Working for one of the top Marketers online (David Ledoux) I've been lucky to learn many tips and tricks that can be used in cases of emergency. Like today when I still have the remnants of the flu. One of the first things I learned from David was planning. He plans for just about every or any situation possible. A number of years ago I got a weird request from David.."Chris, I want you to make a list of everything you do in a normal day" please include ...
- urls used
- passwords and user names
- possible situations and how you deal with them
- how to access the customers information, support email and shipping process for products sold.
- in short..everything you do on a normal day.
So at the start of the next morning I opened a new MS Word file and every time I did something I made note of it. By the end of the day I had a full list (very comprehensive) of everything that's done to all 3 websites to function fully, including keeping all customers happy.
The next day I ICQed David to let him know that the file was done. I then proceeded to ask him what was this for, especially since it did slow down my day having to log everything I do. He explained... now you have a clear action plan anyone can follow in the event you have to train someone to do your job or in the event of an emergency you can call in a temp or have someone from a different department come to cover for you.
Since then I've used that list 4 times... when we went on a family vacation to Disney In Orlando, when we went to the Bahamas, when my wife and I went to Varadero on vacation and most recently - yesterday. As mentioned in my previous blog entry I was taken down by the flu..so all I had to do was cal one of programmers and he was able to fill in for me with the help of that work list I created years ago.
Create an action list today, it will come in handy. But be sure to keep this under "lock and key" since if it's like the one I use, it contains vital passwords and access information for secure databases.
Regards
Chris
Chris De La Rosa is a work from home dad who manages Genuinejobs.com where users have free access to vacant work from home, telecommute, freelance and contract jobs You can also get help with your resume, cover letter and tips on a successful job interview. You can also read my daily entries at my blog, A work from home dad's story.
AP - The United Auto Workers said Wednesday it is willing to change its contracts with U.S. automakers and accept delayed payments of billions of dollars to a union-run health care trust to do its part to help the struggling companies secure $34 billion in government loans.
AP - President-elect Barack Obama signaled a clear desire Wednesday to use a significant portion of $700 billion in financial bailout funds to stanch foreclosures by helping struggling homeowners with their mortgages. "The deteriorating assets in the financial markets are rooted in the deterioration of people being able to pay their mortgages and stay in their homes," he said.
AP - Police searching a mound of baggage abandoned amid the carnage of the attack on Mumbai's main train station found two bombs Wednesday nearly a week after they were left there by gunmen in a stunning new example of the botched security that has become a major issue in India since the three-day siege.
AP - Still popular in Florida, former Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that he's interested in the seat Sen. Mel Martinez is giving up, and the field of possible candidates could quickly narrow to make way for the president's younger brother.
AP - Ordered to get inside and stay down, Oregon tourist Clyde Thornburg heard the pirates' rifle shots hit the side of the luxury cruise liner "Pop! Pop! Pop!" then felt the ship speed up to escape.
AP - The aunt and one-time guardian of an emaciated and shackled 17-year-old has been arrested, as police tried to determine how she knew the couple accused of holding the teen against his will for nearly a year.
AP - What does a teenage brain on Google look like? Do all those hours spent online rewire the circuitry? Could these kids even relate better to emoticons than to real people? These sound like concerns from worried parents. But they're coming from brain scientists.
AP - A prosecutor alleged Wednesday that Jennifer Hudson's brother-in-law killed three family members because he was angry his estranged wife the singer's sister was dating another man.
AP - Dustin Pedroia has a Rookie of the Year award, an MVP, a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger and, of course, a World Series ring.
Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama said on Wednesday struggling automakers have put forward a "more serious" restructuring proposal to Congress but withheld judgment on the plans until hearings are held.
Reuters - Record declines in the vast U.S. and European service sectors and more grim U.S. employment news on Wednesday sparked fear of an economic "free fall," setting up another round of aggressive interest rate cuts.
Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pressed Pakistan to cooperate fully in the probe into the Mumbai attacks but she also warned India against any action that could stoke regional conflict.
Reuters - All options were on the table on Wednesday as congressional committees scrutinized auto company restructuring proposals and an urgent appeal for $34 billion in aid ahead of make-or-break hearings.
Reuters - Senate Democrats will be able to do plenty over the next two years -- despite falling just short of their goal of winning a majority big enough to end Republican procedural roadblocks.
Reuters - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is weighing whether to ask Congress for the remaining $350 billion of the financial bailout fund, with White House aides approaching President-elect Barack Obama's transition team about the idea, an Obama aide said on Wednesday.
Reuters - A string of departures by the U.S. military's allies in Iraq is turning into an exodus as violence subsides and the end of a U.N. mandate permitting their deployment to the country approaches.
AFP - India on Wednesday warned that all options were open in dealing with Pakistan after last week's attacks on Mumbai, as the United States pressured Islamabad to show urgent cooperation with the probe.
AFP - Baton-wielding riot police broke up protests in Harare and detained dozens Wednesday, as the death toll of a cholera epidemic neared 600 in Zimbabwe's worsening health and economic crises.
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