|
|
|
Take Your Business to the Next Level!
 |
Hello, and welcome to the new subscribers!
 I just got back from beautiful mile-high Denver where I was presenting two workshops at the Interior Redesign and Staging Industry Specialists (IRIS) Conference. This is my second year presenting for IRIS. What a talented (and well dressed!) group.
Speaking of conferences, I just heard that I will be presenting at the 2010 National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Conference to be held in Columbus, OH. My presentation is titled, "Don't Go It Alone: It Takes a Village to Run a Successful Organizing Business." It will focus on delegating and outsourcing, participating in Master Mind groups, creating a Board of Advisors, developing strategic partnerships, engaging in coopetition, and much more. And, even more exciting, I was also chosen to be a member of the prestigious Ask the Organizer Panel, which is a highlight of the conference every year. I had the pleasure of presenting to peer professional organizers at the 2008 NAPO Conference in Reno, NV, and am thrilled to be chosen to present again next year. Giving back to the professional association and industry that I belong to is an honor.
This month's feature article is one of my favorite blog posts from the past month. It is on the Pareto Principle, aka the 80/20 Rule. To learn how the 80/20 Rule can be a great guide to focusing on what truly matters in your business, read on...
Wishing you and your business success,
 
|
|
-
-
November 11, 2009 - Back by popular demand, Lisa will be conducting DECIDE to be Organized: Achieve Results at Home, at Work, and in Life for Northern Westchester/Putnam Boces in Yorktown, NY.
-
December 6, 2009 - Lisa will be presenting a CLE program for Pace University Law School in White Plains, NY titled Decrease Stress, Increase Productivity: Organizing & Time Management for Lawyers. For more information or to register, visit Pace's CLE page.
- January 19, 2010 - Lisa will be presenting DECIDE to Be Organized! 21st Century Tools for the Organized Women Entrepreneur for the The Alliance of Hudson Valley Women Business Owners in White Plains, NY.
- April 2010 - Lisa has been selected to be a member of the prestigious Ask the Organizer Panel at the 2010 NAPO Conference to be held in Columbus, OH. Lisa is also presenting a conference session titled Don't Go It Alone: It Takes a Village to Run a Successful Business to peer professional organizers in attendance.
|
 |
|
"Our life is frittered away by detail ... simplify, simplify." " ~ Henry David Thoreau |
 |
The Power of the Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 Rule)
When I am conducting an organizing, time management or business related workshop, I often ask if anyone has heard of the Pareto Principle. I usually get a room full of blank stares. However, if I ask if anyone has heard of the 80/20 Rule, many people nod their heads yes, and have a better idea what I am talking about.
The Pareto Principle takes its name from a 19th century Italian economist named Vilfredo Pareto. In the late 1940s, business management guru Joseph M. Juran suggested the principle and named it after Pareto, who observed in 1906 that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Pareto studied the unequal distribution of wealth in his country in order to offer suggestions as how to improve its disparity.
 Pareto's Principle (or the 80/20 Rule as it is often called) has expanded over the years to include many examples of unequal distribution. Essentially, the 80-20 Rule now stands for the proposition that in any grouping of items or events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Or stated in the reverse, 20% of the items or events is always responsible for 80% of the results.
The 80/20 Rule has become a common business principle, resulting in the oft-repeated phrase, "80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients." Conversely, 80% of your complaints come from 20% of your clients, and 80% of the profits made in your industry come from 20% of the businesses.
The Pareto Principle also applies to a variety of other items and events: we only wear 20% of our clothing, we spend 80% of the time with 20% of our acquaintances, 80% of our interruptions come from the same 20% of people, 20% of the work we do consumes 80% of our time and resources, etc. You can apply the 80/20 Rule to almost anything, from business and time management principles, to clutter and physical possessions. The exact percentages may vary, but the overall gist of the principle remains the same.
 The Pareto principle was also featured in the book, The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. Ferriss recommends focusing one's business activities on the 20% that contributes to 80% of the income. Boldly, he also recommends firing the 20% of clients that take up the majority of your time and energy, and cause the most trouble, often referred to as 'toxic clients.'
I personally love the way Joseph Juran described the phenomenon in the 1940s - the "vital few and trivial many." The 80/20 Rule means that in any grouping of items or events, a few (20%) are vital and many (80%) are trivial. 80% of our results come from 20% of our activity. That means that of all of the daily activities you do, and choices that you make, only 20% really matter (or at least produce meaningful results).
What is the takeaway that we can learn from the Pareto Principle?
Identify and focus on the 20% that matters! When life sets in and you start to become reactive instead of proactive, remind yourself of the 20% you need to focus on. If something in your schedule needs to be deleted or not completed with your fullest attention, try your best to make sure it's not part of that 20%.
Use the Pareto Principle as a litmus test to constantly check in and ask yourself: "Is this truly part of the 20% that matters?" Let the Pareto Principle serve as a powerful daily reminder to focus 80% of your time and energy on the 20% of your work and life that is really important and delivers positive results.
Warm regards,
Copyright 2009 © Lisa Montanaro
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR ON YOUR WEBSITE?
You can, as long as you use this complete statement:
Copyright 2009. Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com. Lisa also publishes the DECIDE™ to be Organized blog at www.DecideToBeOrganized.com. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
 | |
|
|
Lisa Montanaro, "The Solutions Expert," is Principal of LM Organizing Solutions, LLC, a professional services firm created in 2002 that offers professional organizing, business and life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Lisa publishes the monthly "DECIDE™ to be Organized" e-zine for the general public, and "Next Level Business Success" e-zine for professional organizers and entrepreneurs. Subscribe today at www.LMOrganizingSolutions.com . Lisa also publishes the DECIDE™ to be Organized blog at www.DecideToBeOrganized.com. Through LMOS, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth. To explore how LMOS can improve your home or work environment, or help take your business to the next level, contact Lisa at (845) 988-0183 or by e-mail at Lisa@LMOrganizingSolutions.com. |
Contact Information
Lisa Montanaro, JD, CPO
Certified Professional Organizer®, Business & Life Coach, Motivational Speaker
LM Organizing Solutions, LLC ™
PO Box 113
Warwick, NY 10090
|
You're receiving this email because of your relationship with LM Organizing Solutions, LLC. We respect your privacy and know you're busy. You may unsubscribe by clicking the link below if you no longer wish to receive this e-zine.
|
|
|
|
|
|
