The comparison in size between a single molecule sliding down a nanotube and size of computer mouse is actually vast beyond comprehension. But there are bigger things like Apple sitting near my mouse. It's an IMac and still small by computer standards. Apple Employed over 175,000 people worldwide in 1999 and they are considered a "small" company because they have "only" five percent of personal computer market. Just a tiny fraction you might say. Nearly nothing. Almost invisible.

But Apple is not quite too tiny to see. They are size of a tasty bit of fruit worthy of a snack by investors and, with over a BILLION Dollars in bank - in CASH - Appple might be said to be doing well by most standards. Certainly by my standards. I am one of those itsy-bitsy single molecules sliding down nanotube of business. I am too tiny to see and so are you. In fact nearly fifty percent of US economy fits in that category of too tiny to see. Under 10 employees earning less than ten million per year. We are invisible.

But how can half of anything be invisible you say? Half of economy is too tiny to see? Well, apparently so. Must be dark side of moon. The back half that is not visible to anyone.

My tiny mind took this invisible path this evening after reading a paragraph at end of a CBS Marketwatch news story. A paranthetical afterthought to REAL news reads:

All right, I hear you. “Duh, Susan! Of course that’s good advice!”

Well, as elementary as it may sound, in business it’s better than good advice -- it can be cost-saving advice! In fact, if you’re not heeding this simple "be prepared" message, you might be throwing away $1000s over a very short period of time!

Think I’m exaggerating? Think again.

Here are just a few examples:

1.Your secretary/receptionist is going on vacation. You call a temporary staffing agency to hire someone to come in for two weeks she will be basking in Bahamas. Do you outline specific assignments or tasks (in advance) so that person knows what to do when he/she arrives to work for you? Or do you take up YOUR valuable time to teach temp everything he/she needs to know “as you go”?

Cha-ching! That’s costly training time.

2.Same employee. Same Bahamas vacation. Do you let "real work" pile up until secretary returns and then overload her with deadlines so she ends up putting in overtime?

Cha-ching! Overtime wages are one and a half to two times greater than regular hours worked – and it puts a strain on employee, too, making her regret ever having taken vacation.

3.Do current employees know what’s expected of them during "down time" when business is a little slow? It’s one thing for employees to be bored with what they’re doing. It’s quite another thing for them to be bored because they’re doing nothing.

Cha-ching! That “downtime” is money out of your till.

4.Have you ever redone a task because it was done incorrectly first time?

Cha-ching! You’ve just doubled cost of doing it.

5.Have you ever taken or sent someone on an unplanned trip to supply store because you didn’t know you were running out of toner or copy paper? What about running out of postage in middle of a mailing that MUST go out today?