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A live-in housekeeper is important for a lot of households especially among families who have a busy lifestyle, demanding work schedule and time-consuming jobs and careers. Having somebody to do the work at home such as the cleaning, food preparation and laundry becomes a necessity in such situations. Still, it is important to take the time to interview an applicant for the safety of your home.

Here are some helpful hints to consider during an interview with an applicant.

The first set of questions should include personal information such as the complete name, race and ethnicity, religion, age, civil status and so on. You have to determine if the applicant has specific rituals or practices that you are uncomfortable with. Take the time to know as much as you can to avoid conflicts in your own home. If necessary, try to explain your house rules.

The second batch of questions should include her ability to handle the job that awaits her in your home. Determine if the applicant meets your preferences and standards. Explain everything that is under her care especially her major duties and ask if she can handle everything. Also ask if she has certain health conditions that can cause limitations in her job as a live-in housekeeper.

Next is to ask her about her previous jobs. Take the time to ask her about previous employers and job descriptions. Ask how she handled her responsibilities and the pressure. It is also necessary that you ask about her previous relationship with her other employers and whether she encountered specific conflicts which led to misunderstandings and how she handled the situation. Maintain eye contact during the interview.

Lastly, ask the applicant if she had ever been subjected to police disciplinary measures. Ask her to explain in full detail and take the time to listen and sense her sincerity. Ask for police clearances and check for any criminal records. Although these can be acquired from the agency, asking the applicant directly is also for your own security.

All the above information can be obtained from the agency. However, it is best that you double check the data and to check the consistency of the information handed to you.

Interviewing a potential live-in housekeeper can help you gain confidence in your decision to hire one.

While it may not have occurred to many people, leading a disorganized life can and does often result in one being overweight. The majority who lack organization in their daily lives tend to spend most of their time rushing about and this includes eating. Of course, it stands to reason that those who eat to fast also often end up eating too much.

Another pitfall which these people are prone to is mess and an untidy environment and I’m sure we all agree, having lots of mess laying about nearly always results in some level of stress. Yes, I’m sure this is starting to become clearer now, that being organized, goes hand in hand with being healthy.

Many people resort to eating in the effort to handle stress and being disorganized is a surefire way of increasing levels of stress in your life.

Even health conscious people slip up from time to time and have to resort to instant meals or something similar because they have run out of supplies, but if your life is disorganized, you’ll find this happens to you far more frequently than it should. As a result, you find yourself eating junk foods more often than you eat wholesome foods.

Do you eat regular meals at regular times? If you’re disorganized then the chances are you don’t and this can very often lead to ill health. Eating at regular times is essential in order to regulate ones blood sugar levels. Skipping regular meals can often cause a drop in blood sugar levels which in turn has a tendency to cause people to over eat.

The last thing you need is to arrive at mealtime only to find you don’t have any healthy foods in store, thus causing you to slap something together which has very little, if any, nutrition so planning ahead is essential.

For as far back as one can remember, people have been making up a shopping list before going for their groceries and in all honesty, there is no need for you to be any different. Having a list ready when you go shopping will minimize the chances of you stocking up on easy ready made meals and instead, you’ll find yourself going home with proper healthy foods.

Nobody on a weight loss program wants to spend all their waking hours contemplating what they can and cannot eat, or what their next meal will consist of. Being organized when you go and buy your groceries will take away this unnecessary burden as you’ll have planned ahead. The fact is, having a well organized life is critical with any weight loss program.

Sometimes in business you can get so rattled with everything around you that you no longer have the usual enthusiasm for your job. You might get overwhelmed with the to-do lists and client issues that you are no longer fueled by the same passion that was there when you started.

In times like these you need to pretend to care.

I was reading Seth Godin’s blog yesterday and came across a very interesting thought. You probably recognize Seth as being the author of “Meatball Sundae”, “The Dip”, “Permission Marketing”, “Small is the New Big”, “Purple Cow”, “All Marketers are Liars”, and “Ideavirus”. Anyways, he also happens to put together a pretty incredible resource for marketers with articles added on a regular basis. Yesterday he told a story about some poorly trained city workers that simply did not do their job well because they didn’t care. He suggested, however, that if they at least pretended to care then they would eventually care for real.

“If people start out pretending to care, next thing you know, they actually do care. They like the positive feedback and they like the way being kind makes them feel. It spreads. It sticks.”

Have you stopped caring about something in your life? By paying careful attention to it and making it a priority, it will become more special to you and you will begin to genuinely care about it.

I challenge you to work on one thing this week that has become a drain in your life. What has been holding you back? Instead of viewing it as a chore, you should start viewing it as an opportunity. Think about what it was like when you first started that project and then recapture that passion.

Google has finally released Website Optimizer to the public. Until now, website optimizer has only been available to people with Adwords accounts, but it is now free so everybody – including yourself – can use it to improve their websites.

If you have an online business then Website Optimizer is a must have. It will…

• increase your conversion rates
• decrease your visitor bounce rates
• increase the amount of time visitors spend on your site
• increase viewer satisfaction

I’ve personally used this tool and seen incredible results. If you’re not testing elements of your copy and design, then you’re missing out on a world of opportunity.

