As a healthy small business owner, how do you end your year? Well, I tell my clients to stop working. That's right, stop working. The kind of work I'm talking about is getting new business. There is no new business in the dark days of winter, just clean-up of old business. If you have clients that must spend in order to deduct prior to year's end, go to it. This is for those who have the time to take the time.

Just stop. Take it easy. Take a day or more to clean out your space. Go through each document and get rid of as many as possible. If it's important, it will show up again. Don't answer the phone until the bags are full. (Don't answer the phone until 10:30 a.m. anyway, just for this month.) Remain calm during this hectic time.

Throw away all your old magazines. Don't subscribe to any new ones without an old one expiring. Check your e-mail subscriptions. Remove those you never read. Review the past year and identify the intangibles that contributed to your success. Passion, attitude, commitment, integrity and perseverance are solid ingredients in business achievements.

Let go of everything in your life that drains you or is a burden. Look at your daytimer, starting from January 1. How much time was scheduled for you? How many new friends did you make this year? How many problem people will you eliminate from the Rolodex of life? How much more time will there be for you or your new hobby?

What did you learn this past year? Write a letter to yourself and applaud your triumphs and your failures. Look at the people who have helped you this past year. Send them a note of appreciation. Be grateful for what you have.

Check your income for last year. What's your amount for 2000? Determine the number of days you want to work in 2001, divide that into your 2001 projections and you have a new financial model!

You don't have to look for new business to create new business; just create the space for it to appear. Take care of yourself, first, and avoid a hectic January. Take a nap, go to the movies, buy yourself a present and be happy.

© 2001 Joanne Victoria, All rights reserved.

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