project management

Project Management Planner for Your Coaching Business

March 26, 2020 by Nancy Fields Leave a Comment

I struggled to keep my projects running smoothly until I met Julia Donnelly, PMP, Author, Business Coach and Passion Test Facilitator.

Projects that went ‘south’ typically started like this: “Oh, please. This is really important. I’m desperate. Can’t you just do it this week and bill me later?” It never ended well, and I often didn’t get paid either.

Using the Project Charter / Project Contract Julia helped me create has always resulted in a successful outcome: professionally and financially.

And Julia’s Project Planners helped me keep my projects on track.

It has never been a better time to have an online business, but…it’s also easy to get distracted with all the disturbing news, such as the virus scare. That’s why, for me, it’s never been a better time keep my projects on track using project management tools.

Let someone who has 30+ years experience as a project manager show you how to keep your projects running smoothly— without spending money on fancy project management software.

In the video below, Julia shares how she uses an Excel spreadsheet, and a Word doc to plan everything from a multi-year project, to her 3 week 1-on-1 coaching consultations.

She’s also generously shared her spread sheet and sample Project Charter.

Click here to access Julia’s Sample Project Planner in Excel.

Click here to access Julia’s Project Charter template.

Wishing you much success in your online business and keep everything running smoothly.

Spring Cleaning is Not Just for Housewives

February 23, 2014 by Nancy Fields Leave a Comment

It finally had to be done. For the past three months, my working days have been a non-stop push to make deadlines. As such, I’ve made piles of “I’ll get to it when I have the time.” It’s really bad, now. So bad that I’m finding notes to myself from three months ago.

Why is it so difficult to stay a top of the clutter? Because it means making yet another decision after a full day of decisions like:
• What needs to be done first?
• What’s an immediately priority vs. what can wait a few hours?
• Who do I need to phone, or email to move something forward?
• And design choices like what text, color, size, position, background, etc., should be added, removed, moved — because graphic design is more about making decisions upon decisions, than it is about being an amazingly gifted, wildly productive artist
• Plus, what’s for dinner?

Today a lot of old projects went into the trash, too. I treated them like the daily newspaper: if it didn’t get read on day one, it’s no longer new/news. From the trash they were carried to the shredder, which made me think about how to be better organized from the start. Little things like having 2 waste baskets: one for paper that needs to be shredded, and one that gets dumped immediately into the recycling bin — instead of going through everything a second time, at the shredder. But that begs the question, should I be shredding my own paper? Certainly not if I’m serious about growing my company, and using my time more wisely.

Ah, but I do love the sound of decisions made, grinding their way through metal teeth as the motor hums along — closing one door so that another may open.

Can I Have it Next Week?

December 17, 2013 by Nancy Fields 2 Comments

Do you remember the first time you asked to have something designed and produced in one week, and were shocked to learn it took much longer? You might think ‘I only need a little business card, or a simple brochure.’ It shouldn’t take that long? Right? Well…

Experience is the best teacher

If it’s one thing I’ve learned from doing custom design work for the past 20 years it’s this: how ever long I think it will take me, multiply by 3 and I might be close. I couldn’t have been more pleased to learn from two professional project managers with over 50 years combined experience, who told me my hands-on experience is right on target. In the project management world they call this “effort” vs. “duration,” which translates into, it always takes longer than you think.

Realistic time tables for promotional materials

Good design takes time, but it shouldn’t take forever. A RUSH job always costs more, and tends to lead to mistakes and oversights, which makes it really expensive. Time does, indeed, save money when it comes to design and production.

Here’s a realistic time schedule for some typical design projects, including 2 rounds of proofs, design changes, printing and delivery, but NOT including shipping or copy writing. If you need to hire a freelance copy writer add a minimum of 1-3 weeks onto the timeline below.

• Advertisements: 1 week
• Banners: 2-4 weeks
• Brochures: 4-6 weeks
• Calligraphy: 7 working days per 100 names for envelopes
• Interpretive Panels: 4-8 weeks
• Invitations: 4-6 weeks
• Logos: 6 weeks
• Newsletters: 4-6 weeks
• Power Point Slides: 1-2 weeks
• Programs: 3-4 weeks
• Sales Catalogues: 4-6 weeks for design plus 1-2 weeks for photography
• Sales Sheets: 3-4 weeks
• Stationery (letterhead, notecards, envelopes): 2-3 weeks
• Trade Show Signage: 4-6 weeks
• Training Manuals: 10 days if photocopied / up to 3 weeks if printed
• Web Banners: 2-3 weeks
• WordPress Website: 4-16 weeks depending upon the size and complexity

Why does it take so long?

Assuming your project can begin right away, project planning, proposals and invoicing for a project can take a 1-3 days. Add to that approvals, meeting times, travel, sick days, personal crises, vacation days, equipment failure, professional sports play-offs, Mercury going retrograde, you name it! The minute you commit to a project the anti-productivity gods think it’s ‘game on.’

Another time disrupter is holidays; especially the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. If they fall in the middle of the week add at least one more week to the project because most people’s minds are thinking about preparing for, or recovering from the fete— two days before and at least one day afterward.

Project planning advise

Begin at the end. Whether you need a business card or a full blown website, first determine when you absolutely must have your finished piece in-hand. Then, work backwards from that date and compare it to the bulleted list above. If your end date is not a reality, change your end date, or be prepared to pay at least twice the normal rate for RUSH charges due to overtime and added staff needed to fulfill your request.

Best wishes for getting all your projects completed on time and on budget.