How to close 2015

Now I know these sorts of posts aren’t popular (after all, everyone wants uninformed predictions about 2016 ala Nostradumbass of IT) but they are necessary. As you know, I’m a huge fan of not fighting the calendar and doing business every single day – but towards the end of the year you need to kick into a new gear because people with big budgets and decisions that need to be made are making them as things slow down – December. So here is a quickie checklist that I go through. Hope it works for you.

Focus on company
– Sit down with the CFO, CPA, another CPA and discuss new tax strategies, rules, etc. If you employ people in multiple states (or do business on multiple continents) it’s time to look over the new rules.
– Once you know what the rules are… design a game plan around it. At ExchangeDefender we are launching 3 major new products and one large line of business, all of which we need to let people know about before the 1st.

Focus on staff
– What do you need to do in order to keep them employed? My people never believe me when I say “I am the most thankful for you because without you, I’d have to do your job” – But I used to, after all this at one point was just me. And every day that I don’t have to think about something is a day in paradise city. Here are some things to consider:

– Not everyone is the same

– Everyone doesn’t get motivated by the same benefits

– It’s usually something stupid that they need/want that you never would have imagined. But that’s sort of the thing, when you have a grain of sand in your shoe and you have to deal with it every day.. it’s a big deal

– “What do you want to do next year” – Everyone has projects, ideas, kids, life issues, etc. Sort them out.

Focus on clients
– Thanks. Thank you for all your money.
– What can we do better? It’s clear you keep on paying us for some reason, what else can we do better to make your life easier. Just like employees, everyone you deal with has a relationship with you and it’s on you to make everyone happy.
– How is business? What sort of issues are your clients facing? How can you help?

WAYWO

This is pretty much a boss shirt at OWN but “What are you working on?” is an ever present thing if you’re in IT – our field changes all the time and if you keep on doing the same thing one day you’ll lift your head up from the desk and be out of a job.

The last part of the last month of the year is an inward look to evaluate what you are doing to drive your business forward, to make your employees more fulfilled and what your clients need you to do. What are you doing to make people happier? More successful? More effective? More valuable?

I always shake my head during the partner calls when people say “Nothing new, just busy” to me. Business is an evolution of your service – to your staff, to your clients, to your community. You need to be moving, not busy. Really busy all of a sudden – outsource, contract, chop, sell: You shouldn’t be busy. You should be profitable and valuable. Busy is the word people who stuff envelopes for $7.75/hr do at home because they looked at classifieds in the newspaper at the low point in their life and ended up in a job about to be nuked by a robot. It’s for telemarketers. It’s for burger flippers during lunch rush. It’s not for IT. If you’re busy, you’re screwed.

Close 2015 like 2016 will be the best year of your business. For ExchangeDefender, Own Web Now, Shockey Monkey, etc it has been and it will be – and I thank you all for that. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.