Besides the year-end inventory and accounting tasks, I also take this time of year to reorganize. I want to start fresh with a clean desk, a full rack of supplies, and a calendar full of new goals, and my eBay room in order. Taking this extra time means that it really is a new year…It’s time to start meeting the new goals, rearranging my scheduled work time, and clearing up the unfinished projects. Of course, not all the projects will be complete, but I’ll have a fresh start on the time consuming ones and set new goals for finishing them.
During this busy time of year, it’s easy to become unorganized in the rush to get the orders out on time, the listings done, and for me at least, this can mean everything not being in its place. As long as my “mess” is organized, I can function quite well. It’s when there is an unorganized mess, I tend to become unorganized, and it takes longer to get things done than it should.
My eBay room is in a separate area, out of the main living space whereas my home office is in the main living space. But I need to know that I can go to my eBay room and find what I need, right now. I use plastic storage bins to keep inventory organized and for my shipping supplies as well. How many times have you gone to reach for a box and had the whole pile come tumbling down. Using the storage bins eliminates this potential mess.
Because I have two separate eBay businesses, I have two complete separate sets of marketing supplies, which include business cards, thank you post cards, magnets, etc. I use different shaped organizers to keep them separate and easily recognizable eliminating the risk of sending the wrong thank you notes and business cards. I also make any necessary changes to my print material and make sure to reorder so there is adequate supply to start the year. I do an inventory of shipping supplies and order any that I may be running low on.
In my particular case, I also make sure that my medical notes are all backed up and transferred to discs. There is always the need to find a note from the previous year. As long as they are organized on the appropriate discs, finding a particular note is a breeze and takes minimum time.
It might seem overwhelming with so much to do for end of year, but the fact is, if you stay organized, the actual process becomes more habit than work, and actually gets done fairly quickly. All that is, except the unfinished projects, but even those will be organized in folders so I can open any particular one and start working on it without having to search for needed information or photos.
I hope you have found your own system that works for you and are ready to start 2012 with new goals and an organized workspace in which to work and reach them. And if you’re not, take a couple weeks starting now to get these end of year tasks completed, so you can start fresh.
Oh, and don’t forget to take some time for yourself and your family and have a Very Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year!
