Let’s continue taking stock and getting organized for the year to come with part two of our three-part series on year-end tasks for writers and small businesses.
Here are ten more tasks to do to finish out 2021:
Automate
Are there tasks you do regularly that could be streamlined by automation? Could you systematize areas of your work life that could make your life easier? Look into programs and apps that could help you with this. Perhaps it is setting up funnels for your website or checklists within Notion or boards within Trello. Do what you can to organize your life and reduce the effort required to complete annoying or onerous tasks, like taxes or finances.
Review Your Systems
Look at your existing systems and assess their effectiveness. Did they work for you? Save you time? Keep you on track? If not, you may need to tweak, replace, or eliminate them. Don’t be afraid to alter or replace systems that are not working for you. You can’t know whether a system will work until you start using it. Keep notes on things that aren’t working during the year and use that list to update your systems at least annually, if not more often.
Review Contracts
If you hold contracts with clients, vendors, partners, or other entities, review them. Make sure the terms are being met and that they still suit your business and goals. If not, ask for a contract review with the other party. See whether parts can be amended to better reflect what is actually happening or what you would like to change.
Review Subscriptions
It seems our lives are ruled by subscriptions these days. There are subscriptions to streaming services, but also services that help run our businesses—photo services, blog hosting, creative programs, productivity apps, even reading apps (Pocket, Readwise, etc.). Take a look at your subscriptions and eliminate those that aren’t serving you anymore. Look for alternatives. There are new apps and services appearing daily. You may be able to find something that works better for you and your business.
Track Your Profits
Where did you make the bulk of your money? Who are your best clients? Your most successful income streams? You may be surprised by what you find when you follow the money. Sometimes the clients who provide the bulk of funds aren’t the big ones or the ones that demand the bulk of your time. While you should treat all clients well, it helps to know which ones are financially important to your business.
Set Up a Tickler File
This is a system to remind you to get in touch or do something. It’s as easy as a calendar reminder to get in touch with a former client or follow up on a lead. Set up regular reminders to do important tasks related to marketing, sales, publishing, and the like.
List Your Wins
It helps to record your successes for those days when you feel like you’re getting nowhere. Keep a journal or computer folder to store kind comments, sweet tweets, thank you notes, big wins, and anything else that will lift your spirits when you need a boost. Collect them as you go so you have a reservoir of good to pull up on those bad days. You’ll be glad you did.
Say Thanks
Take a moment to donate to someone else’s Feel Good file. Say thank you to vendors, clients, editors, or anyone who makes your life better. Spread the love.
Review Everything
We’ve talked about reviewing your digital files and mailboxes, but expand those efforts to every aspect of your business. How long ago did you design your logo or business cards? Do they need updating? What about your brand? Do you need to tweak it to be more modern and relevant? Look at everything you use in your business and ask whether it still serves you as is or if it needs updating. Or can you toss it altogether? Or replace it with something else that will work faster and better? Cheaper?
Consider Upgrades & Lifecycle
Technology has a life cycle. Does yours need an upgrade? Are your programs the latest versions? Can you sync your technology for maximum efficiency? If you upgraded your computer, phone, tablet, printer, and other technology in your office would it make you more efficient? More productive? Would it allow you to expand your capabilities? If you can’t upgrade now, make a plan to do so in the future. Include what you want to upgrade, the cost, where to buy it, and the other pertinent details with a target date to make the change.
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