BREAKING NEWS from SaveAround

2022 SAVEAROUND COUPON BOOK ARE ARRIVING!

The following books are in stock and ready to ship. If you have not received any sample books yet please contact sales@savearound.com. More books are arriving every few days so please check in with us to see if your books have arrived!

2022 IN STOCK MARKETS:

Berks County (Reading)
Fresno
Quad Cities
Fort Wayne
Bucks & Montgomery Counties
Huntsville
Elmira Corning
Grand Rapids
Dayton
Kansas City
Atlanta Metro
Charleston SC
Chester & Delaware Counties
Tucson
Central Jersey
Lehigh Valley
Jersey Shore
North Jersey
Syracuse
Rochester, NY
Phoenix
Albany
Buffalo
Broome County

At the time of publication of this newsletter, we are almost into September. At this time, the calendar is quickly filled up with holidays and time off - Labor Day, Fall Break, Halloween followed immediately by Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas holidays plus a two-week winter break (some are shorter and some are longer). So now it is time to re-evaluate the first month of progress and measure (remember the SMART goals a few weeks ago?)

1. How many groups did you see in person?
2. How many groups did you kickoff this month?
3. How many groups are on the schedule for September? October? November?
4. Have you checked on inventory and supply availability for the products you are selling?
5. Did you replace a group that canceled or moved to Spring?

Quick Calendar Review
7 days left in August (at time of publication 8/20/21)
21 days in September (off for Labor day)
16 days in October (week off for Fall Break)
17 days in November (week off for thanksgiving)
13 days in December (last day the 17th)
6 days for teacher inservice, stockpile days, or something else random for a day off from school
68 days max remaining for Fall 2021 season

So … the countdown is on … how can I maximize the Fall season that remains?

1. Try to set up a kickoff every other day. Aim for 2 per day if possible with one office day a
Week. Sprint (1 hour) sales may allow more kickoffs per day or week.

2. Ask for referrals and follow up immediately - time is of the essence.
Who do you know that needs to fundraise?

3. Start early and finish later in the day - remember time is ticking!

4. Try to incorporate a Sprint Sale - remember those are only an hour or so in length and
results are immediate for the group.

Oh, by the way, are you thinking about Spring ‘22, too? Winter break and holidays will zip by and then January will be here. Not to mention weather challenges and a shorter selling season as the school year end events tend to overshadow fundraising efforts. (January - April ~ only FOUR months for selling)!!!

Build a Plan for A Productive Fall

Go back and re-read the May and June articles as it relates to building a productive Fall season. Review your budget and personal goals for Fall 2021 and Spring 2022. Translate that into the number of groups and the number of books to be sold. Develop your target market listing of specific groups, accounts, schools and people you want to go after. Look at markets outside your comfort zone and try to sign at least 1 or 2 this Fall. Now is the time to maximize every single minute of every day. If you need help in these areas, please reach out to sales@savearound.com and schedule some time to brainstorm ideas for a productive Fall 2021.

Successful people are productive rather than busy. There is a difference between the two. Productivity actually accomplishes things, but busy is just the process of “doing” and sometimes aimlessly. They maximize their time while taking breaks, enjoying the simple things, and really have a good work-life balance. Here are a few suggestions and tips on productivity and how it might be incorporated into your day to help you be more successful.

1. Do Less, Not More:
Instead of doing more, do more of what is important or meaningful. Doing more can spread you thin and burn you out. Work on things that are most important, most rewarding, and what is most valuable to you in terms of goals that you have set for yourself.

2. Have an Effective Morning Routine:
Most people start their day early and they have a plan. For Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, he does this: “I get up around 4:30, and naturally the first thing I do is make some coffee.” Of course. If you have goals and a daily plan, take on the biggest tasks and challenges first thing instead of emailing. You are most productive first thing in the morning. There is a famous quote by Mark Twain: “Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

3. The Pomodoro Technique:
The Pomodoro technique is whereby you set a timer for 25 minutes (or longer when practiced) and switch off all other stimuli while you work non-stop on your most important tasks or projects. At the end of each session of high productivity, you take a break. That might include stretching, lifting weights, doing brain training exercises, or engaging in silent mindful meditation. You allow yourself to have a clearly defined action plan and a timeframe to get it completed. This works with chores around the house, motivating kids, and tackling overwhelming projects.

