I have always loved the beginning of a newyear — both from a personal and business point of view. I’m one of those folks that not only makes a New Year’s resolution or two, but I try very hard to follow through on them. One of my favorites was committing to send short notes of thanks, recognition and/or acknowledgement to someone every day of the year. Some went to friends and relatives — some went to total strangers. It was a bit of work, but it was a good feeling! If you’re wondering how I did, I probably sent out about 300 notes out of the 365 days. Not perfect, but not bad either. It became a habit and I still continue to do it.
On the business side, I always looked forward to putting together a business plan for the New Year. This would include a detailed financial budget, marketing plan, a showroom update schedule, any human-resource considerations and any major changes in the direction of the business. This would serve as my roadmap for running the business for the next 12 months. It was never set in concrete — it had lots of flexibility. We could add, delete or change it anytime we saw fit.