Personal Productivity Expert
COMPANY NEWS
404-492-8197
worksmart   at  peggyduncan.com

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How to Create, Build, and Manage a YouTube Channel Using Your Own Videos A video is worth a thousand photos and is the perfect medium to showcase your talent, build excitement for an event, promote your cause or business, or preserve precious memories. This seminar will help you get started. [January 23, 2012] Peggy Duncan, a personal productivity expert and international conference speaker, will present at the Freelance Forum on marketing with videos and building a YouTube channel. The event is Thursday, February 2, 2012, 6:30pm-8:30pm at Professional Photo Resources, 667 11th St. NW, Atlanta, GA. Admission is free for members and $15 for guests (cash or check at the door).   “I became obsessed with making videos of computer tips when I realized the majority of my Website traffic was coming from my YouTube channel. I started teaching people how to build a channel after I realized there is a lot more to YouTube than just uploading videos. I was already teaching do-it-yourself search engine optimization (SEO) so this was a natural fit. I hope to shorten the audience's learning curve by sharing what I've learned, and will keep it plain and simple,” says Duncan. ...read more   Peggy Duncan to Lead Seminar on Do-It-Yourself Search Engine Optimization at Meetings Quest Atlanta 2010 Meeting planners learn how to get found online without spending one red cent - explained in plain English. Over 300 meeting and event professionals will attend this year's one-day conference and trade show, Meetings Quest, on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency, 8:00AM – 4:00PM. Atlanta personal productivity expert and founder of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute, Peggy Duncan, will conduct a seminar titled, “How to Promote Your Events or Your Business Using Free Web 2.0 Tools.” For details and to register, visit www.MeetingsQuest.com, and click Sign Up Now. Seminar details are here http://bit.ly/ctlf5L. “Whether you want to recruit new members, get new clients, or sell out an event, you must get found online. You can use free Web technologies and software you already have to boost your organic search engine rankings and spread the word about your efforts. My presentation will focus on do-it-yourself ideas for SEO (search engine optimization). I’ll also demonstrate how to use PowerPoint® to create marketing collateral for everything from a YouTube channel background to a postcard,” Duncan says. Meetings Quest Atlanta is open to all qualified meeting professionals and will start with a breakfast, Duncan’s seminar, a luncheon with a keynote from Joe Murtagh, The Dream Speaker, and an exhibit hall that will showcase various properties and exciting destinations. A networking event will follow. Since 1984, Meetings Quest has provided a one-day trade show event specifically designed for the busy meeting professional. Visit Meetings Quest Atlanta for more details and to register.   I LOVE Email Campaign to Reduce Email Overload Personal productivity expert and author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2007, Peggy Duncan, is launching the I LOVE Email Campaign on October 1, 2010. The purpose of the campaign, which is set to run until December 1, is to get users to focus on the good things about email, get to the source of the frustration, and develop solutions that make a real difference. “Email gets a bum rap. People complain about it all the time. Email itself is not the problem, but rather your bad email habits and management.” This training series will focus on that, along with timesaving tips and tricks in Outlook that will boost your productivity. You’ll save hours of wasted time and effort,” says Duncan, founder of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute. The steps toward learning to love email include:   Appreciate the good it does and the time it saves. Reduce the load with better management. Improve the company email culture with better habits. Learn how to use the software, not just upgrade it. The campaign will consist of a national media and training tour and a series of highly interactive workshops beginning in August. Workshops will be held most Tuesdays at The Digital Breakthroughs Institute in Atlanta. Companies can also schedule training at their location, a Webinar, or a seminar at various national events. Duncan is also the author of The Time Management Memory Jogger™, Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself Search Engine Optimization (a booklet), Up to Speed on Your BlackBerry® (a booklet), and Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in PowerPoint. She has appeared on CNN, TODAY, Black Enterprise Business Report, the US Virgin Islands PBS affiliate, and Good Day Atlanta. She is the national spokesperson for the AT&T Cordless Headset, and her expertise has been cited in Fortune Small Business, O-The Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Essence, Fitness, Self, Men’s Health, Black Enterprise, Entrepreneur, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and more. She was formally trained at IBM where she was recognized by the chairman for streamlining processes that saved the company close to a million dollars a year. The Digital Breakthroughs Institute is a technology and productivity training center located in Atlanta, Georgia, five minutes from the main airport. Classes are taught by experts who are also dynamic presenters. Most classes are one day and scheduled regularly at www.DigitalBreakthroughs.com. Duncan is available for interviews via any medium. To schedule, call 404-492-8197. Talking points are available.   Open House Success for The Digital Breakthroughs Institute [Atlanta GA, September 11, 2009] Atlanta personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, celebrated the opening of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute (DBI), a facility focusing on technology and productivity training for small business owners and professionals. Attendees included members from a new Meetup group, Technology Users Southside Atlanta, Duncan has organized, as well as Gary Young from College Park's Department of Economic Development. An official grand opening and ribbon cutting is being planned. Al Anderson, CEO, Anderson Communications (l) and Gary Young (r) from the Office of Economic Development, College Park GA. Maurice Threatt (doorway), DBI's director of sales, and other friends and Meetup members look on as Duncan explains DBI's mission. MEDIA CONTACT: K Joyner at 404 492 8197, or Peggy Duncan at 404 492 8197, pr a /t digitalbreakthroughs.com.   Peggy Duncan Selected as Finalist for Atlanta Business League's 25th Anniversary Super Tuesday Conference [Atlanta GA, September 1, 2009] Atlanta personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, received notice today that she has been selected as a finalist for the 2009 Super Tuesday Awards scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, from 8:00AM - 4:00 PM at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, 265 Peachtree Center Avenue. Her category is Creative Style which recognizes the female entrepreneur who has used the most creative techniques in sales, marketing, or advertising as a method to business growth. The Atlanta Business League Super Tuesday Conference is a program designed to host business owners and professionals, especially women, from throughout the metro Atlanta community. The conference provides workshops and training for participants and recognizes African-American female business owners and professionals from all walks of life during an awards luncheon. Duncan, who will also present a social media seminar (Are you in the Game?  Activate your Social Network; it’s how we Do Business) at the event, is the founder of The Digital Breakthroughs Institute (DBI), whose mission is to provide hands-on, highly interactive workshops for small business owners who want to improve their technology skills and boost their productivity. The Atlanta Business League was established in 1933 as an affiliate of the National Business League which was founded by Dr. Booker T. Washington. Their mission is to provide economic empowerment and business development opportunities for minorities throughout the metropolitan Atlanta area with specific emphasis on the development of African-American businesses. More information is at www.AtlantaBusinessLeague.org. MEDIA CONTACT: K Joyner at 770 907 8868, or Peggy Duncan at 404 492 8197, pr a /t digitalbreakthroughs.com.   I Got Mad, Tweeted, and Ended Up on CNN: Healthcare Reform and Pre-Existing Conditions Don't underestimate the power of the Internet, a blog, or tweet. They move news like wildfire and reach people you'd never otherwise get to. From a tweet to the interview of a lifetime. Yes. I am totally with President Obama on healthcare reform and wish the naysayers would stop whining so we can get this done. I want the food industry to make food healthier and stop putting salt, sugar, and steroids in our food. I want individuals to get more serious about the food, drink, and abusive substances they put in their bodies. I want a national movement of people walking and exercising. And I want all companies in the healthcare industry to examine every process, procedure, and technology solution so they operate more efficiently (then pass those savings onto us). I Got Mad and Tweeted I sent a tweet the other day because I was mad when I happened to turn on the TV and listened to people with $40 million dollar salaries talk about there being no need for a public option for healthcare for regular people like me. Here’s the tweet that started all this. "15 years since pre-existing condition and Kaiser still tells me no. I can pay for insurance and can’t get it. Damn right I want reform." Later, I tweeted this: "My President is trying to get insurance for me. First thing out of Bill OReillys $40million mouth is that it’s rhetoric." Well, little did I know that CNN was looking for regular, ordinary, hard-working Americans to interview who are in my situation. They called, and I didn’t hesitate. Well, I did a little bit. I don’t usually discuss my personal life outside my immediate family. People who have been knowing me for years had no idea that I’m a breast cancer survivor. The 15 years in the tweet was where I was the last time Kaiser turned me down. That was two years ago, so now I’m a 17-year survivor. I was glad I’d decided to do the show when I received this tweet from a follower: "Serious Q because of what you do -like me-don’t you pay for your own ins? Then why do “we” need the GOV to do it for you or me?" This was my response to her. I didn’t hear back. "The gov won’t pay all for people like me who can afford it. I want to pay but I have a pre-existing condition and am denied." Obtaining viable health insurance is not like going to the store with money and picking out what you need and getting it. Once you’ve had the audacity to get sick, you’re too much of a risk for the insurance companies, and having the money to pay the premiums won’t matter. You can see the interview and join in the lively discussion at http://newsroom.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/24/pre-existing-conditions-what-if-youre-already-sick/ Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert and travels internationally helping busy professionals spend less time working but get more done. She is also the author of Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR; The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. She maintains an award-winning technology blog at www.SuiteMinute.com. For more information about her books, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com/learnmore.htm. Media Contact: Kim Joyner 404 492 8197-Eastern pr a/t PeggyDuncan.com AND http://Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan AND http://www.PeggyDuncan.com   Use PowerPoint to Design Twitter and YouTube Skins How-to videos just released on how to customize a Twitter background using PowerPoint [Atlanta GA, July 7, 2009] Peggy Duncan wanted a customized Twitter background and did what she always does when she has a graphics project. Whether she needs a postcard or CD label, PowerPoint is her graphics software. Duncan's colleagues are often amazed at what she can do with PowerPoint. "A graphic designer will laugh at me for using PowerPoint for everything, but it works, and it's flexible. I can create anything I need. When you're designing something like a skin for Twitter or YouTube, you're very limited with spacing. But PowerPoint is so flexible and easy to tweak, I can get what I need fairly easily," says Duncan, a PowerPoint fanatic and author of Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in PowerPoint 2003. Duncan received so many inquiries about her designs that she recorded a series of how-to videos using Camtasia. They can be found on her YouTube channel, www.YouTube.com/DigitalBreakThroughs (the YouTube skin was also created using PowerPoint). Most people already have this software and with a few clicks can create any art project. The slides can be resized and saved as jpgs or PNGs at 96 dpi. Software such as rNr Image Exporter can increase the resolution so that it's high enough for printing. Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert and travels internationally helping busy professionals spend less time working but get more done. She is also the author of Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR; The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. She maintains an award-winning technology blog at www.SuiteMinute.com. For more information about her books, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com/learnmore.htm.   Media Contact: Kim Joyner 404 492 8197-Eastern pr a/t PeggyDuncan.com AND http://Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan AND http://www.PeggyDuncan.com   PR Professionals Learn How Solopreneur Gets Major Press On Her Own "I see you everywhere." That's what people say to Peggy Duncan when they see her tips in major newspapers and magazines. How does she do it? PR professionals will learn how. [Atlanta GA, May 4, 2009] The Public Relations Society of America New York Chapter (PRSA NY) is hosting the T3 PR Conference 2009: Theory, Tactics and Technology for High-Tech Public Relations and Awards for Excellence in Technology Journalism. The one-day event will be held in New York at 101 River Views, 101 Sixth Avenue on June 9, 2009, from 7:30AM-6:30PM. Details and registration are on the PRSA Website. Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, will conduct a seminar titled, "SEO and PR: How to help the Media and Search Engines Find You Online." Duncan will share how a do-it-yourselfer has garnered international publicity without being a PR professional. "Journalists find me in Google. I've done all the right things to show up on the first page of organic results without spending one red cent with pay-per-click. I'll let them in on everything I've done to make this happen," Duncan says. Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert and travels internationally helping busy professionals spend less time working but get more done. She is also the author of Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR; The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. She maintains an award-winning technology blog at www.SuiteMinute.com. For more information about her books, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com/learnmore.htm. PRSA is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals, with more than 20,000 members in every field -- from agency and corporate practitioners to those at nonprofit organizations. In 1995, a number of PR counselors working at technology organizations saw the need for a dedicated section serving communications professionals engaged in technology-related practices. Media Contact: Kim Joyner 404 492 8197-Eastern pr a/t PeggyDuncan.com AND http://Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan AND http://www.PeggyDuncan.com   President Obama Should Limit His BlackBerry Use Now That He's Survived Without It President Obama had a mountain of issues to deal with in his first 100 days, and not having his BlackBerry helped him stay focused. Time management expert, Peggy Duncan, doesn't want the President to get sucked back into his BlackBerry addiction. [May 5, 2009, Atlanta GA] It's old news that President Barack Obama was addicted to his BlackBerry. "Now that he's had to live without it, he's benefited in ways he may not have realized," says Peggy Duncan, a time management expert who teaches people how to manage email overload. Duncan, author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003, offers the following benefits she believes the President has experienced since being forced to live without his BlackBerry. Did his best work because he was more focused. Once the President's addiction was in check, he was better able to complete a thought, finish what he started, and pay more attention to what counted. He has some serious messes to lead us out of and his total attention is needed to do that. Got back ability to concentrate. The President no longer gets distracted the instant something rings, beeps, or buzzes. He is no longer walking down the street and taking a chance of bumping into poles and people while he's thumbing and scrolling. "Yes, he's brilliant and can manage several things at once, but to lead us out of this mess, his brain cells are in overdrive and we can not afford for him to waste a single one. The results of his more focused efforts speak for themselves," Duncan says. Showed staff he trusted them. He was not always “on” so his team felt more confident about believing they could get things done without letting him know their every move. Everyone should be trained well enough to make good decisions based on well thought-out processes and procedures.This being the case, it's OK to miss an email or two. Listened more intently. With the ringing and buzzing gone, President Obama was able to listen and get it right the first time instead of having to double-back or double-check. People come at him with everything they've got so not having the BlackBerry distraction leaves nothing to chance. Made others around him feel more worthy. The most important person in the room is the one you’re with. I would not want the President appearing disrespectful by not being fully engaged. It's best to turn the BlackBerry off in all meetings. "You're the boss, Mr. President, and no one will say anything, but trust me, it doesn't make people feel good when you ease your BlackBerry under the table and peek. People want your undivided attention as a sign of respect. And don't even think about leaving it on once you're in your private quarters," Duncan adds. Slept better at night. Once President Obama stopped sleeping with his beloved BlackBerry under his pillow, he was able to get a good night’s sleep and feel more refreshed in the morning. "The President has already proven that life goes on without the BlackBerry. You can do it too. People such as 9-1-1 operators, receptionists, specialists for medical emergencies, and high-level technicians on call may have to be available the instant something rings, beeps, buzzes, or dings, but why do you? As much as I love email, I don't want to be tied to it 24/7/365. If you’ve got it so bad that your work and home life suffer, box up your BlackBerry and ship it to yourself with 3-5 day ground delivery. When you get it back, you’ll be more sensible with it. And every time you start to feel the urge to overindulge, ship it again," says Duncan. Peggy Duncan is time management expert who combines improving personal productivity with tips and tricks using Microsoft(R) Outlook with the BlackBerry. Visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com for time-saving strategies. For more help with an email addiction, visit her technology blog at http://www.SuiteMinute.com for 15 ways to beat it. Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197-Eastern, pr a/t PeggyDuncan.com, http://Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan and http://www.PeggyDuncan.com   Widget Calculates How Much Free Time You Have Every Week Peggy Duncan wanted an easy way for her clients to calculate how much free time they have after doing mandatory tasks so she created a widget that does the math. [April 12 2009] One of the first things personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, does in her time management workshops is have attendees calculate how much free time they have once all the mandatory tasks (e.g., getting dressed for work) are completed. Now instead of pulling out a calculator or trying to remember elementary math, busy professionals who attend her training can turn to a widget (a small computer application) to add it all up. "I got the idea when I was trying to develop some type of viral marketing program for my business. I found a programmer using the Website, www.Elance.com, to create a Flash file. After that, I used the technology at www.Widgetbox.com to turn the file into a widget. It's viral because with the click of a button, anyone can add the widget to their Website or blog. The widget links back to my Website," says Duncan. Duncan's award-winning technology blog, www.SuiteMinute.com, has a sample of the widget, which is customizable to fit the look and feel of a user's site. "And once you figure out how much free time you actually have, my blog and time management training that includes computer tips and tricks will help you create even more free time," says Duncan. Duncan says she uses this type of creative thinking to ensure her site stays at the top of Google's organic search results for her expertise. She shares her ideas with other small business owners in an ebook and seminar titled, Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR. Get Found Online. "I'm always getting great press for free that people spend thousands of dollars to land. Journalists find me when they search for my expertise. I'm very diligent about making sure I stay on the first page of most major search engines with my do-it-yourself search engine optimization know-how," Duncan adds. For tips and more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com. ---------------------------------------------------- Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com www.Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan   Peggy Duncan's Blog, SuiteMinute, Wins "Top Business Blog" [February 4, 2009] Bill Jula, CEO & Co-Founder of Fast Pitch!, announced that SuiteMinute, Peggy Duncan's business and technology blog,  has been awarded "Top Business Blog" as part of a recent competition. A thousand businesses across nine categories participated. The honor was based on a combination of open voting and an expert panel of judges. Fast Pitch! is an active social network for business professionals to connect with friends, colleagues and customers and share content about their business.As one of the fastest growing social networks for business professionals, Fast Pitch! has connected millions of businesses across the world and provided a simple and intuitive way for professionals to enhance their online presence. ---------------------------------------------------- Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com www.Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan   Time Management Training for Executive Women Includes Computer Tips and Tricks With staff reductions and increased workloads, executive women need a break. Non-traditional time management training that includes computer tips could be the answer. [January 29, 2009] Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, will conduct time management training at Black Enterprise magazine's 4th Annual Women of Power Summit on Friday, February 13, 2009 at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes, Orlando. The training, titled "Stop the Clock! Mastering Time Management," will be customized for C-level executive women and will include tips on getting organized, setting goals, and streamlining work processes. In addition, Duncan, also a computer trainer, will demo tips and tricks in the Microsoft  Office suite that will help busy executives finish work quicker. Duncan travels internationally helping teams develop faster, smarter ways to work. She was formally trained at IBM and was recognized by the chairman for improving processes that saved the company close to a million dollars a year. She’s the author of several books, including: The Time Management Memory Jogger™; Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in PowerPoint 2003; and an ebook, Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR. Get Found Online. For more information, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com. To register for the leadership summit, visit http://www.BlackEnterprise.com/events. ---------------------------------- Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com www.Twitter.com/PeggyDuncan   Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR. Get Found Online. New ebook from Peggy Duncan   In the two weeks that it took Peggy Duncan to write this ebook, she received calls from Fitness, Essence, Success, Black Enterprise, and Madison (Australia) magazines. She did not call, write, fax, or email any of them. They contacted her. [December 22 2008, Atlanta GA]   "I see you everywhere. Who does your PR?" This is a question Peggy Duncan hears often. Her answer is always the same: "Search engines are my PR agency. That's how journalists find me." Peggy Duncan announced today that she has published all of her secrets to how she shows up on first page organic searches without paying one red cent. She does not profess to be a search engine optimization expert so don't expect a lot of technical talk. She does not have any insider knowledge of how search engine rankings work. But something she's done has been right because when you search her expertise (personal productivity expert, time management expert, email expert), she's there on the first page, often commanding the top spot. How did she do it? It's all in her new ebook, Shameless Self-Promotion: Do-It-Yourself PR. Get Found Online. For more information on the ebook and accompanying eSeminar, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com. Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert and travels internationally helping busy professionals spend less time working but get more done. She is also the author of The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. For free tips, visit her blog at www.SuiteMinute.com. To request an interview or speaking engagement, see contact information above. ###   --------------------- Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com   Meeting Professionals International Potomac Chapter selected Peggy Duncan to demo computer tips and tricks at 2008 MACE [November 21 2008, Atlanta GA] Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, will present two computer seminars at the 2008 annual conference for the Potomac Chapter of Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on December 9 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Duncan's sessions include: "Excel Magic! Easier Ways to Remake-Update-Navigate" and also "Create Marketing Collateral Using PowerPoint and Outlook." MACE! 2008 is built upon a program foundation featuring educational tracks for every level. Whether you’re new to the meetings industry or steeped in experience, you’ll find sessions addressing critical industry issues presented by experts from across the country. Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert, business consultant, and professional speaker. She's the author of several books including: The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. For more information and tips, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com and http://www.SuiteMinute.com. To interview Peggy, contact her directly at 404 492 8197 (Eastern) or worksmart (at)  PeggyDuncan.com. Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the meeting and event industry’s largest and most vibrant global community, helps members thrive by providing human connections to knowledge and ideas, relationships, and marketplaces. MPI membership is comprised of more than 24,000 members belonging to 69 chapters and clubs worldwide. For additional information, visit mpiweb.org. ### ...................... Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com Peggy Duncan to speak at Essence Magazine's 2008 Women Shaping the World Leadership Summit in New York [October 14 2008, Atlanta GA] Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, has been selected to serve on a panel at Essence Magazine's Women Shaping the World Leadership Summit to be held at the Marriott Marquis in Manhattan on October 24, 2008. Duncan will serve on a panel titled, "When to Say Yes and When to Say No," along with personal coach, Valorie Burton. Sheryl Hilliard-Tucker, Executive Editor at Time, Inc., is the moderator. Others on the agenda include Star Jones, Cookie Johnson, Roland Martin, Robin Roberts, Suzanne De Passe, Michelle Singletary, Tasha Smith, Pamela Mitchell, Andrew Morrison, and more. Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert, business consultant, and professional speaker. She's the author of several books including: The Time Management Memory Jogger(TM); Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003; and Just Show Me Which Button to Click in PowerPoint 2003. For more information and tips, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com and http://www.SuiteMinute.com. To interview Peggy, contact her directly at 404 492 8197 (Eastern) or worksmart (at)  PeggyDuncan.com. ESSENCE is Where Black Women Come First for news, entertainment and motivation. ESSENCE occupies a special place in the hearts of millions of Black women–its not just a magazine but her most trusted confidante, a brand that has revolutionized the magazine industry and has become a cultural institution in the African-American community. Founded in 1968, Essence Communications Inc. (ECI) launched ESSENCE, the ground-breaking magazine created exclusively for African-American women in 1970. ..................... Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com   Will the NCAA tournaments cause a dip in productivity in the workplace? It depends [March 14 2008, Atlanta GA] If you're going to get caught up in the festivities of the NCAA tournaments next week, remember that the work still has to get done. Since most people work like machines when they know they'll be off, how about pretending that you're going on vacation next week.   Will there be a dip in productivity? It depends.   Slackers will use this as an excuse to do less work. If they're surfing the net, talking sports all day, handling personal business now, they'll just do more of it next week.   Conscientious employees will continue to meet goals, beat deadlines, and service the customer.   If you're going to require less of them next week, you should require more from them this week.   -------------- Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert and author of Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want. She is available for last-minute interviews. Her expertise has been cited on/in the TODAY show, Black Enterprise Business Report, O The Oprah Magazine, Inc, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Money, and more. She was formally trained at IBM and was recognized for streamlining processes that saved her department close to a million dollars a year.  ............................. Media Contact Media Contact: Kim Joyner, 404 492 8197 Eastern or Email: pr a/t PeggyDuncan dot com     New class on using search engines to increase personal productivity Teaser: Reggie had spent two weeks stressed out and getting behind in his work. For some reason Outlook would receive email, but he couldn't reply. He'd called everyone he could think of for help. Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, told him to Google the error message. Problem solved. Duncan then sat down and wrote a list of all the ways she uses search engines to increase her productivity. A new class was born. ATLANTA, GA [August 26 2007]. With the right clicks inside of a powerful search engine, you can find just about anything you need. But like any other computer software, you'll have to stop long enough to learn the best way to use it. Personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, has developed a new class to help busy people discover ways to get things done with the help of search engines. This training is part of her standard offering to corporations and association conventions. She's also going to offer the training as a Webinar. "I use search engines all day to find all kinds of information. I thought everybody did. I wrote a list of 17 ways I use search engines to work smarter, and a new seminar that will help people spend less time working but get more done was born," says Duncan.   Takeaways Learn special features of a search engine and find anything faster.   Uncover more ways to use search engines that you have not considered.   Capture and organize your findings and store everything for later use. Peggy Duncan is a time management expert and professional speaker, trainer, author, consultant, and coach. Visit her online for more tips and strategies at http://www.PeggyDuncan.com and http://suiteminute.com   Accelerate disaster recovery with technology for your small business Teaser: Disasters happen. Are you prepared to recover? From getting organized to online file storage, small business consultant and coach, Peggy Duncan, offers these tips. ATLANTA, GA. If you haven't given much thought to how your business would recover following a disaster, take the rest of the day off and map out a plan. The more thought and action you put in place today will make a speedy and successful recovery more likely. Personal productivity expert and consultant, Peggy Duncan, offers this advice to small business owners. Organize Your Files. If you can't find something now, you definitely won't be able to find it in an emergency. All files everywhere are stored using a logical system that anyone can follow. Don't just save files: organize everything and make the system make sense. And don't store junk that should be deleted! To organize any files, start out with broad categories such as Accounting, Administrative, Marketing, and break them down into subcategories. Then break down the subcategories into the next broadest and so on...always keeping like subjects together. Avoid Sending Junk to Storage. Before you start organizing, purge first. You'll want to avoid wasting precious time going through junk in an emergency. Store Crucial Files Online. Upload crucial files to an online vault on a regular basis. Google "online pc backup" and choose a vendor that fits your needs. Free and low-cost services are available, including www.carbonite.com ($5 a month and automatically backs up revised files); www.MediaMax.com (free up to 25GB); and www.box.net (starts at 1GB free). Use an External Drive for Additional Storage. Use an external hard drive to automatically back up selected files on your computer several times a day. Check out Hewlett-Packard's Media Vault. It holds 300GB-500GB and is expandable to 1.2TB (that's Terabyte - one TB equals 1,024GB!). And check out Seagate's Maxtor at www.maxtorsolutions.com. (Test the restore function before you need to depend on it.) Use Your Web Server for Storage. If you have a Website, use the server to store public files for download in case you can't email them. "For example, my Website server is a repository for files meeting planners might need to download if they can't get to me," adds Duncan. Use Mobile Storage for the Road. Store crucial files on a flash drive and always keep it with you. For added convenience, use the flash drive that fits on your key chain. Document Processes and Procedures. The processes for running your business need to come out of your head and be documented. If someone else will need to take over your business, or if you'll need to delegate any actions, it'll be easier if you provide a roadmap. This documentation should be stored in the office and backed up online. Organize Your Business Contacts. Instead of keeping piles of business cards, create a business database on the computer and keep this information backed up. Have everything filed logically so anyone can find it in a hurry. Make this easy with www.CardScan.com, and scan the cards you need to keep. Use a Fireproof Safe. Precious files such as a passport, car title, copies of credit cards and driver's license, etc., should be stored in a fireproof safe that's small enough to grab and carry. To protect paperwork, check out the Omniseal Waterproof Document Holder. To store digital files, use a fireproof safe that's specifically designed for media (explore your options from vendors such as www.SchwabCorp.com). Save Your Passwords in One Place. Save any computer-Internet-banking-related passwords in a special file on your computer and in your safe. For extra security, list just enough of the password so you'll know which one you used, and make the rest of it logical enough to memorize it. Check Your Business Insurance. Make sure your business insurance covers all equipment at full replacement value. (Take digital pictures of everything and store them appropriately.) For more information on preparing a disaster strategy for your business, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's disaster preparedness Website at www.Ready.gov. You should also visit the Red Cross disaster recovery page at www.RedCross.org. Now is a good time to get quiet and think about how your business would survive a catastrophe. Don't procrastinate about setting something up any longer. You never know... Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert, business consultant, author, and professional speaker. For more information and tips, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com. To interview Peggy, contact her directly at 404 492 8197 (Eastern) or worksmart (at)  PeggyDuncan.com. For statistics on data loss, click here. FREE workshop registration for meeting and training executives In an effort to promote her workshops that are open to the business public, personal productivity expert, Peggy Duncan, is now offering free admission to qualified Meeting Planners and HR/Training Staff or Senior Managers. They can participate in a full workshop in order to evaluate this training for their teams. Speaker bureau executives may also attend at no cost. Employees from the following companies have attended these workshops: The Home Depot, Georgia Power, Genentech, Southern Company, IBM, Estee Lauder, AGL Resources, and more. To attend, simply send an email to worksmart  at  PeggyDuncan.com to confirm space availability, telling us who you are and how you qualify. This opportunity is restricted to one person per organization per month. New workshop developed to help people track due dates, deadlines, and duties Peggy Duncan has developed a new workshop to answer the question, "What is the best way to keep up with all the different things I have to do?" Have you tried to find the perfect, single way or tool to track everything you need to do? Does such a thing even exist? If you were building a house, you’d have to use several different kinds of machines and tools to handle a specific job. The same applies when you’re coordinating and producing a myriad of events or as you dig through everyday work. The tool you choose to track due dates, deadlines, and duties will depend on the job at hand. Objectives How to establish the habit of using external cues that will help you remember. How to use Word to create your own task tracker with tables, bookmarks, and hyperlinks. How to stay on track using no- and low-tech products and how to use which to do what. Email expert offers cures for email addiction If you spend time now getting your Inbox cleaned out by purging and learning tips and strategies for handling each message, you'll feel more in control. But in the meantime, if you’re hooked on email and find yourself checking it even when you’re working on something important and need to stay focused, break the habit. Don’t start Outlook when your computer starts. Right-click on the Start menu, click Explore, find your Startup folder, and move Outlook out of it. If it’s a shortcut to Outlook, you can delete it, but make sure (the icon will have a bold, black arrow pointing to the right to denote it’s a shortcut). Make the default viewin Outlook the Calendar (or Tasks). Click the Tools menu, Options, Other tab, Advanced Options, Browse, click Calendar (or Tasks), OK. Turn off the option of automatically checking for incoming messages. Click the Tools menu, Options, Mail Setup tab, Send/Receive, untick Schedule an automatic send/receive, OK. Deactivate the new message alert (the ding). Click the Tools menu, Options, Preferences tab, E‑mail Options, Advanced E‑mail Options. In the When new items arrive in my Inbox section, untick Display a New Mail Desktop Alert. Make it inconvenient to open Outlook. Remove Outlook from the System Tray (to the right of the Start button). Right-click on the Outlook icon, and click Delete (this does not delete the software). Then remove Outlook from the Start menu. Click Start. If the Outlook icon is there, right-click on it, and click Remove from this list. To open Outlook later, you’ll have to find it. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, click Outlook. Work on one computer and use another one for email. This will be an inconvenience, but try it until you kick the email habit. Stop Using a BlackBerry. People have lost their minds thumbing when they should be thinking. No matter how much I love email, I don't want to be tied to it 24/7/365. I don't want it finding me wherever I am, constantly interrupting me from something important. Box your BlackBerry up and ship it to yourself with 3-5 day ground delivery. You'll find that life goes on. You will no longer talk to your spouse or co-worker with one eye on them and another on email. You'll learn to live without it, and will be more sensible when you get it back. You'll also manage your email better on your computer (or a PDA with Outlook) with the full advantages of Outlook, and when you're in front of all your stuff. Later, if you find yourself slipping, ship it again and again until you get this down. Find something else to do. Make a list of all the things you've always wanted to do...focusing on things that are realistic, affordable.  Create a step by step action plan to get some of this done, whether it's learning something new, a hobby, some volunteer work, and so on. Get away from the computer and replace it with something that will make you feel good. Concentrate on breaking the habit. Going forward, every time you realize you’ve stopped working on a project and jumped back to email, stop. Remove your hands from the keyboard, take a deep breath, then retrace your steps. Back up to what you were doing before you checked email. Do this each time, and you’ll start to change. (It’ll take you approximately 21 days to break the habit, so don’t give up.) Establish a routine for checking. Once you ease the addiction, establish a routine that works for you. Bear in mind that your boss, co-workers, and clients want answers fast. Don't make them have to knock on your door with the dreaded "Did you get my email?...I need to see you for a minute."  You don't want to replace something that can be handled quickly (email) with something that could suck up too much time (visits). Start now and do everything you need to to break the hold email has on you. If you do nothing else, clean out all that mess in your Inbox. You'll begin to feel more in control, more on top of things, and the urge to constantly check email will begin to subside. If it doesn't, call Dr. Phil.   Peggy Duncan is the author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003. Visit her online for more tips and strategies at www.PeggyDuncan.com.
	Peggy Duncan's training sessions a big hit at 2007 MPI PEC-NA Peggy Duncan is shown here outside her training room at Meeting Professionals International's Professional Education Conference, January 2007 in New Orleans. All three sessions were sell-outs.
Peggy will be a 2008 - 2009 Platinum Speaker, which is awarded to speakers with evaluations of 4.5 and higher at a national conference. Peggy's topics included "Computer Magic: Finish Everything Six Times Quicker," "Conquer Email Overload with Outlook," and "Finding Time to Lead."
	Peggy Duncan receives Distinguished Service Award from SCORE Atlanta Steve Bloom, chairman SCORE Atlanta, congratulates Peggy Duncan at their recent holiday luncheon after she received a Distinguished Service Award. Tom Clark, immediate past chairman, cited her work with a highly successful conference series for small business owners. Wanda Braziel, co-producer of the events, was also awarded.

