While there are some of us who have adjusted our home business fiscal years to be something other than the January through December calendar year, most of the people I talk to are still on a typical calendar year when it comes to planning, budgeting, taxes, etc. For the past month or two, I have been writing about some of the “end of the year” things that affect the average small, home business. But, now we are here! The first day of the next twelve months.
Tradition for me in my home business warrants that I spend some time cleaning out my work space and vowing to get organized and make changes in the coming year! It always feels like the thing to do to spend this first non-working, work day of the year cleaning out all my files, recycling paper and office supplies, and setting up systems for how I would like to do things differently in the coming year.
Many of you don’t know, but I do not have a full office for my home business–instead, I have a wonderful large, cherry cupboard that serves as my desk, bookshelf, filing cabinet, and storage. My work as a freelance writer just doesn’t require a ton of space, and living in a two-story townhouse with three kids and three cats means that I don’t have a lot of space. So, a couple years ago when I decided to really do the “home business” thing with great commitment, I bought the cabinet desk, new computer, printer, fax machine, etc. and set up shop on the Eastern side of the dining room. When the cupboard is closed up and I’m not working–it looks like a lovely large pie safe or other appropriate dining room storage. Well, on this first day of 2008–my secret office space is going to get a good cleaning and organizing!
This is also a good day to make plans for the coming year, organize your tax papers, get rid of things you don’t need, and spend a little time feeling gratitude for the freedom and energy to even operate your own home business–we tend to forget how lucky we are to be able to earn a living doing something we want to do in our own way!
Also: the Fresh 2008 Calendar!
Planning for Changes…or Status Quo?