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One thing you can say about 2008 is that it was never boring. Now with everyone all worried about impending economic collapse, this holiday season promises to be a little more subdued. It will probably be good for all of us, as we can now remember the true meaning of the season (it’s dark… let’s eat!).

For many of us, our businesses tend to go into a little hibernation until 2009. So here are 5 things you can do in your business while the phone is quiet.

1. Show your partners, customers, and employees a little appreciation

Now that the year is over, take some time to thank those who work with you. Life is a lot better when you have a good team, so make sure your team and your valued customers knows how appreciated they are. A little gift, a phone call, a nice email are all appreciated. This is something we should all be doing on a regular basis anyways.

2. Reflect on the year that was

Take a look at 2008. Often in business we end up dealing with the problems that are right in front of our face instead of working on the longer term projects that will take our business in the direction we want to go. The new year is a good time to reflect on how you used your time over the past year.

3. Plan for the year ahead

It seems that everyone is predicting that 2009 is going to be a terrible year before it even starts. With a big recession being predicted, many businesses are throwing their hands up before we even get going. While 2009 may not be a year with cash flowing through the streets, there is no reason that your business can’t succeed in the coming year. Businesses that do well in a recession tend to focus on saving people money, the more you can demonstrate how your clients will be better off in the long run if they continue to do business with you, the better off you’ll be.

Also, with everyone in the market scared off, a recession is a great time to retrench and build value. There’s less competition for everything from office space to employees, so businesses can be built much cheaper. Many great businesses like Google were built in the down market. Be ready to reap the benefits when the market turns around.

There’s something one must always remember when doom and gloom is all around, especially on the news. Media sources are very good at telling people what has happened, but are very bad at predicting the future. When the media is saying that things are truly bad, it most likely has already happened. Be greedy when others are fearful, that’s when fortunes are made.

4. Skip the Christmas Cards

That’s right, skip the Christmas Cards. Everyone expects Christmas cards, and they are fun to get, but they very easily get lost in the shuffle. Why not send out cards to all your wonderful customers when they aren’t expecting it? Send out valentines, or Halloween cards, or pick a bizarre holiday (Talk Like A Pirate Day is a great one). Make your business remarkable by doing something different.

5. Get to know your family again

Running a business is not the easiest thing in the world. There are many demands on your time, and often it is your family that gets short changed. This Christmas, I’m taking two weeks off to slow down and spend some time with my loved ones.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and all the best from everyone at upNext Media.

Summer is the only season of the year that seems to have a definite end date. After Labour Day, it’s back to school, back to work, back to our old lives before the carefree days of summer. Here in Vancouver, it’s not like we had that long of a summer as far as the weather went anyways, so now is as good a time as any to get back to it.

With the batteries recharged, here are a few tips for getting back into the swing of things.

1. Clean up your workspace.

Today I got back in the office and cleared everything off my desk, filed all the papers, and gathered the old receipts. Now I have a clear space, a clear mind, and my accountant will be happier with all the up to date receipts.

2. Clear out the email inbox

There’s nothing like the look of an empty email inbox to give you that sense of being on top of things. For help and tips on how to get on top of your email management, check out Merlin Mann’s series called Inbox Zero at 43folders.com

3. Reevaluate your marketing mix

As people head back into the office, now is the time to get your message out there about your product or services. Review everything that you’re doing to get customers in the door and ask yourself, “Is this talking to my ideal client?” If your marketing is not targeted to the exact kind of customer you want to walk in the door, it’s not going to be effective. Marketing is always a process of figuring out what works (not what we think is working, actually measure), and doing more of the good stuff, less of the bad stuff. The fall is a great time to get that message out there when people are once again around to hear it.

4. Keep some part of summer alive

Many people dread the day after Labour Day as the time when fun has to cease. The truth is that summertime is really a state of mind. Yes, the weather may be better for outdoor activities (unless you’ve been in Vancouver the past few months), but many of the enjoyable activities that we associate with summer can continue all year round.

Keep reading those summer books, a trashy novel is great any time of year. Invite people over for an indoor party instead of an outdoor BBQ. Plan your winter getaway, or even better, make plans for regular breaks from the office instead of a single long summer vacation. This may be easier for those of us who are entrepreneurs and control our own schedules, but remember we’re the people that rarely go on vacation at all. Put on some Jimmy Buffett, get out the blender and make margaritas, just to celebrate the fact it’s Thursday. Take your kids to the indoor pool and go for a swim. Or get your best Hawaiian shirt and celebrate Aloha Friday as I do.

While the weather outside may be grey, with a little effort we can keep that summer state of mind going all year round.

There’s a new member of the upNext Media family.

Jacob Theodore Strocel arrived on August 13th, 2008 at 3:11pm. 7 lbs, 10 oz. Here’s his first video blog post.

A bit of an overview story from NAB about the hand wringing over converting production over to Hi-Def. I especially like the comment from Sony that buying HD-Cam gear is “future proof”, just like Betacam SX, the Memory Stick, etc.

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OK, you’re a big media company, and you want some way to monetize the large amounts of content you pump out the door everyday. There are a whole lot of websites out there that need content, so it was only a matter of time before clip syndication services would start to come online. Attach a little ad to the front of the clip, sign up small websites to show the clips, and you’ve got yourself a pretty wide audience. I guess it remains to be seen whether or not the future in media is a whole bunch of small websites or the single, powerful brands that have traditionally driven audience. It’s going to be fun to find out.

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