New Year’s Resolutions for Small Businesses

January 5, 2015 by Ed Becker

Many people talk about and make New Year’s Resolutions annually. More importantly, have you ever considered making business resolutions? Do you reflect at the beginning of each year to plan ahead for changes or improvements that will help your business in the coming year? The New Year is the perfect time to effectively look at your business and decide what you can changes can be implemented to improve your operations in the coming year.

Some of the main areas that business owners should consider focusing on are the following:

Marketing

If you do not already have a marketing plan for the coming year, it is important to create one. Without a marketing plan it is likely you will not promote your business regularly while maintaining a consistent brand image. Business and life get can make it too busy to maintain the consistency of promotion without a plan.

Business Planning

To keep the business healthy and growing, planning on a weekly basis is vital. Weekly business plans allow businesses the opportunity to evaluate what is working, and make changes and plan accordingly.

Delegate

Delegation is  an area that is often challenging for business owners.  At some point you will not be able to “do it all” and this important step in growing your business will need to be implemented. Learning to delegate properly and often  should be a personal and business resolution each year as your business grows. Delegation frees your valuable time to accomplish more important tasks that will keep your business healthy and growing for years to come.

Giving Back

Find a local cause that matters to you and your business that you can donate time, resources, or funds to to make a difference in your community. Not only will this strengthen your community and it will also  strengthen your brand and name within the community. It builds goodwill while giving back to the community that helped you become successful.

Personal Time

Plan ahead for personal time. Work to find the balance between your personal and business lives. Take time to recharge yourself. Keeping yourself healthy, mentally and physically, will only benefit your business.

Move On

When you find something that is not working, drop it and move on. Sometimes that is a tough, but necessary choice to make.

Set Realistic Goals

While it is great to set goals that are ambitious, setting goals that are so large that they are virtually unreachable is futile – set ambitious goals that are also realistic. It may be a good idea to write them down as those who set and write their goals are much more likely to achieve them. Review your goals and your resolutions regularly, and make adjustments when necessary.

There are other areas in business that are also positive places to review and set resolutions and goals each year. Maintaining a balance between work and personal life is just as important as goal-setting. Taking time to review your long- and short-term goals on a regular basis will increase the chances your business will be healthier and run a lot smoother.