Getting Your House in Order

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getting your house in orderSeveral years ago my grandmother started clearing out her house – spring cleaning on a grand scale. While not cluttered, fifty years of stuff had accumulated and filled the three-story house. Grandma is a realist – at north of 90 she didn’t want to leave her family the burden of sifting through all the things that don’t have much meaning or value. And through that process, she also made sure the legal and banking documents were up to snuff. She was getting her house in order. She knew that at some point her affairs would be transitioned to her family.

The funny thing is – transitions happen all the time, whether in business or in life, but many times very little preparation goes in to making them successful. As a result, businesses that have been built over a lifetime languish after a transition because key elements in making a successful transition were not addressed ahead of time. Is your house in order? Or, is some attention needed? What steps can you take now to make sure your legacy is where you want it to be?

Even the Best Laid Plans

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solutions riskOne of my favorite parts of the week is going to Zumba, a Latin inspired dance fitness program. Lots of great energy in the room, a fantastic work out and people who are genuinely excited to see you and be there. I regularly run into a woman in the locker room – creatures of habit we tend to find lockers next to each other. She hadn’t been in a while and was excited to be back. As she opened her bag to change, she realized she forgot her exercise pants

“I can’t believe it” she exclaimed. “I was really diligent this morning in laying everything out – I had a plan and can’t believe I forgot my pants.”

Luckily there was a store upstairs where she was able to find a pair of exercise pants. Figuring out her backup plan quickly allowed her to achieve her objective – making it to class on time.

Business is no different than life. How many times do you make plans, spend time and effort making sure everything is in place only to find that something falls through the cracks somewhere along the way? Even the best laid plans can go sideways. Building in back up plans when planning can help you stay the course to achieve your objectives. How are your plans? Have you thought through the various possibilities and developed a range of options to address the potential conditions you may experience?

There’s Money Everywhere

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coinsA colleague and I were having coffee and brainstorming about business writing.  Having clarity of voice, keeping posts current, being relevant.  As we got up to leave, a shiny dime fell out of his pocket and sat brightly by itself on the black leather couch.  As he reached down to pick it up, he said:

 “There’s money everywhere!”

 And he was right.  Money can be found everywhere – you just have to keep your eyes peeled to find it.