Rhonda Abrams The Passionate Entrepreneur

If you're not in retail, your business is probably completely quiet this week. The phones aren't ringing, the only emails are spam, and most if not all of your clients and employees are gone.

Meanwhile, back at home, life can be painfully noisy; just how long are your in-laws staying?

That makes this week the perfect time to slip away to the office (even if it's a home office), avoid another discussion of your Aunt Betty's latest surgery, and get your business ready for the new year. Send the relatives to the mall.

In my columns today and tomorrow, I'll tell you what you can accomplish this week if you sneak off to the office.

The first and most important thing you can do is create a contact database. One of Rhonda's Rules is, "The best source of a future customer is a past customer." Yet small businesses typically lack an easy way to stay in touch with past customers.

Many companies keep their client list or referral sources in a word processing document, a spreadsheet, or, more likely, in a pile of business cards on a desk!

Instead, get software to organize all your contacts. In tech circles, this software is called Customer Relationship Management, or CRM. But don't be intimidated -- even simple address book software is better than nothing.

In my office, I use QuickBooks Customer Manager (around $79). It's powerful and easy, especially if you already know how to use QuickBooks. You can easily set it up and master it in the time between Christmas and New Year's. Deborah, my company's academic marketing director, uses Customer Manager every day and is a big fan.

Other popular programs include ACT by Sage and GoldMine. Both these companies have specialized in contact management for years, and as a result, they've developed powerful, proven software.

Mid-size companies might check out an online contact management program such as Salesforce.com, which charges on a per-user basis but manages the technology for you.

In tomorrow's column, I'll give you other helpful hints to make the most of this quiet week at the office.