May 2026 Newsletter

Those of us who live in places with a change of seasons fundamentally understand the urge to do spring cleaning when the air finally gets warm enough to open the windows, and we can hear the birds in the trees again.  All of a sudden, you want to bring those rugs outside for a good beating, get rid of the clutter in the garage or basement, and put the boots away in the closet til next winter.

May we suggest this is an ideal time to do a spring cleaning in your business, too?

PHYSICAL SPACE

If you operate your business out of your home, this is an ideal time to do a deep cleaning:  think mops and window cleaner.  (Or pay someone to do it!)  

But how about also organizing the inevitable pile of papers that accumulates?  Create a shred pile and then actually get it shredded!  Take defunct files and get rid of them once and for all.  Take those random post-it notes and turn them into an organized project file.  You may even want to ask yourself if everything is where it should be, is it time to reorient your desk or files?  Set aside a specific time and just get it done.  Research shows that a more orderly work environment is more conducive to productivity and it just makes you feel happier.

And if your business operates in its own location---a store, a restaurant, a studio and or if you share your work space with others, take this same advice.  If possible make it a group project so you're not doing it on your own.  Does your break room need a clean?  Are the correct employment posters where they are supposed to be?

If your building has a parking lot, have you or your lawn service cleaned it of winter debris?  Yes, even the litter in your parking area creates an impression!

EQUIPMENT

When was the last time you actually cleaned your computer and monitor with wipes, a crumb cleaner?  Dusted your printer, checked to see if the cartridges are full?  Reordered supplies and paper?  If you own other equipment for your operation, check its maintenance schedule and ensure everything is operating the way it should be.

Have you tested your fire extinguisher?  What about your smoke alarms?

YOUR DIGITAL SPACE

In the same way that you may have let physical papers accumulate on a desk or corner, you may have not paid that much attention to your digital files.  What image or random file is sitting on your desktop instead of filed in the correct drive?  How much time we all waste searching for a file that we didn't bother to move to the right place in the beginning.  Again, give yourself a time limit (30 minutes?) and just straighten things out.  (if you have a team, have them do this too and make sure things are shared properly!)

How about your email inbox?  What got forgotten or abandoned because it wasn't easy to do?  Certifications?  Renewals of domains/websites/software?  Go find those things and deal with them.    

How about a Cybersecurity checkup?  Are your backups working properly?  Is your data as secure as it should be?  Have you kept track of all your passwords somewhere?

FINANCIAL CLEANUP

Hopefully, tax time has already given you an incentive to get your books, expenses, and operations in order for profitability.

How about checking on paid subscriptions?  We all may find in our personal life that we have so many streaming services, add-ons on our cell phone bill or other services.  What about subscriptions for your business, like email marketing, CRM, graphic design?  If you're not using them, consider cancelling to save the money or research other options.

Hope some of these ideas spark some momentum for some Business Spring Cleaning!

There sure was a lot of excitement in Pittsburgh for the draft...but unfortunately unless you were right in the "red zone" or chosen for a special event...many of our member businesses reported they didn't see the uptick they were hoping for.

As consumers we are unlikely to see any refunds from the international tariffs that were recently repealed.  However, small business owners may qualify and the process is still being worked out.  You can learn more here: https://www.cbp.gov/trade/programs-administration/trade-remedies/ieepa-duty-refunds.

Eight years and counting!

We are a month late in congratulating our Vice President of Programs, Katie Outon McMahon for 8 years working with Entrepreneurs Forever, making her our employee with the most longevity!

What do you want to learn about?

Over the past four years, Entrepreneurs Forever has amassed an amazing collection of over 50 small business-targeted videos with very specific takeaways.  Some of our most-visited:

• Cash Cycle and Letters of Credit
• Writing Standard Operating Procedures
• Employee Handbooks
• Small Biz Tech Tools
• Negotiation Skills
• Valuing Your Small Business