Communication these days is all too often via the 2D method of email and text messages (also blogs and chat). While not ideal, they provide a quick and easy way to connect and keep in touch but be careful what you say and how you say it. You might think you know what you've said, but have you?

If you're not sure where all your time disappears, keep a log of your time for a week or so. Make a note of everything you do through your normal working day. Answer the following questions to see where you are spending your time in the course of a normal working week.

Perhaps you'd like to spend less time or just be more organised in the way that you do it. Manage your time online in the same way that you manage any other area of your business or social life.

Part of any successful business is building a relationship with your network and any prospective clients. A newsletter can be a useful marketing tool for keeping in touch with them. Reminding them of who you are and what you do and an opportunity to provide added value, let them know about your services and offers.

You know how even the most organised of us find there's always something we can put off and there are things on our 'To-Do' list that never quite make it to the top. Well, how about having a Focus Day? One day in a week or a month when you give yourself the chance to clear these things out once and for all?

How often do we misinterpret what's been said or done, just because we don't know how to communicate properly? Communication is important to many things in life. Make sure you're doing it right.

Eager to please and to be seen to be helpful, we often take on things we'd rather not do or really don't have time for. Learning to say 'No' can be useful when you're feeling overwhelmed or feel you're taking on too much. It's one of the things that many people say is key to enabling them to use their time more effectively.

Emails can be a great time waster and provide a constant distraction throughout the day. If you're going to make the most of your day then one way to increase your productivity is to limit the amount of time you spend on emails.

Balancing work within the home environment can often be difficult. If you're working at home, you may be juggling children, family commitments, running a household and working on your business. Make life easier with these few simple guidelines.

When we communicate with someone we will be doing so on a number of levels, not just the words that we use - tone of voice and body language are also important factors in non-verbal communication.