At year end, when the hustle and bustle of the holidays is past, it is time to focus on preparing for tax season and also plan the work schedule for the coming year.
Optimistically, Betty will put all the income/expense records in order and I will concentrate on the inventory. I once dreaded this chore even when there was much less accumulation to account. Now I find some enjoyment and satisfaction in the process and it has become much easier.
From my perspective the least useful goal of the inventory is to satisfy the accountant who will then satisfy the IRS.
One of the most helpful activities is looking at each thing and making a status decision. “Is this useful and should be kept?” “Should this be sold, gifted, converted to something else, etc?” Clearing away less useful items opens more work space and the less the clutter the easier it is to find the things I really need.
In most cases it has been a year since I last really took specific notice of each item. In most cases there is no change in the status. Occasionally there is an “ah-ha” moment where I have a new insight about how to do something or use something in a new way.
In the early years there were a lot of discovery moments, “Oh, that’s where I left it!” Thankfully, most of that experience is a thing of the past.
The biggest change in the inventory this year will be in equipment. I replaced a MIG welder, bought a used compressor, built a hydraulic forging press and an electric reversing bar twister, and two heavier spare tire power hammers and a number of dies. I’m selling my 50 pound Little Giant. The metal and consumable supply stock has remained rather stable in recent years.
This is also the time to reflect on what has been accomplished in the past year and plan what I want to do this new year and even further into the future.
2011 will necessarily a lot different from 2010. I will not have the assistance of a very capable certified welder friend whose youth and strength I came to rely heavily on for several years. He has moved California and, optimistically, better job opportunities. I’m going to adjust the scale of my work to match my own physical capabilities. I’ll have to improve my TIG skills too.
