7 Ways to Kick Off the New Year for Your Small Business
By Andrew Patricio
January 20, 2016
Small Business & Entrepreneurship
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By the small business content developers at BizLaunch.com.
It’s a new year, which means you get a fresh start for your business. Look at it like a clean slate: anything is possible at this point. While you will, of course, continue to run your business as usual, try a few of these tips to make sure your company is well-positioned to thrive in 2016.
New Year’s Resolutions are effective, if you make them the right way. Take this opportunity to make a list of goals you want to accomplish, as well as map out the steps it’ll take to get to them. Be specific so that your goals are measurable and you can quantify your success at year’s end.
It’s easy to keep churning your wheels in the same place, but think about how you might be able to grow your business this year. A simple step like hiring your first employee can go a long way toward making your company bigger than it has been.
Whether that’s marketing, accounting, design, or something else, there’s likely something you’re not great at, that you’d be better off handing over to a professional. Make it your goal to outsource one thing to start with. See how that frees you up and allows you to focus on other aspects of your business, then decide what else you can delegate.
If you have staff, vow this year to make every meeting count. So many hours are wasted with endless, fruitless meetings because people don’t know how to properly manage them. Only hold meetings when necessary, and only with the key people involved with a given project. Have a focus and stick to an agenda.
Rather than deciding on marketing promotions throughout the year, map out what you want to do for the entire year now. This will save time (and prevent headaches) later. For example: you know all the holidays that you promote sales and particular products, so start with those and fill in the rest. Include the content you’ll write, social media updates you’ll share, advertising, and graphics you’ll need.
You’re indispensable in your company, but what happens if you want to take time off, or get sick? Find one person you trust to handle work in your absence. Train them on any essential skills (they don’t have to take over everything, but at least cover the basics) and make sure they’re comfortable taking them on.
We focus a lot on adding things to our routines. Investing in additional tools. Trying new marketing strategies. But what about those things that you’re doing or paying for that aren’t netting results? Take time to review all your expenses and cut out what’s ineffective. Look at your marketing and stop any efforts that aren’t getting results.
These are small tweaks that can have big results, so work through the ones that make the most sense to you and reap the benefits all year long!
It’s a new year, which means you get a fresh start for your business. Look at it like a clean slate: anything is possible at this point. While you will, of course, continue to run your business as usual, try a few of these tips to make sure your company is well-positioned to thrive in 2016.
- Make Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions are effective, if you make them the right way. Take this opportunity to make a list of goals you want to accomplish, as well as map out the steps it’ll take to get to them. Be specific so that your goals are measurable and you can quantify your success at year’s end.
- Consider Your Growth Strategy
It’s easy to keep churning your wheels in the same place, but think about how you might be able to grow your business this year. A simple step like hiring your first employee can go a long way toward making your company bigger than it has been.
- Outsource Something
Whether that’s marketing, accounting, design, or something else, there’s likely something you’re not great at, that you’d be better off handing over to a professional. Make it your goal to outsource one thing to start with. See how that frees you up and allows you to focus on other aspects of your business, then decide what else you can delegate.
- Hold More Effective Meetings
If you have staff, vow this year to make every meeting count. So many hours are wasted with endless, fruitless meetings because people don’t know how to properly manage them. Only hold meetings when necessary, and only with the key people involved with a given project. Have a focus and stick to an agenda.
- Create a Marketing Calendar
Rather than deciding on marketing promotions throughout the year, map out what you want to do for the entire year now. This will save time (and prevent headaches) later. For example: you know all the holidays that you promote sales and particular products, so start with those and fill in the rest. Include the content you’ll write, social media updates you’ll share, advertising, and graphics you’ll need.
- Train a Replacement
You’re indispensable in your company, but what happens if you want to take time off, or get sick? Find one person you trust to handle work in your absence. Train them on any essential skills (they don’t have to take over everything, but at least cover the basics) and make sure they’re comfortable taking them on.
- Cull What’s Not Working
We focus a lot on adding things to our routines. Investing in additional tools. Trying new marketing strategies. But what about those things that you’re doing or paying for that aren’t netting results? Take time to review all your expenses and cut out what’s ineffective. Look at your marketing and stop any efforts that aren’t getting results.
These are small tweaks that can have big results, so work through the ones that make the most sense to you and reap the benefits all year long!