Beat the Clock

Maury Dailey, who owns Sunrise Realty of Florida on Marco Island, may be one of the busier people in what he calls "the people business" of real estate. Currently president of the United Arts Council and on the board of the Marco Island Film Festival, he has also led realtor associations and planning boards. In his spare time-which he has only if he schedules it-Dailey writes a weekly column for the Marco Island Sun Times.

"There is never enough time" to do everything, Dailey says, but "you call on the same resources you use in business to help organizations." He says that finding connections between business and nonprofit work makes him more productive in each. "For instance, there were customers that I helped find real estate on Marco, and now I'm asking them to join the board for the United Arts Council."

Rarely confined to one office, Dailey says, "When I'm traveling, my laptop goes with me everywhere." He connects with colleagues, no matter what part of the state-or world-they are in. "I set it up immediately to forward info from one associate to another." Dailey receives incoming faxes as e-mails and reads his e-mail on the go from his PalmPilot.

Unwanted e-mail can take up precious time, and so Dailey says he is quick to hit delete. "I get 250 e-mails a day," he says. "Most are junk. I don't want to lose a customer lead, but if people don't put something in the subject line that triggers you to read that e-mail, I get rid of it."

Dailey stresses the importance of giving your undivided attention, saying "we get so busy, with all the technology in business, the real basic thing is when you are with someone, that person is the really valuable person, in front of you at the time."