Fortunately, the slow period between Christmas and New Year's is the perfect time to clean. It's one of my traditions to use this week to finally toss all the business detritus I've accumulated during the year. This year, I'm way ahead because we moved our offices a few months ago, and Rosa, my office manager, forced us to throw stuff out. So, believe it or not, I actually can see my desk.
So let's get going and get ready for 2011 by getting rid of the stuff you really don't need to drag into the new year.
10 THINGS TO TOSS BEFORE THE END OF 2010:
1. All those stacks. You know what I'm talking about. The papers you intend to file, articles and magazines you hope to read, coupons you'd like to use. Toss the magazines, articles and coupons. Either toss or file the papers or put them somewhere. Better yet, hire someone to file these for you -- America needs jobs.
2. Costly customers. In a tough economy, it's hard to jettison any client or customer -- after all, you need the cash flow, right? But what if they're actually costing you money? Take a good hard look at your high-maintenance, low-profit customers and evaluate whether you'd be better off without them in 2011.
3. Paper or spreadsheet-based bookkeeping systems. Seriously, are you still operating as if it's the 19th or 20th century? If so, it's time to catch up with the rest of us and use one of the many, easy-to-use, affordable bookkeeping software programs or cloud-based bookkeeping services.
4. Clunky contact management. Still using a spreadsheet, word processing program, your e-mail contacts list or even your mobile phone to keep track of your important contacts? Those are difficult to use, easy to lose and time consuming (ever try to create a quick mailing list from your mobile phone contacts?). Once again, a number of affordable, easy sales management programs or Internet-based services are available.
5. Business cards. Not yours -- you'll need those. But, if you're like me, you've got cards you've been gathering for years at networking events, conferences and trade shows. Flip through them, toss most of them and get the rest entered into a contact management system. (Try an electronic card reader to help enter the names, or hire someone -- America needs jobs, remember?)
6. Outdated software. I still have the original box of Netscape Navigator (one of the very first Web browsers) I bought, but that's a historical artifact. Most of us have boxes or disks of outdated software. When we moved, we had been boxes with software with old floppy disks. Tossed!
7. Old client, financial and tax records. OK, you're not going to really toss these important records, you're going to archive them. Move them out of your day-to-day workspace and put them somewhere secure where you can get them only in the event you ever need them.
8. Aged or aging marketing materials. Here's the rule: If you no longer make the product or sell the service, you no longer need the brochure. Even if you overprinted for a product you still sell, unless there's a realistic plan to use these materials in the next year, recycle.
9. Excess, unsaleable inventory. Yes, it cost you money to make, so it's hard to toss. But it's costing you money to store. In addition to any warehouse, utilities, insurance, and personnel costs, you may be liable for taxes on this inventory. Find a way to sell it cheap (eBay?) or donate it to a good cause.
10. Negative thinking. Sure, 2010 was a challenging year. But we entrepreneurs are, by our very nature, optimists. A new year gives us new opportunities, and we need a positive attitude to take advantage of those opportunities. So the most important thing to leave behind as the new year approaches is pessimism.
Let's start the new year with a fresh outlook and a clean desk.
Rhonda Abrams is the president of The Planning Shop, publisher of books for entrepreneurs. Her newest is "Successful Marketing: Secrets & Strategies."
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Article Source :http://www.chillicothegazette.com/article/20101226/NEWS01/12260310
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