I recommend this tool to anybody selling products or services online. Whether you run a small website or a large marketplace – this is for you!

What other tools do you use for your website? Let us know…

The most important aspect in building a successful business is to have a plan. Too many people think that goals alone will carry them the distance. While goals are great, they won’t get you anywhere without a plan.

I’ve found the most successful short-term strategy is to create 90-day goals along with three sets of 30-day goals that will get you there. Those monthly goals will also be broken down into four sets of weekly goals…which in turn will be made into daily goals.

Sounds like a lot of work, but it’s not.

At the beginning of each month, make measurable goals for the next 90 days. How much money do you want to make? How many new clients do you want to get? How much time do you want to take off?

When you have those down on paper, it’s much easier to figure out the steps to get there. Instead of dreaming about having 7 days off, you can book the week off and plan the rest of your time around that plan. Will you work longer days? Maybe…or maybe you just need to work more productive days.

The most important thing I ever implemented in my business was a daytime organizer. I don’t schedule my day by the hour, but rather by the things I need to get done. I choose six things each day that I can finish without any problems. These six tasks must serve my monthly goals and help my business in some way or another. They don’t all need to make money right away, but they need to help me reach my goals at some time.

I don’t bother listing these six tasks in any particular order, instead I know I’ll have all of them done by the end of the day. I can choose which one I want to do first, second, and so on – which gives me a sense of freedom I wouldn’t otherwise have.

I’ve found that daily goals, weekly goals, monthly goals, and 90 day goals have helped me double my productivity and provide my business with a sense of focus.

If you’re struggling to move forward, then I suggest you give this technique a try. As Dan Sullivan said in his book, The Laws of Lifetime Growth, “Your future is your property…This means you can choose to make it whatever you want. The act of making your future bigger than your past is the very act of growth itself: the bigger future is the vision, and growth is what makes it real.”

What have you done to grow your business in the past? Has it worked?

How many times do you come up with a great idea, put together a way to implement it, but ultimately fall short? It happens to the best of us and it happens for three main reasons:

• We are too busy with other things.
• We come up with other great ideas and move on.
• We never put together a realistic plan to make it happen.

If you’re like me then you’ve got great ideas running through your mind all the time: affiliate marketing, starting a newsletter, writing a book, building a membership site, creating a webinar, building an automated online business, and the list goes on.

But do these ever get done?

Beyond that, I used to have trouble keeping up with the little things that I should have been doing all along: attending networking meetings every week, getting more exercise, eating healthier, and so on.

You probably find yourself in a similar situation – most people do. We think we have too much to do and too little time to do it. Sometimes we even thing that an extra hour per day would save our world, or maybe an added day each week.

But you know what? It wouldn’t! It wouldn’t even come close. Another day in the week would simply mean another day of doing what you already do.

The good news is that you don’t need another hour each day or an added day in the week to accomplish all your goals and aspirations. All you need is a plan that works – and I’m going to show you it to you right now!

Achieve Your Wildest Dreams

Step 1: Take one thing that you really want to accomplish – whether it’s writing a book or traveling to every continent on the world – and estimate how long it will take to accomplish if you set aside a reasonable amount of time each day, week, and month towards achieving that goal.

For some reason, I’ve always found there to be power in threes: 3 weeks, 3 months, or 3 years – but you can choose whatever time length you’re comfortable with. Just make sure to choose a specific completion day – a time where you don’t need to do anything else except enjoy the benefits of your work.

Step 2: Take your dream project and completion date and create as many milestones as possible along the way…set mini-goals to make sure that you are staying on-track as you work towards this goal. Writing a book? When will chapter 1 be done? How about chapter 2? Don’t forget to set aside time for editing, contacting a publisher (or learning how to publish yourself), and other details that might otherwise be overlooked.

Step 3: Choose a specific time each day or week that you will work on this project. If you’ve estimated it will take 5 hours a week, then book 5 hours a week to work on it and nothing else. Without putting your plans into action you’ve got nothing.

Step 4: Share your dream with a few others that are close to you – by getting the support of loved ones you’ll have people to encourage you along the way. If possible, find somebody else that wants to work on a dream project of their own – keep each other accountable along the way.

Step 5: Review your progress regularly. Sometimes we can find ourselves falling so far behind that we want to give up, but that leads us nowhere. Instead of giving up, go back to Step 1 – re-estimate the workload, set new mini-goals, reschedule time that works better, and continue to get support from others to push you to completion.

Nobody Said It Would Be Easy

Remember, the path may be a long and difficult one, but it’s one that you know will be worth it when you’re finished. I’ve always found that the harder things get, the better they feel when they’re done.

Stop letting your dreams get away – chase them down and make them a reality.

What is one dream project that you want to work on right away? Please share…

The internet has made the world smaller and certainly added a whole new dynamic to our business lives…but is it possible that it is also creating a new legion of lazy North Americans?

Television has been ripped by the media and productivity experts for creating laziness – but is the internet just as bad or worse? Consider the facts:

• Millions of “nerds” are hooked to online role-playing games.
• Millions of people check their email 10+ times per day.
• Cyberslacking has become a serious problem in the workforce.

