Welcome to 2019. A fresh new year stretches before you. Did you proclaim a New Year’s resolution to better yourself in 2019? Some of the most common resolutions including eating healthier, exercising more and saving money, according to YouGov. However, less than 10 percent of people achieve their well-intentioned resolutions.
Rather than resorting to the same old goals, make 2019 the year to expand your resolutions beyond yourself. Widen your lens and consider how you can improve your business and maximize your success in the coming year.
In this issue of Promotional Consultant Today, we share some smart business resolutions from Alyssa Gregory, founder of Small Business Bonfire, to set your business up for success in the year ahead.
Get a better grasp on your finances. If you’re tired of contending with the constant ups and downs in your cash flow or you don’t keep a close eye on the financial side of your business, aim to better understand and manage your cash flow in the year ahead.
Enhance your online presence. When potential clients need your services, can they easily find your business online? Is your website fresh and updated, and does it look good on mobile devices? Start by improving (or launching) a website and consider starting a blog to share your expertise. You can also aim to connect with clients through an email marketing list.
Embrace social media. Keeping up with the latest social media trends and even knowing which platforms to use is enough to keep any business owner up at night. However, you have to start somewhere. Investigate how your customers and potential clients use social channels. Are they active on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat? In the year ahead, commit to engaging with your audience on social.
Commit to staying focused. When you’re running a business, it’s all too easy to lose track of time on mundane to-do items. Whether you spend too much time checking your Facebook feed or you get easily distracted by colleagues, you can turbocharge your productivity by focusing on daily tasks.
Know your value. In 2019, don’t settle for less. Be assertive if you feel you are underpaid or undervalued and ensure you get compensated fairly. Don’t be afraid to raise your rates or change your audience. If you don’t ask for it, you’ll never get it.
Learn to delegate. Do you tend to hold tightly to most tasks, confident that you can do them better than anyone else? Strive to let more go in 2019 by delegating to your team. You don’t have to wear every hat. In order to grow, it’s important to focus on what you do best and take a divide-and-conquer approach with the rest.
Polish your communication. Much of your business success comes down to how well you communicate. You must be able to clearly communicate to your team and your clients. If you experience frequent misunderstandings or you notice you often say the same thing repeatedly, aim to communicate more effectively this year.
In the spirit of new beginnings, resolve to make positive changes in your business and reap the rewards all year long.
Source: Alyssa Gregory is an entrepreneur, writer and marketer with 20 years of experience in the business world. She founded Small Business Bonfire, a community for entrepreneurs, and has written more than 2,500 articles for The Balance and other small business websites. Gregory’s insights have been featured in Forbes, The New York Times, Newsday, Fox Business, Martha Stewart Living Radio, MSNBC, Inc., and others.