2017 New Year’s Resolutions for Successful Small Businesses
The holiday shopping rush is over. We’ve celebrated our successes from last year. And said farewell to 2016 with relief. Let’s hit the reset button and outline our New Year’s Resolutions.
Hopefully, we’ve learned from our mistakes and are ready to move forward in 2017. This year is promising to be beneficial for small businesses, so make sure to use this opportunity wisely! Here are 10 resolutions to make your business more successful this year:
1. RESOLVE TO update your policies and procedures
The beginning of the year is the perfect time to review your policies and procedures. Which are working and which – not? It’s also important to check why certain policies have been ignored or improperly implemented. Consider aligning your business with new regulations or new legal or accounting compliance requirements. Also, the rise of cyber attacks targeting small businesses and employees is a serious reason to review your security procedures.
2. RESOLVE TO build a website
We live in a digital era when everyone’s online. Well, at least everyone whose goal is to grow and succeed. Creating and maintaining your web presence will help you develop your network. The results will bring your business to the next level.
3. RESOLVE TO be more active in social media
Social media plays a substantial role in our private and business life. If you still haven’t, create and manage accounts in media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat or LinkedIn. You’ll reach potential customers and more fully engage your current clients.
4. RESOLVE TO get mobile-friendly
One of the 2017 business trends is the increased use of smartphones and tablets for business and shopping transactions. It’s a great way to increase sales by letting those who are constantly on the move use your mobile-friendly website while away from their offices and homes.
5. RESOLVE TO finally take advantage of email marketing
As it has been in the past decade, email marketing continues to be a successful advertising tool for businesses of any size. Start sending informative and compelling newsletters and see the difference in sales!
6. RESOLVE TO grow your team and delegate more
Have you realized that you have more work than ever? That’s great! But if you can’t handle the workflow then focus on increasing your team and start delegating effectively. After sharing the workload, you will be able to concentrate on the growth of your business.
7. RESOLVE TO automate work and save time
Decide which are the activities you spend too much time doing the same thing over and over again. Make an Internet search for a tool that will automate your work and free up time for more important things. You can also hire a software developer to automate repetitive tasks that your employees encounter.
8. RESOLVE TO retarget customers who abandoned their shopping carts
If you are in e-commerce, work on bringing back online store visitors who did not complete their first purchase. Check your bounce rate and investigate the reasons. Consider setting up a remarketing campaign to remind visitors who abandoned a cart the benefits of buying products from your store.
9. RESOLVE TO keep an eye on competition
It’s incredible how much you can learn from paying attention to what your closest competitors do. Plus, it’s free intel. Don’t hesitate to improve on their good practices and implement them in your business. It’s not necessary to reinvent the wheel when you can move faster with the help of your competition.
10. RESOLVE TO create a growth plan
Growth is always good. Realistic growth is even better. Don’t focus on arbitrary numbers. Analyze your current growth trajectory and use it as a baseline for future goals. Can your team handle your goals? Think about what resources they’ll need to accomplish those goals, and whether hiring more help is necessary.
Now, after you have declared your 2017 Resolutions, take these 3 simple steps to turn the goals into actions:
Determine what results you want to achieve.
Identify the actions needed to achieve those results.
Create a specific timeline for each of the identified actions.
If you follow these steps while focusing on your goals, then by the end of 2017 your small business will be growing!
Lauren Schneidewind, Veselina Alexieva and Diane Shirk
We are LD Studios, an Atlanta based software consulting business. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us for your free consultation.