Podcast for people working
solo is coming soon

ATLANTA GA (December 2, 2006) Personal productivity expert Peggy Duncan announced today that she is developing a podcast for people working solo, or solopreneurs.

The show will feature Peggy and Tony Travis, both technology users and experts in different areas. Topics will cover business management and technology solutions, business products that increase efficiency, helpful Websites, and breaking technology news that affects the solopreneur. Duncan, a solopreneur, will draw topics from her experiences from the past ten years in business as a consultant and computer trainer. Travis is a highly successful IT executive who has also run a small business.

To receive notification on the show's debut, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, and sign up for a private email list.

Atlanta email efficiency expert Peggy Duncan
to appear on the Today show Weekend Edition
[Actual show date changed to 12/31/2006]

ATLANTA GA (October 23, 2006) Peggy Duncan, author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003, will share tips and strategies for managing email on the Weekend Edition of the Today Show, Sunday, December 17. The show airs from 9AM-10AM NBC. (Schedule may change and time varies by market.)

Duncan is a time management expert, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She travels nationally presenting at major business conferences and for corporate meetings.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197.  

Create More Time - Seminars
Now Available on the Web

ATLANTA GA (May 12, 2006) If you need more time to get things done, help is on the way. Peggy Duncan is not a magician, but she has the power to help busy people create time. She's the author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook 2003 [PSC Press], and has taken to the Web to train people who are near burnout how to spend less time working but more things done. 

"The biggest time management mistake people make is not realizing how much time they waste. Managers don't have time to manage; leaders don't have time to lead. Everyone is running around putting out fires, going to meetings, digging through clutter, and battling the Inbox instead of figuring out better ways to work. This requires thinking, and you have to get quiet long enough to do it...the way crooks do. You can't just think things up; you have to think them through, but people don't take the time," says Duncan. 

The Web seminars (or eSeminars) will be scheduled regularly 1-3PM Eastern Time. If you're in the Atlanta area, you can attend a hands-on workshop with your computer.

Duncan is a time management expert, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She travels nationally presenting at major business conferences and for corporate meetings.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197.  

For details on the workshop, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com/eSeminars/eseminar_overview.htm. 

Atlanta PowerPoint Expert Will
Conduct Two Training Classes
at Annual Conference for
PowerPoint Fanatics

[March 22, 2006 - Atlanta] Peggy Duncan, author of Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in PowerPoint 2003, will present at the 2006 PowerPoint Live conference in San Diego.

PowerPoint Live is a users conference of PowerPoint fanatics from all over the world. Duncan will conduct two sessions: one is "What Do You Want to Have More Time to Do?." She'll also conduct "PowerPoint, the Right Way," a 3-hour pre-conference training session for PowerPoint newbies and those who glazed over the basics and want to understand more. The event will run from September 17-20 at the DoubleTree Hotel Mission Valley. Details are on the conference Web site at www.PowerPointLive.com.

"I think I'm more excited about this event than any other I've been involved in because I'll be in the midst of people who are just as crazy as I am...people who sit at their computers for days learning tips and tricks, and loving every minute of it," says Duncan.

Duncan is a time management expert, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She travels nationally presenting at major business conferences and for corporate meetings.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197.

PSC Press Announces Strategic Partnership with Possible Woman Enterprises 

[March 8, 2006 - Atlanta] Peggy Duncan, personal productivity expert, has expanded her popular time management workshops to focus on the issue of leaders not having time to lead.

If you're concerned with improving your company's communications, employee morale, and other development issues, but you just don't have time to deal with it, practical, common sense ways to work will help, according to Duncan. "When you're putting out too many fires and are too busy doing your own work to invest in growing your people, you're not being a good leader or manager. And the irony is that if you could pull yourself together long enough to do it, they would work smarter and you could work less," says Duncan.

This new leadership track will help you get back anywhere from one to four extra hours a day.

·         Examine how you’re spending the workday and eliminate time wasters.

·         Organize everything around you so you can think and have more time to plan.

·         Unclutter your mind with cues that help you remember.

·         Dissect work you dread doing and figure out a better, quicker way.

·         Delegate everything you can and automate how you follow up later.

·         Incorporate the right technology and finish work six times quicker.

