Some companies don't have the luxury of worrying about next year's budget. They are still struggling to survive this year. For them, the question is "Do I have enough cash to last until the recovery comes?" Here's a simple way to calculate whether you have enough coming in to keep you going until things get better.

It's hard to believe there are only five weeks left in the year. Many of us are going through the annual budget cycle now. If you have never had to prepare an annual budget before, or want to do better this year than you did last year, read Building Your Annual Budget.

With all the info being thrown at us all the time and all the things we have to do, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. One solution is to decide what to ignore. Focus on what's really important, not just urgent.

• Chunking not multi-tasking
• Pareto Principle
• Delegate But Don't Dump

And remember that in the end it's not how hard you work, it's what you get done.

What tricks do you use to stay focused in the face of conflicting demands on your time? Click the comments link below and share them with the rest of us.

Yesterday, I asked what you consider the most important business stories of the past decade. Since then, a question has arisen as to whether the decade ends at the end of 2009 or the end of 2010. It's really a discussion that has been going on since Y2K.

Take our poll. When do you think a decade really starts and ends and why. You an use the "reply" button to add your reasons after you vote.