Business slows down during predictable times such as Christmas and New Year’s. So should you just ease back, enjoy the holidays and wait until things pick up again in January or the spring? Or should you take this pause in the calendar to get around to doing things you put off all year long? Here are some ideas for that:
- Clean and reorganize your office so that you can find everything you need in 60 seconds or less. Recycle old useless paperwork and delete old files and emails that just take up memory in your computer or other devices.
- Do your accounting. Enter all revenue and expenses into your record-keeping system. Balance your cheque book.
- Get ready for tax season. Prepare the paperwork so that you can blast through tax season (you know it’s coming!) minus the headaches. Tally up business-related mileage for the year and other business expenses. Estimate your last tax payment for the current year. Many self-employed people make quarterly estimated tax payments but don’t forget that for every day you don’t pay past the payment due date, you’ll be charged interest. (E.g. If your fiscal year-end is December 31 your GST filing deadline is June 15, but your payment deadline is earlier – April 30.)
- Send out your final invoices for the current year.
- Review your current goals, to see how you’re doing in business and think about writing some new goals for the next 12 months.
- Create an updated marketing plan which could include a new web site, business cards, or brand.
- Use your quiet business times to read, study and expand your horizons as a Realtor and a business person.
- Find an interesting lecture or workshop that enhances your skills or teaches you new ones and sign up for it. You’ll meet new people and feel more invigorated to plunge ahead in 2018.
- Update software and apps, and if you do not do it regularly and automatically, make sure you have back-ups of your key files.
- Spend time learning that program or app that could save you time in the New Year.
Prefer to start your renewal by kicking off your shoes in front of the fireplace with a big mug of something warm? That’s not a bad idea either!