7 New Year's Resolutions for your Business
New Years is the perfect opportunity to jot down resolutions for yourself. The fresh start inspires and motivates us to do better than the previous year. So many people set out New Year’s resolutions and plans, but why should we stop at the individual? Our business could always use improvements too. So here is a list of New Year’s resolutions you as an entrepreneur can apply to your organisation and methods.
1. Analyse your customer service
Analyse how employees are dealing with customers on a daily basis. Be it over the telephone, via email, or even interacting with them over your social media accounts. Your customer service needs to be regarded as the best in your field. If not, potential customers will seek business amongst your competitors, and so it’s important to understand the significance of service as a huge drive for sales. Ultimately, your business would be nothing without your customers, so show them the appreciation that they so rightfully deserve. Do this by offering loyal or returning customers a freebie or discount from their next purchase. Shower new customers with personalised thank you responses and appreciation. They’ll be sure to return in future and also boast about their great experience with friends.
2. Make an effort to better promote your business
When starting up a new business, it’s easy to get so lost in urgent daily tasks that you can forget one of the most crucial aspects of your business: promotion and advertising. It’s all good and well to offer a fantastic product or service, but not much help if you aren’t getting your name out there and bringing in new customers. Promotion via social media sends your business out into a vast amount of potential customers that you may never have been able to connect with. Technology has connected our world so immensely that we can have customers from all over the globe if we wanted to – so it’s important to use globalisation and social media as an advantage to expand your business.
3. Delegate tasks accordingly
Sometimes business owners take on too many tasks with the idea that either they can complete it all, or that it would be better if they did it themselves. Get rid of this concept and take the weight off your shoulders by delegating tasks to competent employees or even hiring someone new who can fill the role. Your business won’t have the chance to grow or improve if you’re stuck with all the work and neglecting to look at the bigger picture and come up with new ideas and ventures for your company.
4. Upgrade, don’t struggle
Nothing hinders your success as a business more than a faulty piece of equipment or a lack of staff to complete tasks. For the New Year, put your mind at ease by hiring a new employee or upgrading on your office equipment – that slow printer or bad phone line often times slows down business and frustrates both your employees and customers. You’ll see a return on your investment by implementing usable and efficient tools for your business.
5. Become known as the expert in your field
By being the business owner and possibly the creator or service-provider of your product or service, it is likely that you are an expert in your field. Of course, what is more necessary than being an expert, is letting customers become aware that you are an expert. Building your personal name and brand is linked highly to the promotion of your business. Hold speaking conferences to promote your business as well as yourself as a leader in your field. With online, you could do a few guest blogs on other sites or regularly update and maintain your own business blog. The key to building your brand along with your business is by making your content personal. Tell your audience about who you are and share posts from your perspective, not from the “identity” of your business. You’ll come across as a relatable human being rather than a generic computer – not only does your product or service get promoted, but your name too. Ensure that what you’re relaying across to your audience has depth, insight and is interesting facts that they may not have heard of before.
6. Get organised
A lot of back and forth between customers can occur with an email or buying system that is inefficient. It creates more work for employees, and elongates the process of purchasing for the customer which is obviously not ideal. If you’re experiencing these types of problems, it makes sense to clean up and simplify your systems and process. Internally, ask your staff to use Google Docs or Dropbox as an efficient means of sharing. The New Year is also a perfect opportunity to download a few of the useful applications that exist today and try them out for your company.
7. Give back to the community
One of the best ways to receive is by giving. And as a business, why not seed your own growth by giving back to the community? There are hundreds of charities and organisations out there who could always use the assistance. An excellent way of spreading goodwill and hope in others, why not use it was a tram-building experience for employees? Go out and host a soup-kitchen for the homeless. Spend a day walking and loving dogs at your local shelter. Offer to play games or read stories to children at a children’s hospital. The list is endless. And apart from bringing members closer as a team and sparking feelings of accomplishment and doing good deeds, you’ll be spreading the New Year cheer and uplifting the hope of a brighter future and year for those who need it most.
