After a hectic holiday, I am back and so excited that it is finally 2008! There is something so liberating about the thought of a brand new year.

For Christmas I got that Wacom Bamboo Fun that I was hoping for and let me tell you, I LOVE IT! The installation was ridiculously easy and getting started only took a matter of minutes. I’ll do a longer review of it soon, but I need to play with it a bit more before I can do a good one. I also got a new wireless keyboard which is a big change. It is the Logitech Cordless Desktop Wave Set and although it has a great feel to it, I am still getting used to the curvature.

While I haven’t finished my “formal” plan for 2008, I have started jotting down a few business related goals for 2008 like:

• Grow this site to more than 1000 RSS subscribers
• Create and release my first custom theme
• Grow my own sites to the point where they are my primary source of income and client work is just a bonus
• Add a premium content/subscription option to my Printables4Kids site

Administratively I need to continue working on time management and organization - I haven’t really found a system that truly works for me yet, but I’m am working on it. I know I need to outsource a bit more, but I have such difficulty relinquishing control of things.

Overall, I am really excited about 2008 - it’s going to be a great year - I just know it!

Raise your hand if you are actually working today? How about next week - the week between Christmas and New Year’s? How many of your clients will be working? Chances are, many of you are taking some well deserved time off, visiting family, and generally putting your businesses on hold for the next week. Even though things will generally be quieter around your office, there are 5 things you can do to build your business between Christmas and New Year’s.

1. Communicate with Clients

Take a few minutes today or some time next week to send your clients a note. Thank them for their business this year and let them know what your work hours will be over the next few weeks. A little communication can go a LONG way. If your client list isn’t too long and you have the time, give your clients a phone call instead. You just may make someone’s day! If you have a larger list and will be sending out your communication via an e-newsletter, check out these 7 common e-newsletter pitfalls first.

2. Wrap Up Loose Ends

Go back over your to do list. How many little tasks can you clear off that list? Same goes with your inbox. Take advantage of the quieter time to go back through your inbox and act on every message - either respond, file it or delete it. If you are feeling very ambitious, clean out your RSS feed reader and Facebook profile while you are at it.

3. Take a moment to reflect on 2007

Think back to the beginning of 2007. Did you declare your intentions? Did you make a plan? Revisit your plan and see how you did? What went right this year and what didn’t? Note how your path changed along the way due to events you could not predict and those guided by your heart.

By taking some time to review your business in the past year will certainly help you define the path you want to take in the upcoming year.

4. Outline a roadmap for 2008

What are your goals for 2008? Do you have a plan, a destination or a dream? If so, put it down on “paper”.  Whether you are starting a new project or looking at your business in general, Skellie’s 5 Hard Questions You Should Answer before Starting a New Project is a must read. In addition, set guidelines for your work. What makes a project worth investing time in? Only you can decide what is right for you, but having those guidelines in place will help you stay on the right track.

5. Prep your website/blog for the new year

If you have a website or blog, this is a great time to give it a good hard look and get it ready for the new year. You’ll need to:

• update the copyright information
• double check your contact information (people need to get in touch with you)
• check for dead links
• remove expired affiliate deal links
• do other general changes

Be sure to take some time for yourself as well. Do something fun, relaxing, or just catch up on sleep. Your business will benefit from it!!

Wishing all my wonderful readers a Merry Christmas (or Happy Holiday of your choice)! Thank you for all the comments, emails, and page views in 2007.

If you are ready to jump start your business, September is the time to do it, and there are some pretty high powered bloggers who want to help you out.

Jump Start Your Business with the b5media Business Bloggers

The b5media contest is open to businesses who are less than a year old and entry does involve a bit of work. You have to answer the following questions:

1. What’s your business idea?
2. Who is on your business team - in other words, who is going to make this idea work?
3. When did you start your business? Or when do you plan to start your business? What is your time frame for success?
4. Why is this business going to be a success?
5. Why should we pick you as the winner?

It is worth the work, though. The b5media Prize Pack is valued at more than $2000 including free financial software, merchandise and valuable business advice from the business professionals at b5media! There are also two additional runner-up packages that are pretty nice too. Get all the details at TaxGirl’s post on the Jump Start Your Business contest.

David Airey’s $4,000 Blog Anniversary Giveaway

David Airey has one of the best design blogs going and he is celebrating one year of sharing his graphic design thoughts, commentary and tips with us by having a huge - and I mean huge - celebration. There are over $4,000 worth of prizes up for grabs and you only have another week to get your entry in.

I particularly like the prizes in the online advertising category and would love to win any of them:

• 728px by 90px banner ad for 30 days above the fold on The Blog Experiment.
• 125px by 125px image ad for 30 days on Smart Wealthy Rich.
• Ad icon located site-wide in the top left of Blog-Op, courtesy of Chris Lodge.
• 30 day text link ad shown site-wide on Contest Blogger.
• 125px by 125px image ad for 30 days on Freelance Folder.

If you haven’t checked out these two awesome contests, I highly recommend you do it before time runs out.