Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503040035
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Don Terp co-author with Carole Terp of "The 30-Second Commute" notes that while "home-based business is not for everyone, if you're in your field, if you're enjoying what you're doing, these things fall in line." Terp says that "consciousness of time is extremely important. People who act as reactors have workloads controlled by others. Working for oneself means taking control of time."
Terp identifies telephones and doorbells as factors responsible for lost time and productivity. Terp advocates "trying to control the telephone. Answering machines can help stop interruptions" when you're in the middle of a project.
Terp finds doorbells a "disturbing factor. One solution is to set the door bell to give light" signals rather than ringing. If you're answering the door frequently for nonbusiness callers, re-wiring or ignoring the door could help.
Television is an additional drain; Terp thinks it's very easy to watch rather than work. He finds it helpful to evaluate all daily activities in terms of production. "You don't make any money if you don't produce," he said. Reserve daytime viewing for lunch hours only. Happily, "getting in the mood to work is really forcing oneself to work until it becomes habit. You can break any habit and you can create any habit."
Evaluate where you're losing time, create a structured work day and construct a daily action plan. Follow your plan diligently for three weeks. At the end of three weeks, your higher productivity level will be a habit.
Q: How do I file a sexual-harassment complaint?
A: If your organization has guidelines for resolving sexual-harassment complaints, follow those guidelines. If no guidelines exist, discuss your complaint with your supervisor (or your supervisor's boss if your direct supervisor is the offender).
In either case, you need to have documented the harassment by noting the date, time and place the incident occurred. You'll also need to describe in detail what took place. If you didn't keep a log, try to reconstruct events. Keep document originals in a safe place and use photocopies when informing others of your complaint.
If your complaint is disregarded or you feel you can't talk with supervisors in your company, file your complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. You should do that within 180 days of the harassment. The EEOC number in Richmond is 804-771-2692.
An intake officer will explain your rights and tell you how to complete a complaint form. Your employer will be notified of your complaint. It's illegal for your employer to retaliate against you for making a complaint.
If the EEOC declines to take your case or if you aren't satisfied with the results, consider hiring a lawyer to file a civil suit.
Q: I'm considering leaving my company and starting a new business. What should be included in my business plan?
A: Laurie B. Zuckerman, author of "On Your Own: A Woman's Guide to Building a Business" writes that a plan covers seven basic areas of business. Each area describes the results you want to achieve, the activities to be done to achieve them, the resources (money, people, time, equipment, etc.) required to perform these activities, the criteria you'll use to evaluate the results and the reasons you believe the plan will succeed.
The seven areas to be addressed are product development, marketing, sales, operations, personnel, management and finance (sources and uses of cash, capital equipment list, income statement, projections, break-even analysis, cash-flow statement, and balance sheet). Include support people as well (accountant, lawyer, insurance adviser and banker).
Writing a business plan helps focus ideas, force evaluation of the feasibility of a new business and identify everything from equipment needs to a timeline.
Several business plan guides are available at local bookstores and libraries. An additional publication you'll need is the Commonwealth of Virginia Business Registration Guide. Jointly published by the state Corporation Commission, the Virginia Employment Commission and the Department of Taxation, the manual contains the forms necessary to remain in compliance with state regulations.
In addition to serving as a guide to you, you'll need a well-thought-out plan to present to your banker when seeking a loan. Good plans are updated often and referred to daily.
by CNB