Duncan is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197. 

Workshops on Getting Organized and Conquering Email Overload are Back!

[January 11, 2006 - Atlanta]

WHO
Peggy Duncan, personal productivity expert, has scheduled more of her popular workshops that address the growing trend of people wasting too much time at work. Duncan will address a major time waster, clutter, and will offer practical strategies that help people work smarter. The workshops focus on reducing clutter on the desk, in the Inbox, and on the mind.

WHAT
Duncan continues her Time Catchers training series with more workshops that help busy people work smarter. January sessions include how to use Microsoft Outlook to get organized and improve time management. Tips and strategies come directly from her book, Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks. A second session will focus on reducing clutter on the desk and mind as outlined in her book, Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want.

WHEN
Get Organized and Manage Your Time with Outlook
Tuesday, January 17, 8-9AM. Check-In and Breakfast
9AM – 1PM. Workshop. Participants bring a laptop. $89.00

Get Organized and Manage Your Time at Work
Wednesday, January 18, 8-9AM. Check-In and Breakfast
9AM – 3PM. Workshop. Participants bring paperwork from desk. $149.00

WHERE
The Hampton Inn
1152 Spring Street, NW, Midtown Atlanta

REGISTRATION
The workshops are open to the public with more regularly scheduled. Registration is online only at http://www.PeggyDuncan.com. All details are on the site. Registration includes: breakfast, a copy of Duncan’s book, a set of templates, and email support after the training.

RECEIVE EVENT NOTICES
Be the first to receive notices of other training by joining our email list or subscribing to the RSS feed you’ll see on the Web site, http://www.PeggyDuncan.com.

Media interviews, contact Peggy Duncan directly at 404 492 8197 or send an email to peggy at pscpress.com. For information on studies re people wasting time at work, read the Jan-Mar 2006 issue of the COPE Webzine at www.PeggyDuncan.com.

PowerPoint training available for people who don't have time for all day, multiple-day classes

ATLANTA GA (December 8, 2005) Personal Productivity Expert, Peggy Duncan, is offering a beginning to advanced PowerPoint class that lasts only four hours. These classes have opened to rave reviews and have been attended by employees from companies that include BellSouth, Georgia Power, Southern Company, BearingPoint, and more. 

Duncan, who is the author of Just Show Me Which Button to Click! in PowerPoint 2003, has established a solid reputation for making technology fun to learn. In addition to offering PowerPoint training, she also teaches classes on organization, time management, Word, Excel, and Outlook.  

Classes are held in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, DC. Details and registration are available on the company's Web site at www.PeggyDuncan.com.

Duncan is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills.

For more information and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197. 

Professional organizer refutes Google's claim that their Desktop Search tool makes it unnecessary to organize computer files

ATLANTA GA (June 8, 2005) Personal Productivity Expert, Peggy Duncan, screamed when she read about Google's Desktop Search technology. "This is encouraging people to horde junk and to stay disorganized!," she yelled. The statement by Google that "Since you can easily search information on your computer, you don't need to worry about organizing your files, email or bookmarks," got her attention.  

"I love Google as much as the next person, but this is a mistake," Duncan said after she calmed down. "The last thing in the world people need to do is save files on their computer, or anywhere else, with no rhyme or reason as to how they're stored. The right solution is to establish a logical filing system, starting with broad categories and then separating all files by grouping like subjects together. If you do this, you won't need to turn over all your computer's contents to someone else so they can help you find what you need," says Duncan.  

To help people create such a filing system, Duncan included a detailed filing index in her book, Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want. The only thing you'll have to do is add files specific to your job or business that she would not have known about. And to get immediate help, she has added tips on her Web site and also has an Ask Peggy page for organizing questions. She also conducts workshops on how to get organized and teaches principles you would apply to everything from your clothes closet to your computer files to your Inbox. 

Duncan is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her personal productivity training firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197. 

Email Expert Exposes 27 Pet Peeves that Tick People Off as Much as Spam!

ATLANTA GA (June 7, 2005) If left unchecked, spam can drive you nuts, but what about the email messages from people you either want to or have to hear from? Are they doing anything that’s making you swear at your computer screen every time you “hear” from them?  

Peggy Duncan, author of Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks, has been collecting these pet peeves from comments she receives in her email overload seminars and on her Web site (www.PeggyDuncan.com). She says, “These pet peeves are not only aggravating, but they’re also contributing to email overload which is a huge problem in the workplace. Studies show that email overload causes people to work anywhere from one to two extra hours a day, either at work or when they get home. Another study showed that it reduces the IQ more than marijuana because of the constant interruptions that interfere with the ability to focus.

1.        Sending or responding to all to CYA (cover your butt). Stop sending to all if all do not have a need to know. You wanted to make sure you were covered so you’re sending everyone on a list your answer—whether they needed to know or not. Or you’re sending a message to everyone because you’re too lazy to select the appropriate recipients.

2.       People trying to solve complex issues using email. You’re part of a new committee, then the email messages start, back and forth, dizzying speed, the more they come, the more confused you get. Pick up the phone!

3.       Dirty email messages. These are those messages you receive loaded with those darn carets (>>>), or pages and pages of email addresses that weren’t protected using a blind copy feature. Is it too much to ask for the sender to clean dirty emails before sending it? Would you send a letter out on your company stationery like that? You can get rid of carets by pasting the message into Word and using the Find and Replace feature to find a caret and replace all of them with nothing. You can get rid of all the email addresses just by deleting. Clean it up, then send it.

4.       Subject lines that don’t match the message. Don’t pull up an old message, hit Reply, and send me a message that has nothing to do with the previous one. Suppose you sent an email message two months ago that said, "The monthly meeting has been cancelled." You pulled up that old message because the email addresses were already in it. But this time, you wanted to let everyone know that coffee and donuts would be served at this month’s meeting. At the very least, change the subject line!

5.       Last-minute cancellations. Cancelling a meeting at the last minute and letting me know via email. I show up, “Oh, didn't you get my e-mail?” When did you send it? I left my office two hours ago, and now my whole day is shot.

6.       Procrastinators. People who wait until the last minute to ask you to do something as if you had nothing else to do. You know the work was in a pile on their desk, and while they were digging for something else, they found it, and sent you an email message, marking it urgent. Then when the deadline isn’t met, it’s not their fault because they “gave it to you.”

7.       People who call you instead of checking their email. You’ve done your job, and sent an email message to people with information they need. They end up calling you asking for the info because, “I’m too busy to check email. Please always call me with the information or at least call me to let me know you sent it.”

8.       No response. You send a legitimate email message to someone who has requested information. The message clearly needs a response, but nothing happens. If you’re too busy to hit Reply to say “No,” you need to examine how you’re working. Why did you make me waste your time and mine?

9.       One-liners. “thanks,” “Oh, OK.” My goodness! You sent an email message to 25 people, and 15 of them sent you a one-liner. Next time, put “No Reply Necessary” at the top.

10.      Underlines. Don’t underline anything in a message (or on a Web page) that’s not a hyperlink. I always move the mouse toward it thinking it’ll take me somewhere.

11.     Someone replying to my message without the previous message below it or attached to it. I forgot what I asked them.

12.      Smileys, emoticons. If you wouldn’t put a smiley face or emoticon on your business correspondence, you shouldn’t put it in an email message.

13.     Plaxo. Those emails from you asking me to update my contact information. Your best customer is getting 10 of these a day! And, I don’t even remember who these people are. I went to the Plaxo Web site and opted out of receiving any of these annoying updates. Make sure you opt out all of your email addresses!

14.     Senseless Autoresponders. How about the one that says “Thank you for your email message. I will respond to you as soon as I can.” What a complete waste of my time to open this stupid response. It’s almost like the letter carrier leaving me a message in my mailbox saying, “I picked up your mail today. I’ll bring you more when I get it.”

15.     Words from grown, business people using shortcuts such as “4 u” (instead of “for you”), “Gr8” (for great) in business-related email. Are you lazy, or just can’t type or spell? If you wouldn’t send a company letter out like that, it shouldn’t be in an email message. (This is different from legitimate abbreviations a company may develop such as NRN for No Reply Necessary.)

16.     Read receipt. As if you’re checking up on me to see if I open your message. I don’t know why people waste time doing this because most people probably have this feature turned off in their email software.

17.     Too many attachments. You should get permission before sending someone an email message with more than two attachments. Instead of sending 5 PDFs, consider combining them into one document.

18.     Attachment and no body. If you send an email message about an event and no explanation in the body, especially if it’s a large file and would drain my ink supply if I printed it. If the details are in the body of the email, I don’t need the attachment. I don’t need to see how creative you were with your flyer. I just need the info.

19.     Abuse of my email address. I register for an event, then every week, I’m getting notices of deals, webinars, teleseminars, etc.

20.     Recipient names not private. No bcc and pages of email addresses in the message.

21.     Passing on hoaxes instead of checking them out first. What would make you believe that Bill Gates would send you $5000 just for sending an email message? And did you know that the Teddy Bear file you so willingly deleted from your computer was a legitimate Windows file? Check it our first at www.sarc.com.

22.     Who are you? People I met briefly some time ago sending me an email message without reminding me who they are.

23.     Messages without signature lines. Your email signature is a great way to let people know more about you, especially when your email address is something like 189bx@xxx.com.

24.     Adding me to your email list. I just met you, barely remember you, and I’m already on your distribution list for your newsletter, thoughts for the day, and news you think I want to know.

