After holidays full of excess eating and big spending, the New Year approaches and everyone starts in with their Resolutions. As individuals, people resolve to lose weight, quit smoking and spend more time with their families. Good and noble endeavors to be sure. But what about in business? Are there any resolutions you should be implementing at work? Sure there are. Here’s a few for starters.

1.      Start your day earlier. “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise,” said Benjamin Franklin. Seems to have worked for him. Think about it – more time in the morning means more time to devote to things you probably won’t get to do otherwise. Like exercise, read the paper, or eat breakfast. Starting your day off early means you can come into work on time, fully awake and ready to face the challenges of the day.

2.      Work smarter, not harder. Since you’re already at work and feeling productive, think about the things you can do to make your job a little easier. Do you have some daily or weekly tasks you put off but then get distracted from? Get them done first thing and let the rest of the day fall into place. Have a hard time finding files after you’ve saved them? Work on a filing system that’s easier to navigate. You have to think about the things that are keeping or slowing you from achieving your goals and change them.

3.      Cut down on waste. Sounds simple, right? It is. Think about the things you and your company are doing that wastes company resources like paper, electricity, or - worst of all - time. These things are costing your company money. What you have to look for are alternatives to what’s costing you money now. Can you send more emails instead of wasting paper corresponding through fax? Are you using up those “promotion-only” pens you spent so much money on in the office instead of handing them out to potential clients? And it has to be asked – are you still wasting time doing your own payroll?

4.      Go green. Speaking of working smarter and cutting waste; how much can your company save by lowering utility costs? Green isn’t just a hippie buzzword anymore. Companies are saving money each year with green initiatives like better insulation and water-conserving options. Eco-friendly options like recycling have been known to boost customer support, as well. Look around your office, especially your trashcan, and see if there’s anything “green” you can be doing.

Remember, like your personal New Year’s Resolutions, your business Resolutions will require you to stick with it to be effective. Those above are just a few options you can implement. Have any other suggestions? Feel free to comment below.

Doesn’t Christmas seem to start earlier and earlier every year?  The season when families and friends come together, presents are exchanged, and much merriment ensues.  That’s right, Christmas is in full swing again.

Christmas is known as the season of good will and charity.  That might be tough to remember while you’re fighting through crowds at the sales rack or searching for the hottest deals online.  Luckily, there are several ways you can make the holidays special for someone less fortunate.

Toys for Tots runs on the idea that no child should have to wake up on Christmas morning without a gift.  Simply take an unwrapped toy to any of their drop off locations for it to be distributed to a needy child in your area on Christmas.  Want a hands-on approach to giving?  Search for orphanages and other child-care facilities in your area and find out how you can make Christmas special for the children there.  Local soup kitchens are always in need this time of year.  Call and find out how you can help.

Even the smallest gestures can make a big difference for someone.  How often do you walk by the bell ringers of the Salvation Army on your way into a store?  Just a little spare change every time you walk by could be what brings joy into someone’s Christmas.  And isn’t that what the holidays are all about?

Here are a few links that might help you decide the best way for you to give:

Toys for Tots

Salvation Army

The Stew Pot

Catholic Charities

December 7th: Remembering the Date in Infamy

Everyone knows the story.  How on December 7, 1941, Japan surprisingly attacked the United States naval forces at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - killing 2400 Americans and destroying much of our fleet.  Everyone knows that the attack resulted in America getting involved in the war against the Axis powers, becoming a huge factor in the Allied forces' success.

Even though there have been many movies and books based on the events surrounding the the attack 70 years ago, every year less and less attention is called to what President Franklin D. Roosevelt said to be "a date which will live in infamy."  If you take a look at Google.com, you won't find a "google doodle" logo associated with Pearl Harbor like you've seen in the past for Thanksgiving or Mark Twain's birthday.  Pearl Harbor isn't listed on Yahoo's Trending Now top ten.  In fact, on Yahoo you're more likely to see stories about Lady Gaga's "baffling accent" or which sports teams are "liked" the most.  At the moment CNN's main page doesn't list a single story commemorating the date of the attack.

When these attacks occurred, it spurned our entire nation to organize and fight hard against the Axis forces of World War II.  Americans shouldn't so easily forget about a day of horrible defeat that ultimately let led to our biggest triumph.