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By: Alex Nikotina
Published On: December 28, 2015With the holiday season upon us, people are looking forward to joyful and relaxing times with their loved ones. It is a chance to catch a break and enjoy the presents, but it is also a good time to think about the future, especially if you are a business owner.
The end of the year is an opportunity to reflect on the progress of the previous year and set goals and plans for the next. Ashton College has put together a list of New Year’s resolution ideas to help your business prosper and grow in the new year.
Goal-setting is key to ensuring growth, be that personal, financial or business. Goals can help you determine the direction in which to take your business, as well as the quarterly, weekly and daily targets needed to achieve those goals. Most importantly, goals set the tone for the rest of the year. The earlier you start, the further you can get by the end of the year.
Take some time to evaluate this year’s events and see what you want to happen next year. What would you like to continue doing and what things you would like to change? What aspects of the business would you like to work on?
We find a good goal-setting tool in Smart Goals:
Share your goals and visions with your employees and partners, and make them a part of those goals. After all, the objectives you set for your organization can only be achieved if other people are working towards them. When the goals are set, everyone should be regularly reminded of them: common goals can help the whole team to stay motivated and keep each other accountable.
Furthermore, when you openly communicate about what you want to achieve, you give opportunities for creative thinking and input from people who may have a different view on the situation, and therefore who can give you new ideas and perspectives you didn’t consider.
If you have not yet done so, look at your budget. Ask yourself some important questions: What is your plan to get out of debt (if you are in debt)? Are you looking for financial support to expand your business? How much money are you investing back into your business? You need to be aware of your investments, your assets and your spending in order to properly manage your finances and stay on top of your goals. Refer to the list of common mistakes business owners make when it comes to money and budgeting.
Communication is key to success for any organization or company, be it communicating with your partners, customers, clients or staff. Through communication with your employees, for instance, you can find out what they are struggling with, what changes they would like to see, and what strengths and assets they have that you can rely on. Same with the customers or clients: you can get more feedback and ensure the quality of the services when you go an extra mile to deliver customer service to them.
Communication includes several key aspects that you as a business owner should consider:
The key is to find the balance that will both attract the customers and ensure the business stays profitable. A good practice to use is reaching out to the existing list of regular customers and followers, who may be more excited to support your business during holiday season.
If you are doing holiday discounts, you should also remember that there may be promotional cost associated with advertising. It is important to budget for those promotions, so that you do not end up losing money during the sale.
Advertising is necessary to ensure people are aware of your organization or company: what you stand for, how are you different, what are the ongoing promotions, etc. Advertising is also big during the holidays, since the goal is to reach out to as many potential customers as possible to ensure that they know about, and take advantage of the discounts you offer.
Don’t be afraid to ask other people for advice and guidance. To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to keep an open mind and be able to reach out to other people and sources for help. Welcome feedback from your team, join networking events, and surround yourself with successful people who keep the go-getter attitude. If you put learning and growing as your top priority in the New Year, you will definitely succeed with your plans and goals for your business.
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