Wed Wake-Up - Week of September 1st, 2008

Welcome to another great Wed.!

This week we want to discuss a way to make more profit with your business which you may never thought of: getting organized! I can't tell you how many times in recent months I have seen the horror filled "file drawers stuffed with bills", "closets filled with keepers", etc. As we talked about with the business plan in the Tools for Tuesday column, having references are very important for improving your business. Organizing your invoices, bills, etc. can not only save you trouble with the tax man, but allow you to see if you are; getting cheated by vendors, are suffering from theft, etc. Giving out invoices/receipts may also help to clarify return procedures, provide back-up data from which to make future purchasing decisions, and above all else, provide a professional business image to your customers. .

In conclusion, with all the tools available, there is no longer any excuse to be unorganized. If you are worried about cost, tools such as Open Office are readily available to assist you. Creating databases, spreadsheets, etc. can all be done in a relatively short amount of time using your own creativity or even free templates (available from your word processing software programs on your computer or the many which are available on the web). It is never too late to turn the corner, and help fulfill your business's true potential. Remember, if you get lost, we are here to help out!

Have a great one!

-Dale