25.     Bad grammar and punctuation. You can’t hide behind an administrative assistant to clean up your act, so go take some classes and learn how to write and spell. Some messages are so bad, it’s like reading a foreign language, and it wastes my time trying to figure out your mess.

26.     Work email abuse. People sending me non-work-related email from their job. I don’t want my name and email address showing up in company reports.

27.     Unprofessional email IDs. People who would send a business email message using addresses such as cutesuzy@xxx.com; beingblessed@xx.com; hardliquor@xx.com.

CREDENTIALS: Peggy Duncan is an organization, time management, and Outlook  expert who shares tips and strategies for managing email overload as part of a popular seminar series based on her new book, Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks [PSC Press 2004].

Peggy was formally trained at IBM, and has helped busy people become more productive since 1997 as a personal productivity expert. Her clients include media powerhouses, corporate giants, national associations, and government agencies. Her expertise has been featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, Real Simple, Fitness, Good Housekeeping, Essence, Black Enterprise, and others. She has authored several books on organization, time management, and technology, and is also a former radio and TV show co-host. She's a lively, energetic guest who makes learning fun.

AVAILABILITY: Atlanta, nationwide by arrangement, and via telephone and the Web. Available at last minute. 

CONTACT: Peggy Duncan is available at 404 492 8197 and on the Web at www.PeggyDuncan.com. When booking Peggy, ask for a copy of her book, Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks.

Atlanta Email Expert to Present at the 2005 Affordable Meetings Conference in Washington DC this Fall

ATLANTA GA (May 5, 2005) Email expert, Peggy Duncan, will present at one of the top-rated conferences for meeting professionals, the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings Conference. The conference will be held at the Washington DC Convention Center September 7-8, 2005.  

Duncan will present one of her most popular seminars that teaches business people how to manage email effectively. The seminar is based on her book, "Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks.

HSMAI is the leading source for sales and marketing information, knowledge, business development, and networking for professionals in tourism, travel, and hospitality.

Duncan, whose expertise is often cited in national publications and trade magazines, is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her productivity firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. Her seminars are consistently rated among the highest at conferences and events around the country.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197. 

Atlanta Personal Productivity Expert Invited to Present at 2005 PowerNetworking Conference

ATLANTA GA (March 18, 2005) Time management expert, Peggy Duncan, will present at the upcoming PowerNetworking Conference to be held in Cleveland, Ohio this summer, June 9-12, 2005. The event is produced by international best-selling author and speaker, George Fraser, and draws Black professionals, business owners, and world-renown speakers. 

Duncan will present for two days, and will participate in an author book signing. Her topic is "Getting It All Done: Put Time Management to Work, which is based on her book, Put Time Management to Work and Live the Life You Want [March 2005 PSC Press]. More information is available at www.Frasernet.com. 

Duncan, whose time management expertise was recently featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her productivity firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Get Back Your Life - Atlanta Author Shows You How

ATLANTA GA (March 18, 2005) Time management expert, Peggy Duncan, has done it again, and has published a special update to her popular book, Put Time Management to Work [PSC Press]. 

In this latest edition, Duncan still uses her no non-sense, no fluff style to help busy people get their acts together. She's added more examples of forms to help you manage your workflow, a complete filing system for managing paper overload, and a complete overhaul on suggested technologies that can make work and travel easier.

The book and a complete table of contents is available on her Website at www.PeggyDuncan.com.

Duncan, whose time management expertise was recently featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, is the managing director of PSC Press, with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her productivity firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She has written two previous books on her training topics, and publishes a free, monthly online magazine.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197. 

Managing Email Overload Just Got Easier:
Solutions for SPAM and the stress they cause from time management and Outlook expert

ATLANTA GA (June 20, 2004) Time management expert, Peggy Duncan, has declared war on SPAM, email overload, and the stress they cause with a new book, live seminars, and Web events.  

In her new book, Conquer Email Overload with Better Habits, Etiquette, and Outlook Tips and Tricks, Duncan explains that the problem with email overload is not the new messages coming in every day, but rather the mess that's already there.

It's not uncommon for people to have  hundreds or thousands of messages in their Inboxes. They're keeping them because they opened them and didn't do anything with them; they're using their Inbox as a to do list and calendar reminders; they didn't think the messages were important enough to open, but are keeping them just in case; or they think they could possibly use them as evidence later (CYA).

“People often don't realize the stress caused by an overflowing Inbox. Every time they open their Inbox, they see more unfinished work, more demands on their time, and more missed deadlines and broken promises. This easily leads to stress and lower morale,” Duncan says. 

Duncan advises people to set up a meeting with their Inbox to clean it out. Their goal should be to always see the last message in their Inbox without scrolling. The process involves getting organized so they can find answers fast and turbo-charging the Inbox to make the software do a lot of the work.  

Email overload is a hot topic and is a problem at all levels, from the administrative assistant to the top executive. With the success of two seminars in Atlanta, Duncan has more planned for Research Triangle Park and Washington, DC. To reach more people, she'll start conducting eSeminars in real time via the Web in July. In February 2005, she'll take to the sea and present the topic on a cruise to the Bahamas as part of the Possible Woman Leadership series.

Duncan, whose time management expertise was recently featured in O, the Oprah Magazine, is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., with offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington, D.C. Since 1997, her productivity firm has helped busy professionals work smarter by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She has written two previous books on her training topics, and publishes a free, monthly online magazine.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Atlanta computer guru to present at Excellence in Government conference in Washington DC this summer

ATLANTA GA (April 12, 2004)  Peggy Duncan, Atlanta computer guru and author, will conduct a computer seminar  at Excellence in Government, the premier public management conference dedicated to creating high-performance government. The event will be held at the Washington DC Convention Center, July 27-29, 2004.  

Duncan's session, entitled "You’d Be Amazed at What You Never Knew That Computer Can Do," is scheduled for Tuesday, July 27, 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm. She will highlight tips from her three books: Just Show Me Which Button to Click!: Computer Training for Busy People; Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology. 

The Excellence in Government conference got its start in 1995 when reformers in the Clinton Administration decided that a forum was needed for exchange of ideas about improving the operations of federal agencies. The conference gives attendees the opportunity to network with nearly 2,000 fellow change agents and visit exhibits from some of the government's most prominent suppliers of goods and services.  

Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., with offices in Atlanta GA and Washington, DC. Her productivity firm helps busy professionals become more effective and efficient by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills.  

For more information on the training services offered by Duncan Resource Group, Inc., visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

O Magazine features Atlanta time management expert

ATLANTA GA (March 15, 2004) Atlanta time management expert, Peggy Duncan, gives advice on stealing time by handling interruptions better in the April 2004 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. 

Duncan, author of Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology [PSC Press], suggests people are interrupted often at work because they’ve established a reputation of being easy to visit. Other tips include [not from the article]: 

• Get organized. Piles on your desk keep you distracted.
• Learn how to say NO! Say no, then say something positive to remove the guilt, then get back to work or leave.
• Move furniture. Avoid eye contact from passersby by turning your furniture away from the door.
• Reduce chairs. Limit available visitor chairs to two, leaving a book in one of them.
• Remove all toys and candy jars. Don’t give them a reason to stop by.
• Stand up to talk. As soon as they walk in, stand up; they won’t stay long.
• Return calls and e-mails promptly. Don’t give them a reason to call again.
• Go to their office instead. You’ll be able to leave when you want.
• Turn overhead lights out and use a desk lamp. It’ll look like you’re not in.

How did she get the attention of O’s editors? Duncan says they found her Website, www.peggyduncan.com, and liked her tips. Will she ever be on the show? She’s praying. 

Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., with offices in Atlanta and Washington, DC. Her productivity firm helps busy professionals become more effective and efficient by improving their organization, time management, and technology skills. She’s currently writing her third book on E-mail etiquette. 

For more information on the training services offered by Duncan Resource Group, Inc., visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Training for new meeting planners: The Organized Meeting Planner

[Atlanta, GA] – January 26, 2004 - As a speaker, Peggy Duncan has worked with meeting planners at all levels. Now she's using her skills as a professional organizer, project manager, and computer trainer to teach planners new to the business or thrown into the business, or experienced planners who want a better way, how to use good organization skills and everyday technology to produce a successful event.

The new workshop covers Pre-Planning, Pre-Registration, Marketing, and Post-Conference activities, and includes simple ways to manage the entire process from beginning to end.

Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., a productivity training firm with offices in Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC. As a volunteer, she produces a series of highly successful conferences for the Service Corps of Retired Executives.

For more information on the training services offered by Duncan Resource Group, Inc., visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

PSC Press expands with new office in the nation's capital

[Atlanta, GA] – July 29, 2003 - Peggy Duncan, owner, PSC Press, announced today that she is expanding her productivity training and products company, and is opening an office in Washington DC on August 1, 2003. A second company, Duncan Resource Group, Inc., will also have presence there.

Duncan, who has been in business since September 1997, plans to focus the DC arm of the business on product sales to the Federal Government from the PSC Press catalog. The catalog includes office products for people who want to get organized.

PSC Press is a training resource for productivity books and products. The company offers public workshops on land and at sea, and high-end, specialty office products from its Web-based catalog. For more information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 770-991-1316.

Productivity Cruises offered as employee incentive

[Atlanta, GA] – June 16, 2003 - PSC Press will begin conducting its Time Catchers(SM) workshops at sea. The company has partnered with Cruise Planners, the nationally recognized company specializing in selling cruises, to handle all logistics and marketing of the cruises, which will be pitched as incentive programs for salespeople.

