Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan in this time of crisis. We can only empathize with the families of those who have perished or been lost so tragically.

The recent double tragedy in Japan appears to be spawning yet another crisis. Clearly, Japan’s preparedness for earthquake survival paid off in spades. Surprisingly, only a few structures were damaged by the earthquake. Unfortunately, the preparations for a tsunami were inadequate in this event. Clearly, no one anticipated the effect of the earthquake and the tsunami on the nuclear power plants.

As your firm gears up for the busy season, whether defined by annual reports, earnings statements or tax returns, you need a process to ensure everything is completed. All professional and financial services firms should have a clear process in place that not only keeps everyone on track, but also ensures that no one overlooks any important steps.

As you move closer to the busy season – taxes, annual reports, budgets, evaluations, new investment strategies, calculating dividends – you need to be thinking about more than the specific task before you at any moment.  You also need to thinking about whether you are churning out tasks or grasping all of the opportunities before you.

December is a very busy time. People are getting ready for or celebrating Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and the New Year. Professional and financial services firms should also be getting ready for the Busy Season of W-2s, annual reports, taxes, earnings statements, and all of the other kinds of reporting they must do during the first few months of the year.

The media are having a field day with speculation about a double-dip recession or a full-blown depression bearing down on the American economy. You even might be tired of hearing about it. The news and speculation seems to fill my inbox every day. That means you have both a duty to your clients and an opportunity to build your practice.