GoFaxer Blog

This is a continuation of a discussion about managing your email. Using email fax is great because you will always have a digital record of the fax. But if your inbox is poorly managed, you won’t find it anyway. So here’s some more advice.

5. Don’t send so many emails. Many of us spend all day sending email after email without stopping to think whether we really need to. Do you really need to say “Thanks” in an email to the guy sitting next to you? Simply open your mouth and say it out loud. It’s an-old fashioned idea. It might even be nice to get up out of your seat, take a quick walk over to the other side of the building to chat with Shannon from accounting rather than sending her an email. By sending less email you’ll find something remarkable happen—you’ll get less email. Isn’t that incredible? I know that this is a huge revelation for many of you, but I’m telling you, send less email and you’ll find that managing your inbox will become infinitely easier. You’ll never have to go to your boss and ask if he can find the email you sent him last month.

6. Don’t send novel length emails. I know that it’s exciting when you see your words on the screen, but I’m telling you, your coworkers do not want to read an email more than a couple of paragraphs long. If it’s any longer than that, you need to call a meeting to discuss it.

As I wrote about yesterday, we’re talking about email tips. Because even if you’re using email fax, which is an enormously efficient technology, if you’re not managing your email inbox, the convenience is less helpful.

2. Keep a deleted folder where all of your useless emails go. If it gets too big feel free to break it down into folders for years or months. Don’t permanently delete the content of this file.

3. Use effective subjects to your emails. When you write an email always choose a good subject that tells you exactly what the email is about. Many times people will send you emails with very poor subject lines. Did you know that you can edit the subject line of emails sent to you? Simply click on it and change it to something easy to distinguish that you’ll be able to find later if needed.

4. Learn how to use your software like Outlook to find missing emails in a haystack of other emails. Again, if you’ve written good subject lines this shouldn’t be very challenging.

5. Don’t manage your to-do list through your email inbox. Keep a separate to-do list. This lets you prioritize your day so that you can get work done instead of trying to keep up on the email marathon. This also helps you not ever say to another coworker, “Will you send me an email on that so I won’t forget?” It’s not their responsibility to update your to-do list.

See next week for part 3 in our email fax trilogy.

Running a small business is a challenge. It’s long hours, sleepless nights, and the hope of big returns on your investment. Many small businesses fail while only a few actually become successful, and even less become large businesses. What’s the trick? Allow me to offer a few tips based on my own management experience.

1. Create systems. Your business will run you ragged if you can’t become intensely organized and systematic in everything that you do. If you don’t create well managed systems that use your time and the time of your employees efficiently, your business is going to kill you.

2. Treat your employees better than your customers. Many businesses function under the mantra that the customer is king. But I would suggest that you have a far greater responsibility to keep your employees well paid, challenged, and happy. Companies that don’t have the loyalty of their employees will never have the loyalty of their customers.

3. Only spend your money on things that you’ll receive a return on your investment. This is a challenge because there’s always way to spend more money. But the question you must always ask yourself is this: Will this expenditure lead to greater profit. It’s far better to spend money on effective marketing strategies than fax machine repairs. So always take advantage of technologies like fax to email that save you money and allow you to spend it on things that will grow your business.