (free, plus transaction costs)

If you need to collect payments on the go from your smartphone, iTerminal is a “must have”. There are some fees associated with the app, but in exchange, you’ll be able to process credit card charges on the go over Wifi and 3G networks, as well as confirm immediately whether a charge has been approved or declined.

Quickoffice ($9.99)

As far as mobile office suites go, Quickoffice can’t be beat. The premium version of this app gives you the ability to edit both Microsoft Office Suite documents and Google Documents on the road – a functionality that’s missing from many other mobile document management apps, and which will pay for itself after the app allows you to catch and correct a single mistake while on the way to a major client presentation.

Analytics ($5.99)

Although every business manager should be able to access website traffic stats and analytics on the go, Google’s Analytics program doesn’t make mobile integration easy. Instead, look into the third-party Analytics app to manage this information from a mobile environment. Once installed, all you need to do is enter your Google Analytics log in credentials and you’ll have access to all the data you need to make website decisions and recommendations on the fly.

Uber (free)

If you’re in one of the nation’s biggest cities (currently, the app only serves New York City, San Fransico, Chicago, Seattle, Boston and Washington DC), Uber provides an attractive alternative to the frustrating process of hailing a cab. Simply text your location to the service and you’ll be immediately connected with one of the service’s sedan drivers in the area. Payment is handled through the app, making the entire process a relaxing and refreshing process compared to standard taxi services.

Blackberry Travel (free)

Another great travel app to consider is the free Blackberry Travel app, which allows you to book flights, schedule hotel and car reservations and manage other travel needs from within one streamlined app. The app even features automatic integration with emailed travel itineraries – grabbing them and importing them into the app without any effort on your part.

Blackberry Traffic (free)

While you’re out and about, rely on the Blackberry Traffic app to help get you to your destination safely through the use of turn-by-turn directions, alternate route mapping and hands-free integration with your vehicle’s sound system. It’s a great alternative to expensive external GPS systems when you’re out on client calls in new neighborhoods.

LinkedIn (free)

These days, if you aren’t on LinkedIn, you don’t exist in the business world, which makes participation on this social network a must. Use the LinkedIn app in place of exchanging business cards, keeping you more organized and eliminating the chances of losing touch with a valuable new contact after misplacing a physical business card.

Cardmunch (free)

Of course, eliminating physical business cards altogether is a pipe dream, so if you do continue to receive them, use the Cardmunch app to take the effort out of converting business card information to LInkedIn contacts. Using the Cardmunch app, simply take a picture of each card you receive and it will be automatically transcribed into LinkedIn, where you’ll be able to manage your relationship information and see any shared contacts right away.

Dragon Dictation (free)

Capture thoughts and ideas on the go with the Dragon Dictation app. Part of the Dragon Naturally Speaking software suite, Dragon Dictation is by far the most powerful dictation app on the market, although you’ll need to train it to understand you in noisy situations if you plan to use it while traveling. However, once the initial set up is complete, you’ll find that being able to speak and transcribe notes and longer messages will save you loads of time over manually typing content into your smartphone.

Tungle (free)

Any business owner who’s ever struggled through the back-and-forth email nightmare that is trying to find a time to meet with a colleague knows what a difference a collaborative scheduling app like Tungle can make. Use the app to share your availability with anyone, then suggest a few potential meeting times and allow your contact to schedule the meeting himself – saving both of you time and energy when setting up future appointments.

Remember the Milk (free for basic version; $25/year for premium subscription)

When managing your to do list, you need a solution that works wherever you are. Remember the Milk is up to the task, allowing you to track and edit to do items on the go, in any internet browser or from the desktop of your computer. Upgrade to the premium version of the app for automatic syncing of any tasks created from your smartphone.

Last Pass ($12/year)

Using a password management program – like the Last Pass system – is a good idea from both a security and productivity standpoint. Not only will you save time over looking up every password you need to use, filling passwords automatically lets you make use of more complex, secure passwords. You’ll need to upgrade to the premium version of the program to use it on your smartphone, but doing so is a lifesaver that’ll let you call up any password you’ve created automatically while on the go.

Waze Travel (free)

Unlike all the other navigation apps out there – which passively report recommended routes and nothing else – the Waze app takes travel to the next level by combining existing maps with real-time condition reporting from other drivers. This social integration allows Waze users to avoid accidents, speed traps and other hazards as they occur.

Do you have any other app recommendations for the mobile workstyle programs you simply can’t live without? Share them in the comments below!

Although some may argue that there will never be another community that boasts the same entrepreneurial spirit and access to business opportunities as California’s Silicon Valley, there’s a growing recognition in the tech community that these “hot spots” are – in fact – popping up around the world.

According to John D. Sutter, writing for CNN:

“The fact that centers of tech innovation are emerging all over the globe – not just in that mountain-ringed, strip-mall-plagued valley near San Jose, California – is both encouraging and fascinating. Many of these emerging tech hubs are exporting technologies and ideas that could have impact all over the world, not just in their respective regions.”

