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DO YOU NEED TO LOSE SOME BUSINESS "FAT"?

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Beam & Branch Realty TREC #547752

DO YOU NEED TO LOSE SOME BUSINESS "FAT"?

Fat

As we wind down 2011 and begin to focus on the new year ahead, most of us make resolutions and set goals.  Often these resolutions include losing weight and inches.  We try a variety of lifestyle changes in order to meet those goals.

But what about your business?  I find that in my own business there are things that I need to shed.  Old papers and files in need of tossing out, contact lists trimmed and maintained, email files thinned out are among some of the ways that can help you shed that unwanted business "fat".

A few simple tasks can make a huge difference on the efficiency of your business and help you to trim the FAT:

  1. Get those files in order.  Box up your 2011 files, label them and clear them out of your current, daily files.
  2. Go through your client contact list.  Update email addresses, phone numbers and physical addresses.
  3. Archive old email files. 
  4. Go through your email in-box and clean up unnecessary emails.  Trash the delete files to free up needed space on your computer.
  5. Get those receipts in order.  An accordion file for each month of the year is a handy way to keep them all together.  Once you have finished with your taxes, place them all into a large envelope labeled with the year and file it away.
  6. TROW AWAY the junk you don't need.  I know this is difficult for many but so important to trimming the fat!  Get it out of there!

These are just a few things to help you trim the fat in your business.  A few little things here and there can help you get started toward a fresh, new year in 2012!  Get cracking you guys!

I am sure none of you looks like this picture but I couldn't resist the visual here!

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Comments (19)

Kim Sellers
Lake Arrowhead, CA Coldwell Banker - Lake Arrowhead, CA
Lake Arrowhead Realtor - BRE#01412099 - Lake Arrow

So very true.  This is what I've been doing for the last couple of weeks.  Glad to say Goodbye to 2011.  Have a good one.

Dec 20, 2011 08:48 AM
Nancy Conner
Olympia, WA
Olympia/Thurston County WA

Some great tips!  And these tasks can really help make the new year a happy one, as we start out freshly organized and ready to roll!

Dec 20, 2011 08:50 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Yeppers, now is the time to get going on these things.  I like to get them out of the way so I can be off to a fresh start.  I find that some of the down time doing these tasks actually increases my productivity big time.  Getting ready for a new year is always a great thing.

Dec 20, 2011 09:36 AM
Cherise Selley
Selley Group Real Estate, LLC - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Realtor

Paula,

Appreciate your attention to prep!  It's essential to incorporate this type of training to get rid of all kinds of fat... g

Dec 20, 2011 10:46 AM
Randi Brammer
Randi Brammer, Acctg. - Hinckley, MN
Accountant & Tax Preparer

I am about as thin as I can get.  did a full overhaul last january and made a big difference~!

Dec 20, 2011 11:22 AM
Ed Gillespie
WealthWise Mortgage Planning, a Division of American Pacific Mortgage Corporation NMLS #1850 - Folsom, CA

Great reminder for everyone, Paula! I have been doing those things off and on for the past few weeks.  You just "feel" better about your work when things are uncluttered and orderly.  

Dec 20, 2011 12:16 PM
Jane Peters
Home Jane Realty - Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles real estate concierge services

I think we are all guilty of being somewhat overweight.  Now is the time to lose some of it.  

Dec 20, 2011 01:29 PM
Marilyn Boudreaux
Marilyn Boudreaux, Century 21 Bono Realty - Lake Charles, LA
Lake Charles LA Century 21 Realtor

well just have not gotten to this project yet of reviewing files and gathering up 2011, Im doing good to wrap gifts and deliver LOL.  I hope to use 2012 and the icloud to scan and store alot of my receipts to make things easier

Dec 20, 2011 01:52 PM
James Dray
Fathom Realty - Bentonville, AR

I want to know how the hell you got that picture of me in my younger years? :) Gear up for 2012 heck woman I'm already putting the finishing touches on it as I type.  Just got one more hurdle to go through and that will be Friday and I'm off and running

Dec 20, 2011 10:39 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Oh James how you crack me up.  That picture is a classic isn't it?  A heart attack waiting to happen.  Glad to hear all of you above are gearing up and staying ahead of the curve.  For me, simply writing this helps me to get my thoughts organized on what I need to do to get prepared for the new year.

Dec 20, 2011 10:56 PM
Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Paula - all great tips and things I need to do this coming new year! Love the photo - if I need to diet by the end of these holiday which I'm sure will be the case, I'll just put him up on my refrigerator - that would end my appetite - lol!

Dec 21, 2011 12:43 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Very good advice.  We have been cleaning out files and updating records for a couple of months. A large number of big black trash bags have been filled with the surplus "fat".

Happy Holidays!

 

Longwood Gardens IMG_2181

 

Photograph by Roy Kelley using a Canon PowerShot G11 camera.

Roy and Dolores Kelley Photographs

Dec 21, 2011 12:54 AM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Paula, usually this time of year, I am organizing the year's information/files, but still have a couple to include before the end of the month!   Not usually this busy end of December, and is a good thing!

Dec 21, 2011 02:26 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Paula,

That picture is loud and clear - it's time to trim the fat! Your message is also clear and concise!

I've already started my new database. It's time to start anew!

I've suggested this one too!

Patricia 

Dec 21, 2011 04:45 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Thanks you guys.  I am in the process of trimming now.  Ah, so much to do so little time.  P

Dec 21, 2011 04:19 PM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

Great post and wow, that is sure some photo!

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

Dec 22, 2011 02:42 AM
Robert Bob Gilbert
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Anderson Properties - Katy, TX
Your Katy TX ( West of Houston) Real Estate Expert

Paula,

Great picture and excellent ideas about getting rid of stuff each of us needs to spend the time throwing away. Sometimes it is difficult to allocate the time to this necessary cleanup exercise.

Dec 22, 2011 04:08 AM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

Merry Day After Christmas!

Dec 26, 2011 05:29 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Awe Russell, don't spoil all the fun.  I want to play a little longer!

Dec 26, 2011 06:06 AM