Consider practices and products that weren’t so successful this past year.  It might not be your fault at all but is due to the changes in the economy and spending power of your customers.

What can you do this year to minimize losses and even drive up profits?

• Discontinue unprofitable products
• Brainstorm for new products/services that meet people’s needs in a changing economy.
• Assess what promotional practices worked. 
• Discontinue those that didn’t meet with success over the long term.
• Look for inexpensive or free promotional programs.
• Collaborate with other businesses and develop some joint promotional ventures.
• See if you need to take a parttime job outside your business to meet family and business expenses temporarily.
• Consider what other business people, online and off, are doing.
• Learn how to use social media to your advantage in promoting your business and products.

What techniques are working for you?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Getting organized image: sxc.hu

 I’ve been organizing throughout the year, but haven’t reached the ultimate solution.

I’ve resolved over the coming week, when one of my outside-the-home jobs (substitute teaching) is on vacation, to take that time and finish my clean up and organizational tasks.  Then I need to make sure I’ve developed, or am at least in the process of developing, organizational strategies that will be easy to follow throughout 2010.

• Some files I won’t be able to box up for storage until the taxes are done, but I can deal with those that don’t involve income and expense figures. 
• Close my eyes and throw out stuff I haven’t used for years and has no bearing on anything I’m doing now. 
• Although as a writer, some of my research comes in handy years later.  So I need to put this in our storage area where I can get at it readily. 
• Check out new organizational items that will make it easier for me to keep my desk, shelves and files in better order.
• Utilize computer storage of records more.  But I can’t rely on this entirely because the files can be lost…permanently.

How are you organizing for 2010?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Green image: sxc.hu

With so much emphasis on being “green” and environmentally conscious, you might want to consider how you can comply for 2010 without being excessively neurotic.  Some people get carried to the extreme with being “green,” that they’re not practical at all.

However, there are some things you can do.  Such as:

• Separate trash in office and home, especially if your city or town has separated collection containers or bins.
• Take separated materials to recycling areas.  Some of these even give you money for what you’ve collected, particularly in states where you must pay deposits on cans and containers.
• Reuse paper…for instance, we use the blank side of paper for making copies when we can.
• Purchase recycled materials, if it’s practical.  Sometimes recycled material isn’t as good for some projects.
• See if you can find ways to use items so they won’t go to waste.
• Take this as your slogan – Condense, conserve, and recirculate.

(Ask grandma or great grandma about reusing  and conserving materials.  They were good at this because there often wasn’t money for buying new.  The older generations didn’t grow up in the “throw-away” society.)

What are your “green” plans for 2010?

Post from: My Organized Biz