It is exactly two weeks to the last day of 2014. To me, this year just flew by. While two weeks does not seem like a lot of time, especially with all the busy holiday activities, you can still take positive actions to end your year right and get a head start on 2015. Here are seven tips that I am taking to heart:

1. Don’t wait until Dec. 31 to check your financials. Do you need to follow up on any late invoices if you want the income to be in 2014? Do you need to defer the income until 2015? Do you need to make any expenditures by year end? What tax consequences should you be aware of? A quick call or email to your accountant could make a difference.
2. If you do not have a giving plan in place, consider starting one before the end of the year. Yes, you will get a tax deduction, and yes, it will make you feel good. You can find numerous local charities in your own backyard or look online for some that work with creative arts. I have supported both groups that help women get back on track locally and also microloan foundations that target the funds to help women make a living from crafts. Two to look at here are www.finca.org and www.kiva.org. Even $25 makes a difference.
3. Look back over the year to see what your successes were. I think as entrepreneurs we often do not take the time to celebrate what we have accomplished. We are always onto the next big thing. Go back and list what your accomplishments were. I bet you can come up with 100 if you try. Let me know how many you find.
4. As you looked over your successes, did you see places for growth? Spend some time over the next two weeks getting clear on what is possible for you. Consider who you will need for support, whether that is private coaching or your own personal networking group.
5. Have you started planning for next year? Have you purchased your calendar or created one that works for you? Have you entered dates for big events and those appointments with yourself? That way you can start the year on the right track. You will see where you need to fill in to build your business.
6. Have you thought about what Your Big Why is? What is the reason you get up each day and work in and on your creative arts business. If you are unclear, set aside some time over the holidays to consider it. That will make a difference as you begin the New Year.
7. And, since my topic is clean-up, I plan to spend some time tossing what is not needed in my studio, so I start on a fresh note in January.

What are you doing to be sure you end the year on a positive note? Leave a comment below, or go over to our Facebook page and share.

Tags: Year End

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 17th, 2014 at 10:20 am and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.