As I sat down to color with my three-year-old (I actually find this quite therapeutic), he was impressed with my ability to color in the lines. He’s getting there, but he still produces a more overall effect, regardless of boundaries on the page. For some reason, I thought about my business (imagine that; thinking about work after hours), and thought about how sometimes I was a little messy with it.

Do you always color in the lines when it comes to your business? Is your color box full of jumbled, broken crayons, or is it organized by color? Are you well-organized and have everything together? Or are you physically and mentally scribbled all over the place?

This time of year, we’re trying to get fresh starts. I cleaned my desk last week (you can’t tell now, but I really did!) and have been getting things in order for 2008. But there are times (more than I like to admit) that I’m sloppy, and sometimes that costs money. I’m sure that my competitors often color in the lines better, and therefore I’ve probably lost some business due to my carelessness.

So how can we be better color-ers?

• Be deliberate. It’s not about coloring the picture or finishing a project quickly, it’s about getting it done right the first time.
• Double check yourself. I pride myself on being an excellent writer with few errors, and I have to force myself to re-read my material. But when I find that occasional error that would have made me look unprofessional, I’m glad I took the time to review it.
• Seek to constantly improve. Working for yourself, you really don’t have anyone to tell you when your work is getting stagnant. Always take a fresh look at your processes and find new ways to innovate them.
• Organize. Your thoughts, your desk, your crayons.
• Find what works for you. I used to hate Outlook Calendar, but now find it useful. However, I also back up appointments on a paper desk calendar. Just because everyone else has a PDA doesn’t mean that’s what you need. Find a system and stick to it.

Susan Payton is Managing Partner of Egg Marketing & Public Relations, an Orlando marketing firm, and is the blogger behind The Marketing Eggspert. She helps businesses put together their marketing strategy and execute it. From press releases to email blasts, Susan and Egg can help promote your company. For free advice on marketing in today’s Web 2.0 world, visit The Marketing Eggspert Blog.

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