When Nancy Wolfson says something, it's always with careful mastery and her teachings offer immediate benefits.

Here's a page out of Nancy's play book for you. Please leave a comment at the end of this article if you found Nancy's advice useful!

RUNNING METRICS

Every company is obliged, first and foremost, to return profit and value to shareholders.

Are you returning profit to yourself?

It is wise to run the year-end metrics of your business to define and evaluate profits, losses, investments, and returns.

Evaluate the time and money and energies you expend and in what areas against the returns, having a look at what created value for you and what did not.

Do not limit the concept of "value" only to tangible dollar income.

A few examples of non-monetary positive value:

- improved skills - they are like upgraded machinery in your factory.
- an improved demo (or your first one!) is like stocking your shelves with better inventory.
- perhaps you met people in your business pursuits who opened doorways to auditions or perhaps you met a friend who created publicity for you.

How much of one's day is spent on the boards versus pursuing skills, pursuing work, actually doing jobs?

How much of one's sweat goes into jobs in one piece of your business's pie chart and not another...

Sometimes we realize we've spent lots of energy gossiping and commiserating when that time could have been more positively spent making valuable business connections.

Has the marketing been more busywork than targeted?

Is what is being marketed up to top competition standards deserving of that energy and worth risking that "first impression"?

I'm excited to support those who work hard about working smart in '08 and beyond!

Nancy Wolfson

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Best,

Stephanie

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