Make Great Things From Leftovers

I cook so I can have leftovers so I can make great things from leftovers. In fact I plan my meals with the intention of creating leftovers. Holidays offer a perfect opportunity for leftovers.

I think about the holiday season as the leftovers of the prime time for touring. You have about a month and a half of time when booking personnel are either scrambling to finish their bookings or they are done and not taking any calls.

You have returned from most of your intentional tours and are either playing holiday gigs or laying low, trying to book late year gigs for the coming winter. These are the leftover days of the year.

During this time I like to make use of these days by clearing out stuff from last year and make plans or revisit plans for the new year.

Here are a few ideas of how to make great things from leftovers this year as you plan for next year.

1. Pull out all this year’s past contracts and make a list of the ones that were really great. Note the contact and phone number. Call them for a reference, a quote and a referral to a few of their colleagues for future gigs. You might also ask to schedule a return gig with them.
2. Review last years marketing and make note of anything that worked particularly well. Make a list of marketing ideas you wanted to do but never got around to doing.
3. Send a note of thanks to all your fans, a separate one to any media folks who gave you coverage and to those who booked you. Just make this a thank you, not a promotional, trying to get a gig note. It will be more sincere without any hype.
4. Review your leftover merchandise stock and note any items that you need to replenish. As the end of the year approaches you may want to spend some money on these things to take the tax deduction this year if you need it or wait until after January 1^st, if that’s better for you tax-wise.
5. Make an appointment with your accountant to see how you are set financially for your taxes this year and get any recommendations for things you might do before year’s end.
    
6. Buy a big wall calendar or any new year planning device of your choice to set up a big picture view of your next year’s plans.
7. Spend some time brainstorming with team members, bandmates or family, to come up with some new ideas for next year’s touring, marketing and potential special projects like recordings or videos. Mark potential time frames on your calendar to give you momentum throughout the next year.

These 7 steps are a sure-fire way to put the leftover days of this year to great use. The great thing about leftovers in my kitchen is that I can make great things from leftovers to last for many days. I hope you’ll plan ahead for a tasty new year. I know I am.

What are you doing with your leftover days of this year to help make next year even better?

Leave me a comment below or on the Performingbiz Success Strategies Facebook page.

I can’t wait to hear about your success.

Thanks to Carol Ehrlich for designing this week’s Biz Booster graphic image, “Make Great Things From Leftovers.”

Now, Thanks to the Band Curfew from the UK for providing the Biz Booster theme Music, Future Dance. Check them out at www.curfew.co.uk.

And for more career-boosting tips, articles, books, resources, teleseminars and online courses, visit me at Performingbiz.com.