The end of the year is a good time to assess where you and your business are headed. It’s a time to take stock and to prepare for the upcoming year. The past two years have been challenging. We went through the greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. We’re pulling out of it, but at a slower pace than we’d like. It’s been a confronting time for most business owners both large and small. But tough times can yield surprising results. They can force us to look at and reevaluate our business, our priorities and our lives. For example, are you headed in the direction you want? Are you in a business you love, or at the very least one you find fascinating? How are your current choices impacting your life and those of others? Are you taking time to feed all parts of your life? Is your business separate from the other parts of your life? Or is your business consuming every aspect of your life?

Okay, I realize this is a site about PR and marketing, but if you want your business to run successfully, you want your life to be on track. The end of the year is a perfect time to assess where you are both in your business and your life. Just as we take stock of our business and develop a business game plan, it’s important to see how that plan fits in with the rest of our lives. If it’s not a good fit, now is the perfect time to review it and see how we can make some shits and changes to not only have a more successful business, but also to have a fuller, happier life.

A complete life is something we tend to lose site of, particularly during tough economic times when our entire focus seems to be on how to generate more money. Sometimes a big part of the secret is to see what we can let go of; how we can streamline our business and simplify our lives. Finding where we can cut and save is often as important as learning how we can increase our cash flow. Finding ways to live our lives differently and more in tune with who we are and the life we want can bring a balance to our life we usually forget is possible.

Giving ourselves some time to think of how we can bring balance to our lives can also be a great business practice. The more balanced we are, the more effective we are. But it’s also possible to look at this from another perspective. You know how important having a harmonious, full life is to you, so what does your business, service or product offer your customers or clients?

For example, my company helps build and grow companies; we offer our clients the validation and credibility of being featured in the media, we establish them as experts in their field. We work with them to discover new ways to reach their target market via the media and online. We work with them to develop new target markets. We work with them to help their business and their brand, blossom.

How does your business help others live fuller more complete lives? The answer doesn’t need to be earth shattering or profound. It can be as simple as your business saves your customers time, or makes them feel better, or makes their lives more efficient, or saves them money, or makes them feel special, or makes them feel glamorous, or simplifies their lives, or entertains them, etc. The list goes on. What is it that you uniquely offer to your clients? The answer to this question can literally give you your most powerful marketing campaign and offer you a way to directly and powerfully connect with your clients and customers.

Copyright © Anthony Mora 2010

Author's Bio: 

Anthony Mora Communications, Inc. is a Los Angeles-based public relations company that has placed clients in: Time, Newsweek, 60 Minutes, CNN, USA Today, Oprah, The New York Times, Vogue, and other media. Anthony has been featured in: USA Today, Newsweek, The New York Times, , The Wall Street Journal, The BBC, CNN, Fox News, and other media outlets.