Member Article

Resource management tips for homes and businesses

Managing the resources we have available to us at work or at home, is something that we all have to go through at one point or the other. Managing time, saving money, making use of different employees for different tasks, depending upon their skillset, is not an art we are born with, but it is a science that we can learn and perfect. But like everything with learning, you have to put it to practical use to perfect it. When it comes to learning, people opt for different approaches. Some prefer, on the job learning, some prefer training, but whatever approach you pick for yourself, you need to make sure you end up learning how to manage the resources at your disposal to run an effective home or a business. So without wasting anymore time, let’s just dive straight in, and see for ourselves what we can do to manage resources effectively at both, work and at home.

Develop an outline:

Before we talk about managing and preserving resources, you need to realize that not everything we plan, will happen exactly as we planned it. But that also doesn’t mean that you cannot prepare an outline of the things that you have to do and compare those things with the resources you have available to you. This strategy is true for both, your home and your business. You cannot and should not, start working on a project before determining the things you’ll need to complete the project, the time it will take you, and the effort you’ll have to put in.

Budget the budget:

Monetary funds are the second most important resource you have available to you, hence you need to take special consideration when budgeting. Of course, a lot of different resources help you achieve your target, such as manpower, skills, etc. But all these resources can be rented, or the project can be outsourced, and that would cost you money. In such situations, you need to plan your budget very concisely. You can make use of special budgeting tools that are readily available on the web, and this will help you be as prepared as possible. You can even look for discounted prices on the internet for stuff you are thinking about buying, there are tons of coupons available, and this can really lighten the load on your monthly budget.

Managing the Human resource:

Your employees are the engine of your business, just like how the members of your family are the engine of your home. And just like how an engine drives your locomotive and serves its primary purpose, you are also required to take special care of the engine, keep it churning and healthy. Same goes for your human resource, and a healthy workforce/family would do wonders for the effective running of your business or your home.

Managing TIME:

Time is the most valuable resource, and the one resource you cannot replace with anything else. Manpower can be bought, money can be borrowed, but time is precious and irreplaceable. So it makes sense to plan your activities and projects with respect to time. Before taking on a new project for your business, or breaking down that wall in your house, make sure you plan it in accordance with the time. Again, it is not always possible to perfectly predict and plan everything, but planning it thoroughly will put you two steps ahead of the curve if not at the finish line.

Prepare for the worst:

Preparing for utter chaos is part of the fun of managing your resources. Consider this, you plan your project, every step of the way, but still, somewhere somehow, one thing goes haywire and creates a chain reaction that causes a tailspin. Don’t worry about it, because worrying can derail your performance, but be prepared. Prepare for a situation like this firsthand.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Deborah Belford .