Non-industry Resources and Organizations

The promotional products industry, through service providers and suppliers, offers a wealth of resources and tools to help distributorships enhance their productivity and profitability. But there are plenty of worthwhile “non-industry” resources in the marketplace, too. Here are a few to explore:

The Getting Things Done (GTD) concept was introduced in 2002 by productivity consultant David Allen. GTD principles center around the creation of a workflow process and the tracking, storing, and monitoring of tasks that you need to accomplish. Evernote, for example, is a popular GTD app for desktop computers and mobile devices designed to help you remember everything, from expenses and tasks to passwords and books to read. It’s free with options to upgrade for more cloud storage and extra features. In December the company will release Evernote Business with even greater capabilities.

The Pomodoro technique is a time management system designed to limit the amount of time you fritter away during your workday. The system divides the workday into 25-minute periods. There are stand-alone apps for PCs, smartphones, or tablets. If you use Google Chrome as your browser, check out Chromodoro. When you install it a small tomato icon appears in your browser address bar. It stays discreetly out of the way until you click on it; but once you do, the extension counts down a standard 25-minute Pomodoro cycle and notifies you when the work period is over and it's time for a break. (There are also Pomodoro technique apps you can use with other browsers.)

DontBreaktheChain.com lets you check off daily goals as you complete them and customize the number of months you can see simultaneously. The service even lets you maintain multiple chains at once by assigning color codes to different projects (great for small business owners who manage multiple productivity goals).

Also consider joining groups dedicated to helping you grow your business. Members of Entrepreneurs’ Organization benefit from forums, local and global events, a quarterly magazine and blog, a mentorship program, and education networking events. Another organization to consider is Vistage, which offers different types of executive coaching programs based on company size and scope. Webinars, conferences, group meetings, and an extensive online network are some of the tools they provide to help members solve their most critical business issues.

If you’ve used any of these resources – or have others to recommend -- we’d love to hear about your experiences. Let us know!