Analyse how employees are dealing with customers on a daily basis. Be it over the telephone, via email, or even interacting with them over your social media accounts. Your customer service needs to be regarded as the best in your field. If not, potential customers will seek business amongst your competitors, and so it’s important to understand the significance of service as a huge drive for sales. Ultimately, your business would be nothing without your customers, so show them the appreciation that they so rightfully deserve. Do this by offering loyal or returning customers a freebie or discount from their next purchase. Shower new customers with personalised thank you responses and appreciation. They’ll be sure to return in future and also boast about their great experience with friends.
2. Make an effort to better promote your business
When starting up a new business, it’s easy to get so lost in urgent daily tasks that you can forget one of the most crucial aspects of your business: promotion and advertising. It’s all good and well to offer a fantastic product or service, but not much help if you aren’t getting your name out there and bringing in new customers. Promotion via social media sends your business out into a vast amount of potential customers that you may never have been able to connect with. Technology has connected our world so immensely that we can have customers from all over the globe if we wanted to – so it’s important to use globalisation and social media as an advantage to expand your business.
3. Delegate tasks accordingly
Sometimes business owners take on too many tasks with the idea that either they can complete it all, or that it would be better if they did it themselves. Get rid of this concept and take the weight off your shoulders by delegating tasks to competent employees or even hiring someone new who can fill the role. Your business won’t have the chance to grow or improve if you’re stuck with all the work and neglecting to look at the bigger picture and come up with new ideas and ventures for your company.
4. Upgrade, don’t struggle
Nothing hinders your success as a business more than a faulty piece of equipment or a lack of staff to complete tasks. For the New Year, put your mind at ease by hiring a new employee or upgrading on your office equipment – that slow printer or bad phone line often times slows down business and frustrates both your employees and customers. You’ll see a return on your investment by implementing usable and efficient tools for your business.
5. Become known as the expert in your field
By being the business owner and possibly the creator or service-provider of your product or service, it is likely that you are an expert in your field. Of course, what is more necessary than being an expert, is letting customers become aware that you are an expert. Building your personal name and brand is linked highly to the promotion of your business. Hold speaking conferences to promote your business as well as yourself as a leader in your field. With online, you could do a few guest blogs on other sites or regularly update and maintain your own business blog. The key to building your brand along with your business is by making your content personal. Tell your audience about who you are and share posts from your perspective, not from the “identity” of your business. You’ll come across as a relatable human being rather than a generic computer – not only does your product or service get promoted, but your name too. Ensure that what you’re relaying across to your audience has depth, insight and is interesting facts that they may not have heard of before.
6. Get organised
A lot of back and forth between customers can occur with an email or buying system that is inefficient. It creates more work for employees, and elongates the process of purchasing for the customer which is obviously not ideal. If you’re experiencing these types of problems, it makes sense to clean up and simplify your systems and process. Internally, ask your staff to use Google Docs or Dropbox as an efficient means of sharing. The New Year is also a perfect opportunity to download a few of the useful applications that exist today and try them out for your company.
7. Give back to the community
One of the best ways to receive is by giving. And as a business, why not seed your own growth by giving back to the community? There are hundreds of charities and organisations out there who could always use the assistance. An excellent way of spreading goodwill and hope in others, why not use it was a tram-building experience for employees? Go out and host a soup-kitchen for the homeless. Spend a day walking and loving dogs at your local shelter. Offer to play games or read stories to children at a children’s hospital. The list is endless. And apart from bringing members closer as a team and sparking feelings of accomplishment and doing good deeds, you’ll be spreading the New Year cheer and uplifting the hope of a brighter future and year for those who need it most.
Images via:http://tweakyourbiz.com/growth/2013/01/09/new-years-resolutions-5-reasons-why-they-fail/
http://www.socialtechpop.com/2012/12/new-years-resolutions-for-businesses-on-their-upcoming-communication-strategy-for-2013/
http://www.socialtechpop.com/2012/12/new-years-resolutions-for-businesses-on-their-upcoming-communication-strategy-for-2013/