Whether we choose to admit it or not, people are easily distracted. Often something pops into our head and completely redirects our focus. I personally can become distracted mid-sentence by remembering something I forgot to do the night before. Since it is so easy to be distracted, here are some tips to keep you focused at your desk.

1. Write a “To Do” List. Everyday after booting up the computer and checking my e-mail, the first thing I do is write two “to do” lists. The first one is everything I can think of that needs to be completed. I then rewrite my list according to the priority of each job. Not only does this help me to keep myself on track for the day, but I can also plan the next few days work-wise.
2. Keep a Pen & Paper Handy. If you’re likely to get distracted easily, keep a pen & paper around. That way you can write down any thoughts that come to you during the process of the day, and review them later. You’ll never forget anything!
3. Don’t Procrastinate. Everybody has a part of their job that they hate. While it may seem easier to leave that job you dislike to the end of the day, completing the job it earlier will keep you productive, as you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment after finishing it. It will also prevent you from dragging simple tasks out just to avoid the one you dislike.
4. Prioritize/Organize. At the end of each day, spend a few minutes re-organizing and preparing yourself for the following day. I personally make sure all of my paperwork is filed in the correct places, and then review my “to do” list to ensure that nothing’s priority has changed.
5. Time Yourself. When completing routine tasks, record how long it takes you. This will keep you aware of how much you’ve actually completed in a day, and it will also help you to learn your most productive times of the day.
6. Block Distractions. When sitting at a computer all day, you’re likely to check your e-mail several times, and want to do things like play games or read online articles. To help resist temptation, only keep your internet browser open when in use. If you still find yourself clicking away from your work, you can use a “blockout” program to keep you focused. These programs provide you with a completely blank screen, so you can work without things in the background.
7. Drink Water. Sitting in the same place for an entire day can leave you bored and dreary. If you start to feel drowsy, reach for water instead of caffeinated products. While caffeinated products provide you a temporary wake up, they dehydrate you and can often leave you more tired than you previously were. If water is a little too plain for you, try flavoured or vitamin water.
8. Music. While block distractions can mean limiting yourself, leaving nothing to keep you entertained can cause more harm than good. Keeping background music at a low volume can help you to block out the cougher in the cubicle next to you, and keep you focused. I listen to my MP3 player during work, and find myself tapping my foot without even being consciously aware of the song because I’m so focused on what I’m doing.
9. Sleep! Getting enough sleep is very important, and is part of what keeps you going. Without enough sleep, not only are you tired, but you’ll be in a poor mood, and more likely to get distracted to try and make yourself feel better.
10. Exercise. I personally felt that I didn’t have enough time to fit a workout plan into my lifestyle. I was always too busy or tired to hit the gym after work. After forcing myself to exercise after work two or three times a week for a few months, I’ve noticed my energy levels actually increased. I wake up feeling refreshed and can spend more time doing things at work and home than when I spent my gym time at home.

E-mail is the most common method of communication among business professionals today. It allows people to communicate with numerous people from various organizations regarding many different topics. This saves countless hours for many people, ultimately making the business more efficient. However, there are some downfalls to electronic communication. While it does speed up the communication process between many different people, it almost makes it too simple. This can cause quick one-lined e-mails to be sent to the wrong recipient – especially if the sender isn’t a techie.

There are a few guidelines to follow when sending e-mails that will prevent complications later on in your communications with this person.

Simplicity

One of the major issues with e-mail is the person complicating things unnecessarily. A confusing e-mail title or an unclear first statement confuses the recipient, which means they have to spend more time figuring out what you mean than if you’d been clear and concise. The same is true when respond to an e-mail. If you answer the question in a complex manner, or beat around the bush, the recipient will not understand what you’re trying to say, and nothing is more frustrating than having a question ignored.

The same Keep-It-Simple-Stupid method should be used in your formatting. Adding fancy colours and using a hard to read font may look pretty to you, but it takes away from the general concept you’re trying to get across. It’s also very common for someone to delete a message that they can’t read, or even stand to look at. Not to mention, it’s TACKY TACKY TACKY! Being unprofessional is like back-pedaling your career.

Professionalism

Professionalism means more than just saving your pretty colours for your private e-mail account. One of the major pitfalls of e-mail communication is starting an e-mail with “hey” or “yo”. Do not do this. While you can get away without a salutation, if you feel it necessary to use one, Good Morning/Day/Afternoon will be sufficient. Also do not use short forms for names unless you know they like it or go by it. I personally despise when people call me Jenny, and I don’t forget who uses it.

Consistency

Another issue that people come across when e-mailing is the simple inconsistencies in their day to day e-mails. If you normally sign your e-mails with your name, e-mail address and phone number, continue to do so. An easy way to do this is to set up a “signature” that is automatically included in your e-mails. That way the same amount of information is included each time, which will also help you prevent typos in your phone number, e-mail address and address. You can also include your company logo consistency for your clients.

Another common inconsistency is in the formatting. Do you have a favourite font that’s easy to read like Verdana, Times, or Arial? Perfect! Set that font as your “stationary” and the same formatting will always be used.

Proof-Reading

Believe it or not, proof reading can be your best friend. It can save you from something as simple as spelling the client’s name wrong to sending a frustrated e-mail to the person you’re talking about. After you complete an e-mail, read it over, and make sure the e-mail addresses and subject title are spelt right and make sense. This will help keep your image professional and organized.

We have had some people contact us with a question about whether non profit organizations (NPOs) can claim for the SR&ED program. The short answer is, unfortunately no. However – corporate clients or partners can.

Why is this?

The CRA states that only business and corporate tax-payers (including Canadian-controlled private corporations, public and foreign-owned companies) can claim for the SR&ED program. While NPOs do file income tax returns, most are tax-exempt. As the SR&ED is an ITC (tax credit – sometimes refundable, depending on the business), this means that there would be no taxes to apply the ITC to.