Like anything – there is always good that comes with the bad…

• Cars are great for transportation, dangerous for crashes.
• Sports are exciting to watch, but also create conflict and controversy.
• The internet is incredible for business and communication, but has opened up a whole new world for slacking.

There’s no doubt in my mind that the internet is a very useful thing, but you also need to be careful about what you’re doing on it.

I don’t care what profession you find yourself in – if you’re spending more than 5 hours online each day then you’re likely wasting a lot of time browsing, emailing, or playing games…all which are alright when taken in bite size portions, but otherwise dangerous.

If you find yourself wasting time online, then try a few of these tricks:

• Only check your email twice a day.
• Turn off your internet unless you absolutely need it.
• Sign up for RescueTime – a web-based time management software (free).

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If you’re going to be browsing the internet, you might as well spend your time here! Sign up for the Advice Network so you can be connected with tips and tricks for growing your business online.

You’re here because you’re looking to promote your business, but instead of some advice or information – I’m going to give you a bunch of tools that can save you time and money so you can focus on what you do best.

Here are 10 free tools that can help you grow your business online (and offline):

1. Open Office/Google Docs - Sun Microsystems version of Microsoft Office isn’t just a free replacement for it, but it’s also 100% compatible! Google Docs is a great online version, although I haven’t quite got used to it yet.
2. Skype – This is a free tool for communicating with friends, family, clients, and associates around the world. While Skype-to-Skype calls are free, calling landline phones does cost a small (seriously, really small) fee.
3. AVG Anti-Virus – Okay, so it won’t grow your business…but it will help you keep it safe without paying the big bucks to Norton.
4. Microsoft Office Live Small Business – I’ve just started using this and am amazed their giving it away for free. You can have a free website (with a good URL), 100 free email addresses, and a complete online workplace for project management. This is great stuff!
5. Google Pack – Pick and choose the free tools that you want to use…photo editing, anti-virus, Adobe Reader, Google Desktop, Skype, and more…it’s all there!
6. Mozilla Thunderbird – The free equivalent to Microsoft Office. If you don’t have office and find yourself fumbling around between Hotmail, Gmail, and other freebies – give this one a try….you’ll be impressed.
7. Audacity - It doesn’t matter whether you’re looking to record or edit audio, Audacity will do it all. It’s a great tool to make your website more dynamic and captivating.
8. Mozilla Lightning/Google Calendar - Lightning is a calendar and to-do list, but what’s better is that it synchronizes with Google Calendar (which also syncs with Microsoft Outlook).
9. YouConvertIt.com – Convert almost any kind of file into another kind of file – quickly and easily.
10. BackPackIt.com – The ultimate group organizer for savvy small businesses.

If you have any other tools that you recommend, feel free to pass them on!

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Advice Network wants to grow your business…join us today!

I’ve decided to dedicate myself to extreme productivity for the next week. Do you want to join me? Here are some great links that will help you get more done than ever before:

• Wake Up Later – Less is More: 10 Methods to Be More Productive, More Profitable, and Happier
• Tutorial Blog – Freelancers: Manage Your Projects
• Bootstrapper – How to Turn Your Desk into a Productivity Zone
• Dumb Little Man – 5 Simple Steps to Stop Procrastination
• ProFreelancing – 3 Tips That Are Guaranteed to Improve Your Productivity
• Ryan Healy – How I Overcome Inertia

While many of these are directed towards freelancers, they all provide tips that can be applied in any work situation. Take them and apply them next week – let’s see how productive we can be!

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We are often thrown side-to-side in our everyday lives, running from one errand to the next – huffing and puffing our way through the day before crashing at night and restarting the cycle in the morning.

While we are accomplishing dozens of tasks each day, are we completing them to the best of our abilities?

Think for a moment – what was the most important thing you did today?

Now consider…could you have done it better if you spent more time on it?

Whatever you want to become in life, you need to take each step towards that goal with pride and joy. If you aren’t completing everyday tasks to the best of your ability, then what makes you think you deserve more responsibility?

Here are three tips for becoming a more effective worker:

1. Take the Time to Do Things Right: If you have a 4 hour project sitting on your desk, don’t try and rush it off in 3…block enough time out of your calendar to ensure that you complete it to the best of your ability. If you get in a habit of rushing things, you’ll end up making a mess of your work.
2. Schedule Tasks Appropriately: What time is your prime-time for working? If you work best in the morning, then make sure that you are taking that time to work! If you work best at night, then do everything you can to schedule a couple hours of work. The fact is…you can accomplish much more in a couple hours of dedicated work than you can in a whole day of acting busy.
3. Finish Projects to Perfection: Not everything we do requires perfection, but that doesn’t mean that some things do. If you’ve ever attended a wedding, you know how much work was put into the planning and preparation to make things run smoothly. While you don’t need months of planning for a work assignment, you still need to be diligent in lining everything up so that you can complete your best projects to perfection. If you don’t take the time to make it happen, it never will.

I encourage you to consider doing one thing each day that requires perfection – and complete it to the best of your ability. It won’t be  easy, but you’ll end each day feeling much more accomplished.

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