| Email is an extremely convenient mode of | | | | that you are not tempted to immediately respond |
| communication; perhaps too easy, as it seems to | | | | every time a new message comes in, breaking into |
| invite people to contact you for sometimes barely | | | | your productive work time. |
| any reason at all. And with all that email coming in | | | | -Deal with emails during your 'down time'; do not |
| that needs attention, it can be hard to get anything | | | | schedule your most creative and productive times of |
| else done. So how can you get a grip on your | | | | day for organising emails. Put email management into |
| business emails before it gets its grip on you? | | | | your schedule where it makes sense - those times of |
| Getting Control Of Email | | | | day when you need to slow down, or that do not |
| Success in small business relies on discipline, focus and | | | | take away from more complex activities. |
| good time management. Often, however, necessary | | | | -Use tools for organising emails; get to know the |
| tasks like checking, reading and responding to emails | | | | features of your email client and use them to |
| can start to overtake productive work time and | | | | prioritise emails. For instance, separate emails into |
| decrease your productivity - and in turn, your | | | | folders according to priority levels, clients, or |
| profitability. That is why it's important for you to be | | | | subjects, or use settings to automatically send emails |
| managing emails, rather than letting emails manage | | | | to appropriate folders or locations. |
| you. Here are some pointers from the experts: | | | | -Respond to emails when read; many people will read |
| -Schedule time for checking emails; this can be once, | | | | all emails before responding, and then go back and |
| twice, or three times daily at times that fit into your | | | | start with the most important ones. But this only |
| schedule. Block out time and when the time is up, | | | | multiplies the time it takes to get through the lot. |
| move on to other pressing matters. | | | | Respond to emails as they are read, and you will not |
| -Do not use email for emergency contacts; inform | | | | have to begin all over again sifting through them. |
| clients and business associates that you are not | | | | -Separate business and personal emails; do not give |
| available immediately via email, and that they should | | | | out business email addresses to friends and family |
| phone or contact you via instant message or mobile | | | | that do not have a business reason to contact you. |
| phone for pressing matters. This makes it possible | | | | Email is a very useful and important business tool, but |
| for you to handle emails in chunks rather than | | | | if you don't learn how to efficiently manage your |
| constantly throughout the day. Be careful who you | | | | emails they will begin to take over your business life. |
| give emergency contact information to, though, so | | | | Put into practice these and other tips to put email in |
| that it is used for its intended purpose. | | | | its rightful place. |
| -Turn off automatic alerts, both audio and visual, so | | | | |