In this infographic, we examine the world’s up-and-coming tech communities – from Germany to Mexico to Indonesia and more – and compare them on a number of different factors, including entrepreneurial mindset, access to capital and general strengths and weaknesses:

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<a href="http://blog.gist.com/2012/01/10/the-silicon-valleys-of-the-world/"><img src="http://blog.gist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/silicon-valleys-of-the-worldsm.png" alt="Gist Blog" /></a><br />[Via:  <a href="http://blog.gist.com/">Productivity Blog</a>]

Let’s face it – there’s no such thing as a “bored entrepreneur”. When you run your own business, your to-do list is never-ending and your downtime almost non-existent. Balancing these competing demands isn’t for the faint of heart, but you can make things easier to handle by practicing good time management skills.

If you feel like your task list has got the better of you, check out the following tips on how to make the most of the limited time you have for running your business:

Tip #1 – Batch Process Tasks

As an entrepreneur, you wear plenty of different hats – from Chief Financial Officer to Marketing Manager, and even Office Janitor! And while most business owners find this diversity of challenges exhilarating, there’s no doubt that it can be difficult to shift between tasks efficiently. Managing business finances, for example, takes a different mindset than the creative work of marketing, and switching between the two can take time and energy away from getting actual work done.

For this reason, it’s a good idea to “batch process” sets of tasks – that is, to complete groups of similar tasks all at once in order to avoid losing focus when moving between different activities. For example, if you need to conduct background research on several different projects, set aside a block of time for research and leave taking action on your results until you’re able to fully shift out of the research mindset. Working on one type of activity at a time will lead to better results and more productivity in the long run.

Tip #2 – Make Organization a Priority

It should go without saying, but if you aren’t organized, you can’t be productive. If you have multiple clients or multiple projects, searching to find a lost login or missing document can eat away at the time you have available to actually get work done.

This is why smart entrepreneurs make organization a priority. Whether you follow a set system like David Allen’s “Getting Things Done” method or develop your own organizational program, you should – at a minimum – have a way to track incoming items, manage current projects and existing documentation, and schedule regular follow up once each of your projects is completed without losing any important information throughout the process.

Tip #3 – Outsource When Possible

As entrepreneurs, it’s easy to get stuck in the mindset of, “Nobody knows my business like I do.” And while there certainly are some tasks and responsibilities for which you’re uniquely suited, much of the “business” of running a business is consistent across companies – meaning that it can be easily and effectively outsourced to another worker.

The following are a few of the tasks you should consider outsourcing in order to free up time for more meaningful pursuits:

• Accounting and book keeping
• Customer service and support requests
• Market and background research
• Survey implementation and management
• Transcriptions and translations
• Content writing for your products or website

If you haven’t outsourced work before, start by farming out a simple administrative task with a defined deadline. This isn’t the time to take on a full-time virtual assistant or administrative employee – like everything else, outsourcing is a skill that needs to be grown and developed to be effective.

Instead, pick a single task like performing background research or compiling project expenses and outsource it using a service like Guru or eLance. As you become more experienced with outsourcing, you’ll see how helpful this process can be and jump at all the opportunities that exist to hire out projects that don’t require your immediate involvement.

Tip #4 – Set Aside Your Most Productive Time

We all have times when we’re most productive – that is, when we seem to effortlessly enter the “flow states” in which we’re more productive and better able to tackle complex projects. If you’re a morning person, these states likely occur between 6:00am and noon. Or, if you’re a night owl, your most productive times might occur after the sun has gone down at 9:00pm or later.

Whatever the case may be for you, take the time to identify your most productive times and block them off for focused work on your top projects. Don’t waste these precious hours on administrative work or other mindless tasks (which you should consider outsourcing anyways, per Tip #3). Instead, use these peak performance times to work on mission-critical projects or the tasks that require as much of your focus as possible.

Tip #5 – Automate, automate, automate!

While outsourcing tasks can be a good way to free up time to focus on your top priorities, automating some of them is an even better alternative in some cases. Setting up systems to automate repetitive tasks once can pay off big over time, and you’ll save money over hiring an outsourced worker for tasks that could be automated just as effectively.

For example, tools like TextExpander and ActiveWords enable you to create email responses composed of pre-written copy simply by typing a few keystrokes into your message. Using these programs – in addition to many of the other business automation tools out there – could help you manage the time you spend on repetitive business tasks, while saving you the cost of hiring an outsourced worker at the same time.

How else do you maintain productivity in the face of multiple, competing demands? Share the advice you’d give to other entrepreneurs in the comments below!

Effective social networking isn’t about building out your Facebook profile correctly or using the right Twitter hashtags – it’s about promoting meaningful connections between people, no matter whether you do your networking online or offline.

So if you feel like you aren’t yet reaping all the benefit you could from your interpersonal connections or digital acquaintances, check out the following tips for improving your social networking skills:

Tip #1 – Be polite and professional

This should almost go without saying, but given the level of discourse that exists in some online arenas, it seems prudent to issue a reminder that first impressions still matter and that you can do a tremendous amount of damage with one poorly thought out statement. Whether you’re connecting with people online or offline, default to a polite and professional demeanor to avoid damaging your public perception before you even have the chance to Read the rest of this entry »