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# A New Year housecleaning a good business decision
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/a-new-year-housecleaning-a-good-business-decision/
- Published: 2005-02-01T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T23:09:39.000Z
- Author: David Pisarra
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*WHAT’S THE POINT?*

Today is Feb. 1, and by now the excitement for some, anguish for others, of the president’s inauguration is over. The first flush of starting a new exercise routine has worn off, the diet has been left by the wayside, and for those who quit drinking — “for keeps this time!” — the Superbowl is right around the corner.

The first month of the year has flown by, as have most of our resolutions. For those who have fallen off the horse, but want to get back on and get organized, today is as perfect a day as you are likely to get to start over.

We’re doing it in our law firm. I made a decision to go out of the document storage business and get back to having a tidy set of files. As lawyers we generate and receive tons of paper. Paper that ends up in files for which we are responsible. Being a rather conservative lot, lawyers tend to like to keep things around well after they are useful. You never know when you just might need that 1999 California Lawyer magazine with the article on how Gore’s election will help the practice of law.

Most businesses, and most people for that matter, like to stockpile things. We keep old inventory, old employees and useless equipment around just because, “well you never know, you might need it someday.” This is a mistake.

Keeping old files, old inventory and useless equipment is cluttering, confusing and drains your focus. Having only the most recent files, most current information and most accurate list of equipment and inventory allows you to spend your energy on your business in the most productive way.

I’ve gone through old legal files, some that date back six years or more, and either returned them to the client, or destroyed them. It has been the most cathartic, freeing experience I’ve had in a long time.

One of the nice parts of going back through these old files is finding out how much work you really did. It also is a great excuse to contact old clients, update them on your services and generate new business.

Doing a thorough housecleaning like this is a great way to rejuvenate that relationship with a client with whom you’ve lost touch. I came across a client I hadn’t seen or spoken to in years. By simply picking up the phone and chatting with them, I was able to bring them in for a “legal tune up” on their business. I found what could be a major problem and resolved it before it blew up on them. In doing so, I’ve saved them money, prevented a major lawsuit and increased my billings. All from just reviewing my files.

In the business world this is called “data mining.” There are many ways in which companies do it, with varying degrees of success. Some do it by bribery — this is the “drop your card in the fish-bowl” way of figuring out who the customers are. Others, such as grocery stores, bribe/blackmail us into giving them information. Every time that I go to Ralphs or Vons and have to enter my phone number, they are tracking my purchases and my buying habits. They know that the family at (310) xxx-yyyy really likes Ben and Jerry’s but still buys the fake creamer and yolkless eggs to reduce their cholesterol.

If building a business is all about relationship building, it seems to me that the personal touch should be emphasized more than the raw data gathering. I’d like it more if my dentist called me to remind me that I needed to come in, rather than getting a postcard that I had to fill out myself. However, that is better than what the optometrist did to me — she sent me a recorded message at work. It was one of those kind that starts off, “Hi, this Kim from Dr. Bleep’s office, how are you today?” and you respond automatically, not realizing your talking to a recording. I’m never going back to her again. Ever.

This year is proving to be moving just as fast as last year, maybe even faster. That means I need to be more on top of my game than ever. The only way I can do that is by having a clean, focused environment. If you’ve let last month’s resolutions fall away, pick up the pieces wherever you left off, and get started today, because March is right around the corner. And then it’s the holiday season again, with seders, Santas and shopping. (David Pisarra is a business-development lawyer in the Santa Monica firm of Pisarra & Grist. He welcomes your questions and comments. He or 310-664-9969.)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 1, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/020105.pdf?ref=smdp.com)