We’re in the midst of a rough winter and since we can’t spend too much time outside, it’s a perfect time to get organized! I’ve been spending hours at my office every weekend getting rid of old files, which is clearing up a lot of drawer space. It feels pretty good. I’ve been in my current office suite for 9 years and in business for almost 16 years, so you can imagine how many files and papers have accumulated. Employee records from a decade ago? Yeah, going in the shredder. At home, I’ve been tackling personal files, as well, trying to clean up those things I keep saying I’m going to get rid of. (Ever hear of the “Swedish Death Cleaning?” – look it up – it’s a real thing!)

So, this brings us to this month’s topic – If you’re a business owner, it’s time to clean house (or office as it is) AND build up that house (or office) for maximum efficiency.

To clean...

Review your vendor agreements with your attorney, accountant, insurance, etc. Ensure everything is up to date and no amendments need to be made. Make sure you know when your copier lease expires, if your insurance coverage is adequate, and if your corporate documents are in order. (Remember, I can connect you with someone if you need a referral)

Purge old documents and files. There are companies who can come in and do confidential shredding and removal if you don’t have the proper equipment in-house.

Clean out your inbox. Decluttering is great for mental clarity and even if you just spend a few minutes a day, it will make a world of difference. (That includes your deleted folder, too!)

Get your financials in order. Tax time is around the corner so this is vitally important and sets you up for a successful 2021.

To build…

There are things we weren’t thinking of a year ago. Now that working at home is most likely business as usual for the foreseeable future, new policies, contracts or documents might need to be created or memorialized.

If you have employees working from home, have you updated all of your corporate policies to reflect any new situations?

What if an employee has a fall on their property during work hours? What if something happens to their computer? Do you want regulations on Zoom backgrounds? Dress code updates when on online meetings? Unemployment updates? Employment wage claims? The list is endless and is very different depending on the business you run.

Talk to your insurance agent to make sure your business is covered, and work with me to update your employment policies.

You wouldn’t let snow pile up on your driveway or your steps and you can’t let potential problems pile up in your business. Use this time to your advantage and write down the top 5 things you need to review right now. Take that list one item at a time and when that list is complete, start a new one. I’m here to help in your process. You need a team. Your lawyer, accountant, insurance agent. Everyone needs to have support in place to
keep moving forward.

In other news, New York State is changing the statutory Powers of Attorney form, effective for POA’s signed on or after June 13, 2021. • Powers of Attorney executed prior to June 13 in conformity with the old law remain valid.• The signature of the principal must be witnessed by two disinterested witnesses and acknowledged by a notary. The notary may act as one of the two witnesses. (Before it just needed to be notarized.)• Under prior law, any revisions, alterations, or modifications of the statutory form could invalidate the Power of Attorney. The new law permits a Power of Attorney that “substantially conforms” and allows insignificant mistakes in wording, spelling, punctuation, or formatting, or the use of bold or italic type, or language that is essentially the same as but not identical to the statutory form, including utilizing language from a previous statute.• Third parties accepting a properly executed Power of Attorney in good faith are protected from liability in the event the Power of Attorney is not valid.

In firm news, I recently joined a networking group called “Swap the Biz” and it brings me into contact with many excellent professionals so I can continue to be a resource for my clients. You need someone? I probably got someone. I’m continuing to do a lot of online networking. It’s different, but we have all come to embrace it.

I was also recently appointed Secretary of Habit of Humanity of Suffolk Inc. I have been on the Board, as a Director, for over 5 years, but now I am on the Executive Board.

On my birthday, as a present to myself, I did a house demo for Habitat. It was fun tearing down dry-wall and removing cabinets and getting the house ready for the renovation.

The new homeowner was right next to us doing her “sweat equity” on top of her two jobs! It was a rewarding experience (as it always is) and I think it is the start of a new birthday tradition. This organization is near and dear to my heart. If you want to support Habitat and its mission, you can always donate, volunteer or shop at the ReStore in Ronkonkoma.