Peggy Duncan, owner, PSC Press, and CEO, Duncan Resource Group, Inc., will develop training programs and workshops that will be customized to fit the customer's needs. Some topics to be included are: sales training; organization; time management; computer tips and tricks; business writing; leadership; diversity; and team building.

PSC Press is a training resource for productivity books and products. For more information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 770-991-1316.

Get Organized NOW! class added to staff curriculum at Georgia Tech

[Atlanta, GA] – June 5, 2003 - Peggy Duncan, productivity trainer and CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., learned today that her class, Get Organized NOW!, has been added to the certification curriculum for office administrators at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Dr. James Nelson, Georgia Tech's director of training, informed her today.

Georgia Tech's Office of Organizational Development is responsible for all training of Tech's faculty and staff. Employees who are enrolled in their office certification program can opt to take Duncan's class as an elective. The class, which was a huge success in its trial, will also be open to anyone on campus.

Georgia Tech is one of the nation’s top research universities, distinguished by its commitment to improving the human condition through advanced science and technology.

For more information on the training services offered by Duncan Resource Group, Inc., visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Computer Tips Workshop Will Help Busy People Spend Less Time at Work
[Atlanta, GA] – February 3, 2003 - PSC Press will present a full-day workshop entitled, “COMPUTER MAGIC! Tips and Tricks in Word-Excel-PowerPoint-Outlook,” on Monday, March 24, 2003, 9:00 AM-4:30 PM, at the Hampton Inn in Midtown Atlanta. The workshop will be led by Peggy Duncan, author, Just Show Me Which Button to Click: Computer Training for Busy People.

The workshop will cover beginning to advanced tips in versions 97 and 2000 of the software. It is designed for sales professionals, administrative assistants, small business owners, and corporate professionals who have prior experience in the Windows environment. Attendees who want to participate in the hands-on exercises should bring a laptop.  

The $109 registration fee includes handouts, breakfast, free parking, and door prizes.

According to Duncan, 80% of the people still use computers like typewriters. Properly trained, they can finish work six times quicker, make fewer mistakes, and have higher self-esteem. “This workshop will help uncover easy but powerful features in the software most people use every day. This is a crucial step toward balancing home and work because it’s designed to help users spend less time working,” says Duncan.

Peggy Duncan is a productivity trainer specializing in workshops on organization, time management, and technology. PSC Press is an Atlanta publisher of business books. For registration and details, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Productivity Workshop Gives Salespeople More Customer Face Time
[Atlanta, GA] - November 26, 2002 - PSC Press will sponsor a series of productivity workshops for salespeople as part of its Time Catchers^SM Series. The first workshop is scheduled for Monday, January 27, 2003 at the Hampton Inn, 1152 Spring Street, from 9:00AM - 4:30 PM in Midtown Atlanta. Peggy Duncan, an award-winning efficiency trainer and author of Put Time Management to Work and also Just Show Me Which Button to Click!, will present.

Companies grow when salespeople sell. The series is designed to help salespeople who are buried in paperwork, time poor, and stumbling on the computer create more customer face time by improving their work habits. The January workshop will teach organization and time management skills; computer tips and tricks in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with hands-on exercises; and Internet research, browser, and Outlook e-mail tips. Attendees should bring a fully-charged laptop to participate in the exercises.

For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com.

Messiest Office Contest to Celebrate National Get Organized Week
[Atlanta, GA] - September 18, 2002 - DUNCAN RESOURCE GROUP, INC., is looking for the junkiest office in Metro Atlanta for its fifth annual "Messiest Office Contest." The contest is in celebration of National Get Organized Week, which is October 6-12, 2002, and will run until October 31, 2002. 

Contestants should E-mail a photo of their messy office and their contact information to: worksmart  at  pscpress.com, or mail to Messiest Office Contest, Duncan Resource Group, Inc., 1010 Pine Tree Trail, Atlanta GA 30349. All photos are non-returnable and must have a name, address, and daytime phone number on the back. All entries must be received by October 31, 2002. 

The winner will be announced November 6, 2002. They will receive one day (up to 6 hours) of help getting their office in order from professional organizer, Peggy Duncan, a set of organizing supplies, and a host of other prizes. For more information, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com.

For additional information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

Small businesses in the Virgin Islands get help from Atlanta trainer
[Atlanta, GA] – November 30, 2001. Atlanta Efficiency trainer and author of Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology, Peggy Duncan, has been selected to present an organization and time management seminar at the Virgin Islands Women's Business Center's annual conference next spring. She'll also be featured on local radio and TV shows while in the islands.

Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to helping busy people work smarter by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills.

For additional information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

New instructor for Governor's Mentor Protege program

[Atlanta, GA] – November 30, 2001. Atlanta Efficiency trainer and author of Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology, Peggy Duncan, has been selected to train corporate and small business participants in the Georgia Governor's Mentor Protege program on organization and time management. 

The Governor's Mentor-Protégé Program is the first state-sponsored program of its kind. It was created to increase emerging small businesses' odds for success by teaming them with prospering companies that have proven competencies in business, technology, and the development of sophisticated business solutions.

This program will provide small businesses with the tools and techniques to bid successfully on state contracts, secure additional venture capital, and identify strategies for accelerating growth.

Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to helping busy people work smarter by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills.

For additional information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.  

Start the new year off right: get organized!

[Atlanta, GA] – November 26, 2001. Efficiency trainer and author of Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology, Peggy Duncan, announced today that her company’s Web site, www.peggyduncan.com, has been redesigned and enhanced to give busy professionals and small business owners easier access to information they can use to get and stay organized, manage themselves, stay in control, and reduce stress.

The site includes:

·         Access to a free, monthly Webzine entitled COPE, which includes tips on organization, time management, and technology that will help you save time.

·         An Ask Peggy page in which Duncan personally provides solutions to appropriate organization and time management challenges posted by visitors (solutions are posted on the site every week).

·          A links page listing sites on the Web with information that is designed to help people work smarter.

·         A resource page with productivity products, ideas, and deals.

·         An events calendar listing organizing holidays for people who want to celebrate doing it.

·         Details on seminars and computer training workshops designed specifically for busy professionals and small business owners.

For additional information, visit www.peggyduncan.com or call 404 492 8197.

New book spells relief for busy people. Book launch planned

[Atlanta, GA] - September 14, 2001 - Put Time Management to Work: Get Organized, Streamline Processes, Use the Right Technology, a new book from the author of Just Show Me Which Button to Click!, will help busy professionals examine every aspect of how they spend their time, and offers many practical solutions for managing it.

1.      Award-winning efficiency trainer, Peggy Duncan, offers time management tips that go beyond setting goals and knowing how to juggle priorities. The book begins with ways to eliminate clutter—whether it’s on your desk or in your mind—and explains how to create a system so that it doesn’t come back. After you get organized, you’ll be able to think more clearly, so you’ll then set goals to help you focus on the right things. After that, you’ll learn other timesaving techniques such as how to delegate, handle interruptions, say no, overcome procrastination, reduce time spent in meetings, and more. 

2.      The book moves on from there and explains how to eliminate useless work by streamlining processes and creating procedures that are easy to follow. To top everything off, the author explores timesaving technologies and computer tips that will help you finish work quicker. To help bring everything together, Duncan outlines two case studies that include practical tips and techniques you can use at home and at work to help you get back in control.

3.      Duncan is hosting a pre-release dessert reception and book signing on October 14, 2001 at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue in downtown Atlanta from 3-6 PM. She will conduct a seminar entitled “7 Ways to Manage E-Mail Overload.” Duncan offers seven tips from her book that will help you reduce junk e-mail.

4.      Visit the author’s award-winning Web site at www.peggyduncan.com for order details, timesaving tips, and a free subscription to her monthly online magazine, COPE. 

Atlanta author featured in new book from Prima Publishing

[Atlanta, GA] - June 1, 2001 - A new book from author and budget-decorating pro, Lourdes Dumke, Prima Publishing, How to Decorate and Furnish Your Apartment on a Budget, features tips from Atlanta professional organizer, Peggy Duncan, on how to organize a small space.

Dumke, also from Atlanta, contacted Duncan about contributing to her book after she had read an article about her in an Atlanta newspaper. How to Decorate and Furnish Your Apartment on a Budget gives readers all the tools and ideas they'll need to decorate and furnish their space at bargain prices. From the rugs on the floor to the fixtures on the ceiling and everywhere between. 

Peggy Duncan is CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to helping busy people work smarter by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills.

Duncan Resource Group uses Internet technology to help clients get organized
[Atlanta, GA] - May 21, 2001 - Duncan Resource Group, Inc., will now be able to help people anywhere get organized.

Company CEO, Peggy Duncan, announced today that now anyone who needs her company's help getting organized can get it. Using Internet technologies, a PC camera, and fast Internet access, clients will be able to dial up a consulting session, without incurring any long distance charges. The trainer will be able to view the client's office and offer help on anything from office layout to steps to eliminating clutter.

"It's the next best thing to being there. With the Internet and e-mail, we'll be able to get our clients completely organized, whether they're in Atlanta or Seattle," says Duncan.

Duncan Resource Group, Inc., is an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to helping busy people work smarter by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills. 

For more information and timesaving tips, visit the company's award-winning Web site at www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197 in Atlanta.

Duncan Resource Group announces subscription drive for new online magazine
[Atlanta, GA] - May 21, 2001 - Duncan Resource Group, Inc., an Atlanta efficiency firm, announced the start of a subscription drive for its new Webzine, COPE, a monthly, one-page publication that is distributed free of charge. COPE offers tips on technology, organization, time management, and process improvement, and targets busy people.

