subject: Online Small Business Owners- Beware Of Your #1 Enemy [print this page] Running an online small business has multiple challenges that can make it sressful and confusing. Online business owners, in an attempt to keep pace with the competition, are on constant alert for new strategies and tactics. Very quickly, because of the abundance of information Online, these business owners become victims of information overload.
The brain acts as a "filtering" mechanism when it comes to sorting out, and storing information. Much information is stored in the conscious mind, where it is readily accessible.
When the quantity and flow of information is manageable, the brain filters out the information that is used for a specific purpose.
However, when the quantity and variety of information is unmanageable, a "dis-connect" occurs within the brain.
We recognize this "dis-connect" as the symptoms of information overload. One such symptom is typically referred to as "overwhelm".
As the name suggests, individuals tend to feel "overwhelmed" when bombarded with too much information. Typically, they feel pulled in many different directions, and are confronted with too many choices.
The end result is they "freeze up" with indecision. This causes their productivity to come virtually to a standstill.
Information overload is a byproduct of the so-called "information age". The Internet makes the availability and transfer of information so abundant and efficient, that we tend to take in too much.
The key is to only gather information on one task at a time. Avoid the temptation to venture off on "tangents" before a task is completed.
A good practice is to list the resources you are going to need for any given project. By listing resources, you are less likely to venture off and gather non relevant information.
