Have you ever sat down to look something up on the Internet and the next thing you know it’s two hours later and you still haven’t found the answer you were looking for? It’s easy to do. You start a search and one thing leads to another, suddenly you’re swimming in information. If you’re lucky it pertains to your original question. For the unlucky, you’ve gotten completely distracted and are now researching something else entirely. It’s frustrating, it’s time consuming and for a small business it’s often a detour they can ill afford. The same can be said about your stuff whether business inventory or not. We spend a lot of time looking for things. That's why Canvus built Stockpile - free online inventory software.
By now you have a favorite search engine. Your ‘Go To’ look-up for information. Before you start typing away, consider your query carefully. Often it’s the wording of your search terms that gets you off track. Throw your net too wide and you risk pulling all sorts of sites that will muddy the waters. Don’t make your search too detailed though, or you could end up excluding some sites that hold the answers you seek. Just like Google, our free online inventory software includes a suggestive search that will help you find things even when you can't remember exactly how they're spelled.
When your results pop up, scan the page. Are there any sites that you are familiar with? Prior experience can help you determine whether the results are likely to be helpful or not. Never visited any of them before? There are other ways to assess how likely they are to contain the type of info that you’re looking for. Do you recognize the website name? Depending on your question a governmental or educational site might be a great resource. Try those options first, before clicking on the first link in the list.
Before you start delving into the results, set a time limit. If you only allot fifteen minutes to your search, stick to it. When your time is up, move on to another project. If you have to come back to it later, so be it. If you end up sitting in front of your computer for over an hour, chances are something else is going undone.
Commit to staying focused. Keep a post-it pad next to your computer. When you come across interesting information that doesn’t apply to your current problem or question, make a note so that you can come back to it later. DON’T start reading those pages now. Yes, that knowledge might come in handy later, but it could really cost you now if you get sidetracked.
Delegate. If you feel yourself slipping, ask someone else to follow the new trail of info. This will allow you to stay focused on the initial goal without worrying about missing out on the new thread of information.
Staying focused is key to successfully finding the information you need on the Internet. We have a wealth of information at our fingertips, but we need to control the flow of that information so that we don’t end up sliding down rabbit holes.
Searching for an inventory management solution? You’ve found it. Stockpile is a free online inventory software solution. Plus, it’s amazingly easy to use. Once you enter your data into our free online inventory software, you’ll have plenty of extra time to search for the other business solutions your company needs. Try Stockpile today!
