Now we are back in the swing of things after Christmas, it’s time to focus on the year ahead. Here’s ten steps you can take to make this year a great one for your business.
- Review your business plan. This isn’t just something you occasionally dust off for the bank manager. It should be a living relevant plan for your business giving you structure and direction. It should also include your financial forecast as well. Now is the ideal plan to make sure you have direction for the year ahead.
- Within this it’s worth reviewing how you are embedding technology in your business. This should include your digital marketing and online presence but also how your business is using technology to improve productivity and to better utilise resources.
- This is a good time to review your employee policies to ensure they are legally up to date but also relevant. It’s a good idea to specifically look at your well-being and reward policies for your staff. A healthy and motivated team is the backbone of any business.
- Plan your holidays. This may sound strange given you’ve possibly just had a break but planning a holiday provides a psychological boost and something to look forward to and work towards.
- Be part of a business organisation or community. You’d expect me to say this, but I would recommend any business should be a part of a business organisation. You’ll find benefits for your business and importantly be part of a community of like-minded people which is a hugely important.
- Undertake a customer survey and review what your competition are up to. Ask your customers about the value you deliver for them and also look for ways you can improve. It’s always good to have a look at your competition and see how you can continue to strive to stay ahead and even look at any best practice you can learn from them.
- Look at how you can improve your worklife balance. Running a business can be stressful and can place pressures on our time and life outside work. Take time to consider how you can improve this. It could be as simple as removing e-mail from your phone or making a conscious effort to leave work by a certain time each day.
- Look at your environmental policy – do you even have one? Businesses are facing increasing pressure to do the right thing for our environment, and this is something every business owner needs to be considering.
- Learn a new skill. It’s never to late to sharpen up your business skills. There are a huge number of courses around, many free, to help you improve your skills in business.
- Finally, if you don’t already, get involved with a charitable cause. This is a great thing to do and encouraging your employees and even allowing time off for volunteering is hugely motivational and develops their skills.
If you’d like any help on support on any of the ideas above, don’t hesitate to contact me. Let’s make this year a great one!
Ian