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You are here: Home / blog & handmade advice / 31 days / {Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 7, Managing your email.}

{Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 7, Managing your email.}

October 7, 2012 · 12 Comments
Filed Under: 31 days, blog & handmade advice

Day 7// A couple years ago I used to do all of my online work with my email open in a separate tab. If a new message popped up, I clicked over to read, and oftentimes reading an email would remind me of something else, and so on I went to yet another tab {different from what I was doing a minute ago } to chase after my “something else” and soon a half hour passed and I still hadn’t accomplished the task I started out doing. Whew, that was tiring. And a lot of back peddling. My point is this: email can be a good thing, but it can be an terrible thing when you let your inbox control you + your business.

In order to manage my email I have set hours every day when I check it. These hours aren’t formal office hours and I don’t set a lot of rules for the task. Too many rules and I start to feel owned by my inbox, but hey — that’s just me. Maybe for you setting a timer is best. But what I’ve found is when I don’t separate email time from the other online tasks I’m supposed to be doing, I get nothing done. N O T H I N G.

timeless simple vintage home accessories via momtastic

Managing your email doesn’t need to take hours from your day, every single day, day after day. Back in August, Simple Mom shared some personal tips to getting back on track with her inbox… be sure to read her post. But in addition to that, I want to encourage you to take some time to think about what sets you back from accomplishing all you need to accomplish on a daily basis — because you’re letting your inbox own you.

I know it’s exciting to see a new email pop up. I get it :) But those goals you set last week, that blog you’re trying to set up, those new products you’re trying to design + launch, the budget you need to stick to, the expert you’re trying to become — how are you doing all of this if your mind is constantly getting off track?

EMAIL TIPS THAT WORK FOR ME:

  • Do your very best to check email once in the morning and once in the afternoon
  • Sign-out of your email when you’re not reading or replying {but still working online}
  • Emails marked as unread are just that, not read
  • Emails that require an action from you sit in your inbox as read
  • Everything else gets archived {we use Google mail}
  • Turn off ALL alerts, including from your computer and/or smart phone
  • Set up canned responses for the replies you’re repeatedly writing, but remember to personalize them a bit for each unique situation

Before hiring a personal assistant to help us with the business {including customer service emails, advertising, marketing, project planning; more on this later in the month} I spent a lot of time with email. Hiring an assistant has allowed me to focus on the emails only I can answer, plus the short list of tasks only I can do. {All other tasks are assigned to someone on our team.} If you feel buried by email, perhaps you need to ask for help, too. 

More importantly though, I needed to learn how to manage our email like a responsible business owner. It’s not possible to grow my business if I’m checking my email multiple times each hour.

One day I had a realization: if I were to write down all the things I did that made up my workday would I feel proud or embarrassed over that list?

…and so that’s all I have to say about managing your email.

Homework// Think about the time you spend managing your email on a daily basis. Do you feel accomplished with your inbox? Are your other daily tasks getting done, too? Spend some time writing a plan so you can resolve whatever email issues you have right now.

What one area of managing email do you need the most help with, and what one area are you a rockstar in?

read all posts from our “31 Days” series here

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12 Comments
Filed Under: 31 days, blog & handmade advice

« {Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 6, Where to buy materials.}
{Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 8, Find quotes that inspire you.} »

Comments

  1. Sandy a la Mode says

    October 7, 2012 at 7:31 am

    i’m on my email … like every hour almost haha!! whether it be on my computer or on my phone!!

    xo,
    Sandy
    Sandy a la Mode

    Reply
  2. Donna says

    October 7, 2012 at 8:05 am

    Boy did you hit me on the head today. I am ashamed to admit how much time I waste on my computer every day. One email leads me to another site then another site, etc, etc. I will say that I refuse to read emails with my phone because then I would never get a rest. But one of my biggest pet peeves is to be with ANYONE who can’t even carry on a conversation with me because of their email notices on their phone. And especially when we are in a resturant trying to enjoy a meal and face to face time.
    I do see the error of my ways with my emails and will start unscribing earnestly. I would rather be a successful business person than to be ruled by meaningless emails. Thank you for all of your time to help us become successful. Hugs

    Reply
  3. Ashley Urke | Domestic Fashionista says

    October 7, 2012 at 10:04 am

    Riveting stuff Gussy girl. I just turned off my email and instagram notifications on my phone after reading this. We live in a society that is obsessed with their phones. Anyone could find value in this post. We are all way too distracted and I desire a more focused life. Thank you for this wonderful post!

    Reply
  4. Melissa @ A Time for Everything says

    October 7, 2012 at 10:26 am

    Nailed! I’m a compulsive email checker. (On my computer. I don’t ever check it on my phone since it requires wi-fi, but I’m sure I would if I had a smart phone.) I’m going to try this week to get a handle on this issue. Also, I can’t believe I’ve never thought to use the archive feature for the messages I’m not ready t to delete but that don’t need action. I can’t wait to have only unread & “needs follow-up” messages in my Inbox!

    Reply
  5. Button Bird Designs says

    October 7, 2012 at 3:51 pm

    Ok I am totally laughing to myself here!!!!! Yes yes yes!!!! Only check email twice a day, turn off alerts, sign out of email!!!!! This is genius!!! Such easy but totally smart ways to save time. I am totally going to do this for the next week and see the difference it makes!!
    So so so excited!!!! Thanks for sharing!
    Angela

    Reply
  6. odile says

    October 7, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    Congratulations!! and I love your approach to small business. very creative

    Reply
  7. Gina_AcuteDesigns says

    October 8, 2012 at 7:21 am

    These are SUCH good tips and something I need to get better at doing. I am totally guilty of having my email open at all times. It is the worst habit!

    Reply
  8. Emily says

    October 9, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    As I started reading this blog post, I noticed that my email tab was up. It’s up ALL the time, and I click over to it constantly. The little “ding” from my ipod when I get an email makes me so happy, but you’re right, I’m spending WAY to much time on email. I’ve turned off the notifications, and I’m going to try to set aside specific times to read and reply to email.

    Reply
  9. Julianna Morlet says

    October 10, 2012 at 12:26 pm

    holy crap i need this! :)

    Reply
  10. Michele says

    October 23, 2012 at 8:22 am

    I’m coming to this series late, but I so needed this! I just disabled my email checker on my Chrome bar because you are right- it’s too distracting! Thanks for setting me free.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. {Handmade Business in 31 Days — Day 9, Addressing your biggest issue.} says:
    October 9, 2012 at 3:01 am

    […] it, being your own boss is hard at times. Designing product isn’t always a piece of cake. Staying on task with email, yep that’s hard too. And it’s totally possible for our issues to set us back in huge […]

    Reply
  2. {Did you miss a post? Handmade Business in 31 Days: series recap} says:
    November 15, 2012 at 3:01 am

    […] Day 7// Managing your email. […]

    Reply

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ABOUT MAGGIE WHITLEY DESIGNS:
Maggie Whitley weaves her writings around joy in motherhood, homemaking, faith, and simple living. She homeschools her children, enjoys a quiet room while reading, and roars with laughter over the challenges & delights of motherhood. Maggie and her husband, along with their four young children, live in northern Michigan. She has been writing online since 2008.
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