Chocolaty Deliciousness, Time Management, and 5 Website Mistakes to Avoid

Chocolate Wow: The Most Delicious Job in the World

“There’s something super sexy about chocolate,” Erika Jensen said. Jensen is the head chocolatier at The Chocolate Season, an artisanal chocolate shop based in Iowa that she founded. In her former life, Jensen worked as a marketing associate. But, she wasn’t happy. So, she flew to Europe, dove deep into chocolate culture there, and brought all she learned (and loved) back home to the Midwest.

Customers can expect the unexpected at The Chocolate Season. Each and every flavor arose from a certain moment in Jensen’s personal life. “Some people get tattoos,” she said. “I create chocolate.”

The challenges she overcomes, from being located in a rural community to getting connected to the “right” chocolate guys—it’s all worth it. Why? Because when you love something as much as Jensen loves chocolate, you’ll never feel like you’re working a day in your life.

Mama’s always Right, 6 ways to make the best of your time

As a tool, technology was supposed to help us free up more time. The dishwasher. The word processing application. Heck, we could even throw “sliced bread” in with this list! But now, technology is holding us “more captive than ever.” Jessica Hoffmann, a lawyer and a mother, pinpoints the six ways that you’re probably wasting time.

1.) Stop having meetings.

“Large meetings,” Hoffmann explains, “in particular, are rarely useful as the collective time of all the people in the room.” She’s got a point. Instead, she suggests targeted meetings on very specific topics.

2.) Find the right way to communicate.

Long story short: when you think you’re sending off a quick email, you may actually save everyone some time when you pick up the phone instead. Non-verbal cues, which can get lost in the grand scheme of technology, also play a part in getting your point across.

3.) Do what you’re good at. Delegate the rest.

You’d be surprised at how much more you’re willing to tackle when it’s actually what you want to do.

4.) Find a calendar system that works for you and use it.

Document everything on this calendar. Prep time. Exercising. Agenda items. Reminders. And, even your down time at the end of the day.

5.) Do away with inefficiency.

Stop making extra work with all the extra steps. If you can do it once, do it once and be done with it.

6.) Guard your own time.

Determine your priorities. Then, guard those precious hours that belong to you. Don’t let other duties encroach on that time. This also encourages you to get your work-work done on time so it’s not eating into your time at home with your family.

Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes On Your Website

Before a customer ever steps foot into your brick and mortar store, your website will speak volumes about who you are. A poor first impression, based on a website, can influence who will actually come into your store and who will choose to shop at someplace else entirely.

Make sure that you’ve got these ideas all implemented on your own business website so you can be certain you’re putting your best foot forward on the world wide web.

1. You don’t have to fork over an arm and a leg.

A website doesn’t have to have a million bells and whistles. A simple and attractive layout clearly defining your brand with correct information can be all you need.

2. Don’t pay a large recurring fee.

Sites that charge you large fees to maintain your site (and throw in extra add-ons) may not be necessary. What they’re selling to you may be available in free or no-cost options if you incorporated these tools and features on your own.

3. Don’t be sloppy.

What you do post on your site, make sure the information is correct. This should include contact information, location, and your operating hours. For any adjustments, make correcting edits frequently.

4. How’s your URL?

The question here is...will your customers remember the URL you chose? Maybe the URL you really wanted was taken by someone else on the other side of the state? Whatever you decide on, make sure your website URL is simple and intuitive.

5. How does your website format for mobile? For tablets? For desktops?

With all the variety in computers, smartphones, and tablets in our market today, you should do your homework and make sure your website appears “normal” on each of these devices. Different sized screens can make for bizarre formats, which will turn off potential customers.

If you’ve already launched your website, now may be the time to do some clean up. If you’ve yet to launch, consider getting honest feedback from as many friends and colleagues as you can for. The more eyeballs on a brand spanking new website, the better.