In about 30 minutes a day I can run my entire company, Jet Set Life, from my iPhone. I’ll admit in advance, that most of the set up work to do this took hours of pre-planning, but once that’s done you’re pretty much good to go. In this post, I’ll briefly explain the macro view of how I do things, just to give you an idea of how you can implement the same procedures.
General
1. Processing My Email – I use the pre-loaded iPhone e-mail app and have it set to push from my G-mail account. I have two virtual assistants that shield me from 99% of emails that come in for me. I set a 5 sentence limit on my email responses. So, this process usually takes me about 5-7 minutes per day.
2. Managing Virtual Assistants – I have two VA’s in the Philippines that are outstanding. To manage their projects and our communications I use an app called Note Master. This app allows me to sync with the Google docs that I created for them. They each have two simple documents. The first document is called the “Master List” which is where I have identified their daily tasks and projects that I want them to do. The second doc is called the “Communication Log” which is used for our daily conversations and the random questions that occasionally come up. Each morning I open up the Note Master App and tell it to sync with my Google Docs. I then review only one doc, the “Communication Doc”, to see if there are any questions or concerns that I need to personally handle. There rarely are any. This takes me about 5 minutes.
3. Managing My Web Developer – I have an amazing web developer that I do roughly the same process with using the Note Master app. In his case, “The Master List” serves as the place that I add ideas of how I want to develop the site and “The Communication Log” functions the same way as above. Again, I only review the “Communication Log” for any questions that he has. As long as I’m clear in my instructions in the “Master Doc” there usually aren’t any questions. This process takes me about 5 minutes.
4. Voice Memos – If I find that I can’t communicate quickly and clearly to my VA’s, Web Developers or answer emails in less than 5 sentences I’ll use the “Voice Memo” pre-loaded app. I’ll simply record a better description of what it was that I was trying to say in the communication log. This takes me about 1-2 minutes and is only used occasionally.
5. Managing Multiple Projects – I manage all my projects with an app that’s designed with the “Getting Things Done” philosophy called Things. I only allow myself to work on three projects at any given time. Just three. When more projects come up I simply get them out of my head and on to a separate list inside of the “Things” app called “on deck”. Each morning I only look at the 3 simple projects that I’m working on and choose just 3 “mission critical actions” that I want to do that day towards completing those projects. This process takes me about 10 minutes.
Total Time – Roughly 30 minutes!
Crutch Activities
The following are crutch activities that I do when I’m bored, want to zone or just want to convince myself that I’m actually doing something productive when in reality I’m just being busy.
1. Facebook App – My VA approves all my friends and deletes the prickly hug crap. So, the only thing that’s left for me to do is post a status update. This takes me about 2 minutes.
2. Twitter App – I post the same status update on Twitter as I have on Facebook so whenever I make a Facebook update I simply use the cut and paste feature built into the iPhone to post it to Twitter. I found that the easiest app to do this with is the Twittelator App. This takes me about 1 minute (maybe less).
4. Word Press – I use this app to capture random ideas for future blogs. It has an option to save it locally on the iPhone or upload it directly to word press as a draft. The newer version actually allows you to publish your blog directly to word press from your iPhone. It’s hard to quantify how long it takes me to do this, because I use it whenever I’m feeling an “inspired action”.
3. A Small World – I wish I could share this one with you, but ASW is by invite only. ASW is a really cool social networking site that’s primarily targeted at travelers. I use the app just to check my ASW emails. I generally have only one or two emails per week and use the five sentence max rule for my replies. This takes me about 5 minutes.
So, all in all some days may take me 15 minutes and other days may take me 45 minutes but I probably average about 30 minutes per day Monday- Friday (and never on weekends:)
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We are almost finished with the free version of our Jet Set Life Community. If you want to find out how to get a password just enter your name and email in the above email box and we’ll notify you as soon as it’s ready. It’s looking really cool!
Great to see how a business can be run whilst traveling.
I will have to get onto some of those apps myself.
Great article, but a couple of quick questions. First, this sounds like a great set up, but you have said that when you are overseas you don’t turn on your iPhone. Are you using “iPhone” as a euphemism for that type of connectivity/engagement? Second, specifically about the application – do you run Things on your laptop and sink? Last, are there any business specific applications (as compared to social media applications) that you run from your iPhone?
Thanks for the great content!
Alan
hey rob,
great article! i love your site, the content you provide and the jetsetter lifestyle!
one of the main pillars of your success in my eyes is the quality of your pictures! so…i’d basically like to encourage you to write a blog about that. which camera do you use? do you go over the pics with photoshop or sth.?
you guys always seem to have the perfect light, the perfect angle and positioning in context to backround etc.
i’d love to read a bit where you elaborate on this!
besides that, keep up the good work!
best,
jonas
Awesome! I’m doing pretty much the same thing. Hanging in beautiful Oia, Santorini for the week :)
One small idea… you could have your VA transfer your Facebook status to Twitter
I like your idea of having the VA’s clear out annoying Facebook items.
@Alan,
Thanks for the kinds words. Ok. to your questions…..Yep, when I’m overseas NO phone at all I want to be “in the moment”. So, I have my VA do the best she can managing all of the above things and with one e-mail at the end of the day we review everything (or via a 5min Skype call). Regarding the “Things App” I sync it from my iphone via wifi just by walking in my house and using it. Hope that helps.
@Jonas,
Thanks for the photo comments. Kim is the one who does all of that. Her photos were just selected to run on the front page of CNN Travel. I’m just the guy in the pictures that she makes look good:) She is amazing!
@Phil,
Sound like YOUR living the dream! Enjoy OIa (one of my favorites)!
“1. Facebook App – My VA approves all my friends and deletes the prickly hug crap. So, the only thing that’s left for me to do is post a status update. This takes me about 2 minutes.”
The prickly hug crap! Ha, ha. That appeals to my inner cynic.
Just so you know – there’s an app for Facebook (“Twitter App for Facebook” – apps.facebook.com/twitter/) that allows you to have your FB status update refresh directly from Twitter. That would save you the copy & paste, and now you’ve reduced your daily time to twenty-nine minutes! :-)
Is there a “things” application that is compatible with the blackberry?
I learned a few techniques here. Thanks. I’m always looking for better ways to utilize my iphone in my business. Be more efficient and not one of those people with it glued to their palm.