There are those people who make New Year's resolutions (I'll go to the gym more... I guess?) and then there are those who make New Year's Resolutions. The kind that stick. The kind that get you moving, set you on a course, can be tracked along the way and ultimately result in the accomplishment of assertive new changes. What kind of businessperson are you? Read on for our guide to New Year's Resolution goal-setting and a helpful list of ideas to get your creative juices flowing and come up with some resolutions of your own!
With 2015 approaching in just a few days, it's a good time to refer back to this earlier blog post about the fundamentals of goal-setting if you, like many small business owners out there, are looking to make an impact and change your approach to succeeding or growing in the new year. In case you need a brief refresher, remember to think of your New Year's Resolutions as:
SMART
- Specific enough that they are meaningful to you
- Measurable either with data, analytics, or simpler methods like assessments of satisfaction or health of a project
- Achievable/Action Oriented in the sense that they can be broken down into a plan with identifiable actions leading to a greater definition of success
- Realistic - don't aim for the stars if you don't quite understand how to get to them or what lies in wait for you there - you may feel overburdened before you even start your journey!
- Timely - this one is really important. Put your goals on a schedule! It will make achievement of each step toward your ultimate goal the focus of a specific amount of attention and time.
Need a Jump-Start? Have a Look at These 10 Small Business New Year's Resolutions for 2015
- Promote Your Business Regularly and Often
- Delegate Tasks to Team Members
- Invest in Fostering and Growing Your Business/Team Culture
- Read Five New Books and Articles To Inspire and Educate Your Business Practices
- Connect With a Networking Event for Businesses
- Plan a Way to Give Back to the Community
- Review Your Business Financials and Credit Score
- Make an Inventory of Important Documents
- Make a Financial Plan for the High Season (or Low Season)
- Build and Grow Relationships with Your Suppliers
