As we enter the very last month of 2011, I would like to share a metaphorical tale that holds true for every business owner.

The international flight is embarking on the last leg of its long journey. Throughout the airplane, weary passengers begin buckling their seatbelts while harried stewardesses prepare for landing.

Suddenly, the cockpit door opens and out walks the pilot with a smile on his face. He finds an empty seat in the first-class cabin, picks up a copy of the in-flight magazine, crosses his legs and starts to read.

There is an uncomfortable silence throughout the airplane as a steward hurries over to the pilot and asks why he isn’t sitting at the cockpit controls for the imminent landing. Replies the pilot: “Well, I’ve worked hard enough for the past few hours flying the plane, so I’m taking a break until after we land.”

The alarmed steward quickly answers back: “Foolish pilot! If you don’t continue flying the plane we are going to crash. By leaving the cockpit, you’re throwing away the many hours you’ve spent at the controls up until now.”

While the above story is obviously a fictitious tale, the message behind it is all too realistic.

As we come to the close of another year, many business owners – proprietors who have spent most of the year guiding their businesses in the right direction – often neglect to take care of some very important end-of-the-year details that can uproot all the hard work they’ve already done.

Here are a few Ptex Practical Pointers that should be kept in mind as we bring the year of 2011 to a close.
*Tax Tactics – Don’t lose your hard-earned money by giving it all to Uncle Sam. If you haven’t done so yet, sit down with your accountant or financial advisor and create a sensible, legal tax plan that’ll help reduce your tax liability.
*Solidify Sales – Wrap up those unfinished sales calls by reaching out to prospective clients again and finalizing the sale to generate extra revenues for this fiscal year.
*More Marketing – Don’t wait until 2012 rolls around to develop your yearly marketing plan. Create one now so that it can be easily implemented on January 1st without delay.

Most importantly, be sure to reflect on the successes (and failures, too) that you’re business has experienced this year and use them as learning experiences with which to usher in the New Year of 2012.

Onwards and upwards,
Meny Hoffman

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