4. Overcome the Drain of Decision Fatigue:
Decision fatigue has been of great interest to neuroscientists. Everybody’s willpower gets affected as a result of making decisions all day every day, and we tire as a result. Your brain gets tired of making so many decisions. Therefore, plan each day as much as you can the night before, so you have less and less to think about when you begin your day – it is laid out and planned for you.

5. Prioritize Your Tasks:
At times, you will benefit from dealing with a number of simpler, smaller tasks in one go. Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook says: “I think a simple rule of business is, if you do the things that are easier first, then you can actually make a lot of progress.” A professor at Harvard calls it OHIO tasks - “only handle it once” - then you can plow through them in an allocated slot in your day and clear the stack. This also keeps tasks that are easily completed off your to-do list and you have been productive. You can then get to work on your important projects with a clearer mind.

6. Learn To Sleep Well:
Good quality sleep recharges, restores, and fortifies your brain and as a result, will enhance your ability to be productive. Think of your sleep routine; that is, do not have any electronic light fizzing your brain for an hour before bed, make sure your bedroom is the right temperature, your bed is comfortable, do not eat or exercise too close to sleep time, cut down on caffeine and alcohol, etc. Lack of sleep will affect energy levels during the day. Consider going to bed earlier. You’ll get more sleep and will wake up more refreshed.

7. De-clutter:
You do not have to wait until Spring for a de-clutter session. Having a purge of the space you spend time in can really uplift and energize. Just a single cupboard or set of drawers works wonders and leaves many feeling great afterward. Stepping into a workspace that has been de-cluttered can make us feel very productive and energized. With the number of stimuli, everyone is bombarded with all day every day (app notifications, news, emails, texts, updates, etc) that require us to immediately respond and that we often end up associating with instant gratification as a result of responding, we can be distracted and end up procrastinating. Therefore, understand what your procrastination activities are and remove them during periods of time you are wanting quality productivity. Consider going unplugged.

8. Stay Healthy:
Eating habits and daily exercise. Enough said.

9. Do What You Love – It Motivates.
When you set yourself goals, make it about the things that you ‘want’ or even better engage with things that ‘excite’ you. Creating work that you are proud of, and being productive is so much easier when you enjoy it. Work out how to have fun each day with your productivity tasks. Do things you enjoy, but also things that fulfill a real sense of purpose for you. You want to value what you do and that value will fuel your productivity levels greatly. Productivity is easy when it is being driven by known outcomes and consequences.

10. Take Time Out:
Step away from your desk, additionally though, each day needs some mini-holidays…..
Punctuate each hour with a small break at least, and ensure your day has plenty of breaks in it.
– Move your body: Stroll, walk, stretch, shake and get your body moving differently.
– Listen to music: Something that fills you with energy. Sing, hum, join in, and even consider moving or dancing to the music. Music can be so uplifting.

Where possible, productive individuals are creatures of habit – that is, they make productivity habitual; being productive is what they do. This often comes from having effective routines. Not routines that leave an individual brain dead, but routines that enable us to grow, develop, and make the most out of the time we have each day. Adopt a routine of effective productivity for yourself.

Most importantly, don’t just apply what everyone else does verbatim. Explore. Use trial and error learning for a while and then do what is right for you. Do what helps you to be most productive. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all, but you have to start somewhere with productive goals and routines to help get there.

Lastly, go back to your SMART goals that we started back in the summer months as you were planning for this upcoming Fall and Spring. Look not only at your goals as far as groups and production in that way, but also breaks, time off, and other “meaningful” things that help you re-charge along the way. Did you read a new book? Did you listen to a new inspirational podcast? Did you write 3 thank you notes? Did you send an encouraging email to a co-worker or customer? Did you smile today?

Those, my friends, are accomplishments, too.