Visitors to the company Web site are asked to forward the zine to people they know. When referrals subscribe to COPE, the referrer's name will be automatically entered into a drawing to win the company's Signature Organizing Gift Basket, a $120 Value. The winner will be announced during National Get Organized Week the first week in October 2001.

"The response to the early edition of our Webzine has been outstanding. Several issues were dedicated to reducing junk e-mail, and were immensely popular. I knew what to include in the zine because I work with people every day who are having a hard time balancing home and work, and I understand their challenges," says company CEO and editor of COPE, Peggy Duncan. 

Melanie Jackson, Jackson Planners, writes, “What an absolutely fabulous webzine! I learned so much just from the 1st issue and even before I finished it I had already clicked over to WORD and OUTLOOK to modify the formats you suggested!”

Duncan Resource Group, Inc., is an award-winning consulting firm dedicated to helping people work smarter by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills. 

For more information and timesaving tips, visit the company's award-winning Web site at www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call 404 492 8197 in Atlanta.

Duncan Resource Group nominated for small business award
[Atlanta, GA] - March 2001 - Duncan Resource Group has been nominated as one of the "Small Minority Businesses of the Year" by Rolling Out magazine. The winners will be honored on April 14 at a reception hosted by the Atlanta Hawks and Rolling Out. Tickets are available by calling 404-827-3865. To purchase a $40 for $10, ask for the Rolling Out Night discount.

Duncan Resource Group is an award-winning efficiency consulting firm dedicated to helping people figure out a better way to get their work done by helping them improve computer use, work habits, work process flow, and organizational skills. 

For more information, visit the company's award-winning Web site at www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197 in Atlanta.

Peggy Duncan selected to present at National $ales Network 2001 meeting
[Atlanta, GA] - March 2001 - Peggy Duncan, efficiency trainer and CEO of Duncan Resource Group, has been selected to present a seminar at this year's annual meeting of the National $ales Network on "Using the Internet to increase your sales and productivity."

Topics for this seminar, which will be held in Houston, Texas in September, will help sales professionals discover powerful techniques and information-packed Websites that will help them research potential customers and their competition, and to track trends in a particular industry. Also included will be techniques on using various search engines and on using marketing tactics such as e-zines or Webzines (electronic magazines) to attract new customers and to keep current ones.

For more information, visit Duncan's award-winning Website at www.PeggyDuncan.com or call 404 492 8197 in Atlanta.

Office Depot and Avery Dennison announces Messiest Office in America winner
[April 2000] SAN FRANCISCO-OfficeDepot.com and Avery Dennison are rewarding Donna Higgins for the "disorganized desktop" in her home office. Higgins' office won the "prestigious" honor of America's Messiest Office in a contest sponsored by Office Depot and Avery Dennison Worldwide Office Products.

Higgins' office was selected after she entered a photo and short essay illustrating the state of affairs in her home office. The Louisville, KY resident will receive $1,000 of Avery brand office products from Avery Dennison and OfficeDepot.com, and the services of professional organizer, Peggy Duncan to clean up her disorganized office space.

In addition to the grand prize winner, OfficeDepot.com and Avery Dennison are awarding four second place prizes of $250 of organizational products.

"The mess was just driving me crazy," said Higgins, a hair stylist and independent Handtech.com consultant. "Then one night I was online ordering supplies, saw the contest on OfficeDepot.com, and I had to enter."

The cluttered shelves and mountains of paper started to appear shortly after Higgins became a consultant for Handtech.com when she had some free time at the salon. However, things spiraled out of control with the success of her consulting and Higgins could no longer keep up with the demand of cleaning the office area.

OfficeDepot.com and Avery Dennison have come to Higgins' rescue and, under the guidance of professional organizer Peggy Duncan and with over $1,000 of Avery brand organizational supplies, her office will be transformed into an organized and workable space.

"We are glad to offer organizational help to people who find themselves overwhelmed with disorganization," said Keith Butler, vice president of Office Depot Online. "Whether we offer help online in our Office Solutions section or bring Peggy in to offer her expertise, we want to help people work better, not longer."

Higgins will rely on Peggy Duncan to whip her office into shape. Duncan, CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., has been an organization and time management consultant for over 16 years. She will help the winner develop practical and easy techniques that will get them organized. Articles Duncan has written on organization and time management can be found at OfficeDepot.com's Office Solutions.

Office Solutions is an integral feature of OfficeDepot.com with thousands of pages of information geared to the Small Office/ Home Office (SOHO) audience. The "Office Toolkit" allows a user to download sample letters, contracts, spreadsheets, forms and more.

The "Small Business Handbook" provides a complete guide to starting and managing your own business. "Working the Web" includes a directory of business-focused Web sites.

"Once we get the office organized, I'm going to try and hire a cleaning service for the rest of my house-and I'll keep an eye on the office," said Higgins.

SCORE presents new seminar series for small business owners
[Atlanta, GA] - December 2000 - The Atlanta Chapter of the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a business resource for the Small Business Administration, will sponsor a seminar for small business owners entitled, "How to Get Organized and Manage Your Time." Peggy Duncan, an efficiency trainer and CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., will offer practical tips and techniques on managing a small business while maintaining a more balanced life.

"We'll take a look at everyday  processes that are strangling the life out of small businesses and offer solutions for easing the pain: solutions that are simple and easy to implement," says Duncan.

The topics to be covered during the seminar include:

Organization
Setting up paper management systems that will end clutter.
Time Management
Eliminating time wasters and prioritizing what must be done.
Focus
Keeping the mind clear and focused on the right things. Will include learning how to say no, handle interruptions, and deal with procrastination.
Process
Developing processes and procedures for running a business.
Technology
Choosing the right technology to run a business and exploring affordable solutions that will help reduce time spent doing the work.

The first seminar will be held on Wednesday, February 7 at the Small Business Development Center, 270 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, and again on Wednesday, March 15 at the Buckhead Community Bank, 415 E. Paces Ferry Road. For details about the seminar, visit www.PeggyDuncan.com, or call the SCORE Atlanta office at 404-331-0100 X804.

New Online Magazine for Busy People

[Atlanta, GA] - November 2000 - Duncan Resource Group, Inc., an Atlanta efficiency firm, announced the publication of its new Webzine, COPE, a monthly, one-page publication that will be distributed free of charge via e-mail. COPE will be packed with tips on technology, organization, time management, and process improvement that will help busy people get clear, organized, productive, and efficient. 

"The response to the early edition was outstanding. I knew what to include in the zine because I work with people every day who are having a hard time balancing home and work, and I understand their challenges," says company CEO and editor of COPE, Peggy Duncan.

The sections of the Webzine include:

Click!-Tip
Beginning to advanced tips in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Windows.
Tech-Tip
How-To tips on various business technologies that will help people work smarter.
My-Tip
Q&A for organization and time management challenges.
Link-Tip
Web sites the company has found to have truly useful information.
Events/News
Company news and events.
Did You Know?
Factoids about anything.

More information is available on the company's award-winning Website at www.PeggyDuncan.com.

TRAINING magazine announces local author's book
[Atlanta, GA] - June 2000 - Peggy Duncan knew it would be hard for her to get the attention of TRAINING magazine which is the trade publication for trainers. She's an unknown author who self-published her first computer book, Just show me which button to click!: Computer training for busy people. 

Duncan got creative and called Bill Communications (publisher of TRAINING) to find out who the computer book reviewer was. Armed with the right name, she decided to send the book inside of an elegant gift basket. Karen's Crafts, an

Atlanta-based gift basket designer, created a masterpiece with red and gold hand-tied bows (to match the book), filled with lots of goodies.

It worked! Duncan's book was announced in their June issue (page 88).

Atlanta trainer to present at national convention
[Atlanta, GA] - June 2000 - The National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) has selected Peggy Duncan, an efficiency expert and CEO of Duncan Resource Group, Inc., to present an Organization and Time Management seminar to the spouses and guests of their 31st Annual Conference in Atlanta. This year's conference is to be held at the Hyatt Regency Downtown, June 20-25. Honorary co-chairs include Ambassador Andrew Young, Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell, and former Mayor, Maynard Jackson.

NAMC is a non-profit trade association that was established in 1969 to address the needs and concerns of minority contractors. The organization focuses on construction industry concerns common to African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. 

 "I was very pleased that the NAMC Board realized that spouses and guests want more to do than shopping sprees and city tours," Duncan says.

Atlanta business woman one of Georgia's 100
[Atlanta, GA] - August 1999 - Peggy Duncan, CEO, Duncan Resource Group, Inc., was recently selected as one of Georgia's Most Powerful and Influential Business Women by Women Looking Ahead magazine. 

Duncan and 99 other women in this category were honored at a black tie gala where they were congratulated by Georgia Governor and Mrs. Roy Barnes.

Women business owners win prestigious awards
[Atlanta, GA] - September 1999 -The Atlanta Business League recognized outstanding African-American female business owners during its recent 15th Annual Super Tuesday event held at the Westin Peachtree Plaza.

From left to right are: Pam Smith, President-Smith Real Estate Services (winner, Outstanding Achievement); Alisa Turner-Owner, Moments to Memories (winner, Success Against the Odds); Jeanine Cooper-President, JCEC (winner, Home-Based Business Achievement); Angela Daniel, CEO-Digital DOC (finalist, Home-Based Business Achievement); and Peggy Duncan, CEO-Duncan Resource Group, Inc. (winner, Creative Style).

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