With the start of the New Year, many entrepreneurs and small business owners choose to reflect on the performance of their business over the last year, while setting goals for the year ahead. There’s no better time than now to evaluate how your company has been performing, and set deliberate and intentional resolutions for 2018. Here are some of our favorite small business resolutions:
Chart Your Course – Small business owners often set goals on a yearly or quarterly basis, but this isn’t often enough. Set a goal this year to check in with yourself on a weekly basis. What’s working? What’s not? Adjust your course as needed to ensure continued success.
Give Back – Cement your business and grow goodwill by giving back to your local community in one way or another. There’s a reason the saying, “Those who give, get” rings true … whether you make a financial commitment, or donate your time, get out there in 2018.
Prepare for Rough Seas – Decrease your business’s exposure to the ebbs and flows of the economy by investing windfalls wisely during good times. You’ll be better prepared, and capable of navigating the inevitable rough water when it arises. If investing isn’t your thing, find a local financial adviser who can help.
Schedule ‘You Time’ – A colleague of ours just finished reading The Little Book of Hygge, and we can’t get enough of the Danish way of living. Maintaining a work-life balance is becoming more and more important in our connected environments, so don’t forget to invest in yourself and set aside some time for something you love to do.
Put People Before Product – If you’ve been to business school, you undoubtedly remember the 4 P’s of business (product, price, promotion and placement). But what about people? Consumers are grasping for a purchase transaction that moves beyond just buying a product. They’re looking for a more meaningful experience. How can your people make that experience better for your customers?
We wish every business, and all of our clients, a successful and prosperous year in 2018.