Staying Focus
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
Staying focus as I navigate through Monday, November 19th. I am going to give you a blow by blow of my life as a web designer on Monday, which is my busiest day. Working as a web designer and brand developer, my Mondays can be challenging.
Today began at 6:45 am as I crawled out of bed, still nursing my sore lower back (helping our youth at my church hand out over 100 Thanksgiving Baskets a few days ago). I put on some coffee and began with my daily prayer and some quiet time. Remembering this is a short week (only schedule to work on Monday, 1/2 day on Tuesday, off on Wednesday and Thursday, and back on Friday [maybe], I began to prepare for my upcoming podcast. We are suppose to launch on December 2nd, working on a transcribe service and calculating all the cost associated with the podcast.
1st task of the morning
Take out a “white index card” and write down all my task for the week. Then I pull out a “blue index card” and write down all my daily task. Having three clients, who I update their sites weekly. I listed them first. Next I wrote down the two projects, which I am working on at this month. One is in the building stage, waiting for content. The other one is close to launching, ran into a small snag and contact my local developer to make a few tweaks to the site. The developer did provide me with a couple of snippets, but the functionality was not what I was looking for. I will place a call to the developer and advise the client of a possible delay. A few potential clients are place on my list, both are re-design projects. Lastly a few potential clients are placed on the list.
Breakfast is fundamental
It is 8:00am, and I will need to run one of my kids school. After a quick stop at Chik-fila drive-thru for some breakfast, a few jokes and mad sprint to my kid’s school. I am greeted with a kind “thanks dad”. Headed back to my office, I think about working on my podcast. I have been working on it for several weeks. It is the editing, which is my obstacles. The though of another item on my menu…but I will need to list it on my white index card.
Regular Monday Items
8:30am – 9:30am – review a few blog post ( I have a ghost writer) for one of my clients. Upload a few sermon for a faith based client of mine, and update weekly calendar. I send an email to them…site is need of re-design, but will probably be a project for the fall. Lastly, I upload a church bulletin for another client and update their facebook page. Baptism is set for this day…church picnic is this Sunday, you need to bring…
Emails, Emails, and more emails
9:30am – 11:30am – review emails. I have close to 100 emails. Some of them are client issues, others are junk mail, and still others are brand opportunity. I delete junk mail emails, takes me about 10 minutes. I have 43 emails of substance, most are update this page of my site. I connect to amazon music and listen to some Michael Franks and began knocking out my client’s issues.
Crisis Mode
11:30am – 1:00pm – I have standing meeting on Tuesday for all of my current project. I call my local developer on one of my projects. He did not send me the correct snippet. It should be in my possession within a few days. I email the client to give him a update on the project, hoping my client will not be upset by the delays. The client emails me a nice thank you for the update. Next I am finishing up some wire frames on my other project, making sure the site map makes sense. Feeling a little bit hungry, I head off to Wendy’s for a 4 for $4.00.
Finally some me time
1:00pm – 2:00pm – Lunch time and short nap.
Client issue
2:00pm – 2:30pm – I receive a call from one of my projects. The client wants to make sure the wire frames make sense. I am asked to provide the wire frames. They want a status of the project. We have a standing meeting on Tuesday, but I make sure to answer all the client’s questions. I will email them the wire frames later.
Why am I doing this?
2:30pm – 3:00pm – moving a client’s emails from Godaddy to Zoho. The move was actually done over the weekend. I need to do a few test and look at Zoho’s interface. I will be having a training session. Got to get some documentation for the client…crazy, I am a web designer and brand developer…not an email provider.
Why I love my job
3:00pm – 4:00pm – working on any new emails. I received an email from a MeetUp friend, she having some issues with her web site. After a quick glance, I reached out to her. Hopefully, she can become a client or a few pointers will get her site back in working order. A graphic designer, who I designer his site in 2015…he is inquiry about re-designing his site. Leaving him a message, I will follow up later. Checking my voice message, I have a call from a real estate investor. We spoke about his site last week, I sent him a proposal…I called and left him a voice message.
Three potential jobs/projects for next month…
Time to wrap this day up
4:00pm – 5:30pm – finish all outstanding daily task. Write a couple of blog post, pick up my mail (a few business checks), clear off my calendar. Ready to go home …
Well no Golf today (the weather is actually pretty good for November)…
Image courtesy of Vadim Sherbakov.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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