The NFL and your small business

Much of this past weekend was spent monitoring the NFL draft. No, the testosterone from the baby boy I'm carrying has not totally taken over my body; Kevin is a big football fan and Draft Day is a national holiday in this house. Usually I busy myself with other stuff when this occurs, but this year I made the mistake of asking a few questions and getting caught up in the plight of these poor, poor football players who just because a team picked them at the #7 spot, instead of #3, will have to forego millions of dollars. My heart goes out to them, really it does.

Anyway, I actually thought it was pretty interesting, once Kevin explained the strategy behind it. Which, after I thought about it, is no different than the marketing and creative strategy of a small business...

Working with what you've got - You can't scrap the whole "team", so assess the areas that are working and look to improve the areas where you are weak.

Getting the most for your dollars - Why pay top dollar for something that you can get for a bargain later?

Short-term planning - Put things in place to go for the "big win" now, and...

Long-term planning - Thinking ahead by making a plan that's not just for this year or next, but also years down the line.

Plus, there's lying and spying and back-stabbing. Throw in a long-lost brother and you've got yourself a Danielle Steel novel.

Creative Nesting

With six weeks left to go until bebe arrives, I think it's fair to say that almost every inch of our house has been ransacked, purged, cleaned and reorganized in efforts to, as I'm told, Nest. I tend to believe that it's 50% nesting and 50% spring-cleaning, since I like to do this every year, but let's not split hairs. No room, cabinet or closet is safe; even the "soap warehouse" was turned upside down and cleaned out.

Even though my utter lack of creativity for anything business-related has taken a turn for the worse, I can't help but feel reinvigorated by our recent cleaning binge. So, without trying to be a total hypocrit, I'd like to share my ideas on "creative" nesting; a term I just made up to explain opening the floodgates of creativity. I see it as a physical place to work, but it can be less literal - making a place in your mind for creative thought.

• Focus on space. What do you have to work with? How can you make it work more efficiently for you?
• Make sense of everything. Getting rid of all the excess stuff you have lying around will give you a chance to focus on the things you really need and use.
• Create good habits. Now that the space is clear and reorganized, don't go back to the habits that got you there in the first place. Try setting up "rules" that will help with upkeep of your newfound workspace.

Good luck with your spring cleaning!