As another year draws to a close, it is a good time to reflect on your business’s progress over the past year and plan how you want your business to develop in the future. With the current economic climate, the “business as usual” that many of us were accustomed to has disappeared. In fact, the new economy, plus the insurgence of technology into every part of our lives, has changed the business world forever. Many people take these changes for granted or resist them – I don’t and neither should you. You should regard them as once-in-a-lifetime opportunities! What mindset do you have? Do you make things happen? Do you watch things happen? Or do you just wonder what happened? Below are my “Fave Five” recommended tools that can help your business survive and thrive in 2010!

#1 Set goals! Written goals should include long term plans for your personal and business life. Be sure that the goals you set are achievable, specific, and measurable, rather than unrealistic pipe dreams that are so far out of reach they only lead to frustration. Establish goals for 10 years from now, five years, one year, and then one month. Set financial goals by creating a budget; sign up for our “Budgeting/Forecasting in QuickBooks” online class.

#2 Systematize! Set goals and make “To Do” lists! When you consistently rely on lists to govern your day, you can expect to get 25% more done in a day. Implement the Minutes Matter Measuring System, Work Order System, or Instructional Systems to streamline these processes to save you time and eliminate costly communication errors!

#3 Market in a New Ways! Promote your business regularly and consistently. Don’t let this task slip to the bottom of your to-do list! If you want to attract new customers, you have to make promotion a priority. Use Studio as a marketing tool and watch for the introduction of our newest marketing project “The Power of I.” There are plenty of low and no-cost ways to promote your business, such as newsletters, ezines, social networking, and blogs. The first step is always the most daunting, so why not delegate this task? Minutes Matter offers a Blog Setup Service for only $247. But don’t wait too long, this introductory price ends with 2009, so sign up now!

#4 Do the Math with Technology! Use Minutes Matter’s QuickBooks & Quoting 7.1 to quote on the spot, pay bills, quickly calculate yardage, and systematize your accounting. You’ll save tons of time by using our item codes, chart of accounts, templates and pricing. This is the most affordable and most complete QuickBooks add-on system for designers and window treatment professionals. As an added benefit, you will have access to FREE QuickBooks advice using our private online forum, Minutes Matter QuickBooks Community. Once again, Minutes Matter is here to set you on the right path. We have included a FREE one (1) hour private QuickBooks setup consultation to get you up and running quickly! If you already have QBQ, but still need a little help, you can purchase a One-on-One Consultation with Vickie.

#5 Get Educated Online! Take classes directly related to your business (like the Minutes Matter University online classes) or indirectly related (like taking a class to learn computer basics). During the past few years there have been dramatic changes in communications and technology. Computers are more powerful than ever! Are you taking advantage of new technologies to unlock new opportunities? The list is endless and is growing more every day.

The changes and advances in technology provide us with the opportunity to operate on the same level of play with the smallest and largest businesses in the world! Today you have the opportunity and the tools to contact and sell to more prospective customers than anyone’s wildest dream a few years ago.

Think about all your software and what it will do for you, write letters, design window treatments and space plans, create web pages, brochures, newsletters and books (to name but a few) all with the click of a mouse. If you look back in time to 10-15 years ago, none of these advantages were available to the average person. The power has shifted to us and we need to take advantage and use that leverage. All of the technology that we are taking for granted is there to be used; do you have the mindset to use it?

The opportunities are huge and endless. Some people say that opportunity never comes their way, but this is not true. Opportunity is all around; you just need to make an effort to go find it. It is an arena where there is plenty of opportunity for new people to get involved. We all have our own unique skill sets to use as well.

What mindset do you have? Do you make things happen? Do you watch things happen? Or do you just wonder what happened?