2018 is days away, that means many of you are making New Year’s Resolutions. Instead of making a personal resolution, what about making one for your business? There are many goals you can work toward, aside from increasing revenue. Remember, it is the little things you do that affect the big picture.
Set your Goals
Set a goal for your business you want to reach by the end of the year. You know what you are working towards and the direction you need to take to get there. Make sure you include your team in your goals. After all, they are spending their time and effort to also help you get there. If they don’t feel part of the process, what incentive do they have?
Get Organized
Time Management
Time management works a little differently for everyone. But the idea is the same. You may walk into your office with a game plan, but you don’t always execute it accordingly. There are tools to help. Try using this worksheet from Productive Flourishing. Another option is to block out time during your day to focus on tasks at hand. This is especially helpful for individuals who find themselves bouncing from one thing to the next.
Delegate
As your business grows, your duties also increase. At some point you reach max capacity in what you can handle. Hand off tasks to the appropriate people in your business who can devote their time and attention to them. You won’t feel stretched in so many directions allowing to better focus on the big picture.
Business Planning
Set aside time once a week to plan out your business. This will help with your organization. It also helps you with weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly goals. By laying everything out, you can see what works and does not work for your business. What are things you need to change? What can stay the same? Maybe you find you need to adjust your goals or move in a different direction than originally planned. This will help you avoid costly mistakes allowing you to feel focused and relaxed.
Don’t Settle
Are your computers running really slow? Your fax machine doesn’t always send things through? It may be time to upgrade your equipment. If you spend less time waiting for things to get done, you can spend more time focusing on your business. Or do you have an employee who does the bare minimum? How do they help reach your goals? This can be irritating and it’s just not worth it. Find someone else more motivated to go above and beyond in that seat; whose ideas and efforts are beneficial. Don’t feel you have to settle with what you have.
Grow Yourself
Make Connections
Sometimes it’s all about who you know and not what you now. Join a new business organization or networking group. Making connections allows you to get your name out there, but also introduces you to people who could help you further your business. If you already attend networking events, try mixing up your approach to making connections.
Give Back
Giving back to your community not only feels good, but it shows community involvement. People recognize business’ that give back because they want to make their community better. It is also another way to connect with people in your community, find out what their needs are, and how your business may be able to help.
What’s Working?
You will find that the sales method that works for one business does not necessarily work for yours. And that’s okay. You need to find the products, methods, and processes that are going to help your business flourish. Make small changes. And allow time for their effect to show before deciding if it works or not.
Connect to your Customers
You don’t have to know everyone who walks through your doors. But make an effort to know who is buying your product. Getting to know them shows you appreciate their business and that you are willing to listen to them. Once a month, try and reach out with an email, or say a quick ‘hello’ if they stop in. These little gestures go a long way.
Have you thought of other ways you want to grow your business next year? If you think of something that isn’t on this list, let us know! We would love to hear about it.