Consider this: in less than fifty years, McDonald's have built over 29,000 stores based on a very robust system. If you didn't like Big Mac you had in Moscow, you can be sure you would equally dislike Big Macs you might have in Madrid, Melbourne or Manila.

Of course, McDonalds have it easy. Their business has never been about their food - it has always been about their systems. It is sameness of their food, rather than its originality, which is what their customers expect. So it is sameness that they deliver.

Which is hardly what most of us are looking to provide, is it? We are selling a product or a service - not a 'system'. Our creativity, our unique approach, our flexibility to customer needs - these are what we are selling. The McDonald's approach seems anathema.

No time to organize your office? Follow these daily steps to organize and then maintain your office.

1. On Mondays, de-clutter your office. Remove at least one item which you don't use at least monthly. Take those personal items off your desk. Throw away pens that don't work. Reduce your ketchup/salt/napkin supply by 90%.

2. On Tuesdays, take inventory. Review your supplies and make a list or place an order. Take a few minutes to look through an office supply catalog. You'll find a myriad of useful organizing items.