How to Set Your Business Up for Success in the New Year
As the New Year is right around the corner, it’s a good time to step back, reevaluate, and recharge some areas of your business. Getting your business set up now puts you in a great place to reach your business goals this year! Here’s how to set your business up for success in the New Year.
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When I am making some overarching plans to recharge my business, I need to focus on two different approaches.
- I need to focus on my business goals and plans.
- I need to focus on improving my work space and real life.
Because, I don’t know about you, but none of my work happens in a vacuum! All of the real-life things are truly a part of whether I meet my goals or not.
So as we go through this list of things, you’ll notice that many are “business/goal related,” and many others are “real life related.” All are things that will help you to meet the goals you are setting!
How to Set Your Business Up for Success in the New Year
#1. Reflect on the previous year.
This is the time where you examine what WORKED and what DIDN’T WORK.
Take a look through your calendar from the past year, your income, your to-do lists…. anything that will jog your memory of all that happened.
You can examine these things any way you choose, but my personal favorite method is free writing.
This is where you grab a notebook and just start writing. Acknowledge beforehand that this paper is going to just be trash in the end. It’s not getting published. It’s not polished. You are simply writing to write.
After I spend some time free writing, I usually have a much better picture of how things went and how I actually felt about them.
Once you have a little clearer picture, now make your list. Include what DID work, and what did NOT work.
You will use that information to plan the coming year.
#2. Brainstorm ideas for the coming year.
Some people jump right to the goal-setting phase of this process, but I like to have a brainstorming session first.
During brainstorming, you write down every idea you have for the coming year. These can include good ideas, and really, really bad ideas!
The quality of the ideas doesn’t matter at this point. Just jump in and come up with your list!
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#3. Set goals for the year.
Now is where you get specific. What are your business goals for the year?
Think in these areas:
- Do you want to increase income?
- Create a new product?
- Grow your team?
- Outsource tasks?
- Hire for your team?
Make your goals big, audacious and inspiring! Write them down and refer to them often.
#4. Map out the plan to reach your goals.
You’ve set the big, exciting goals. Now it’s time to make the plan to reach them!
Take each goal, one at a time. And then map out exactly what it will take to reach that goal.
Break it down as far as you can: What needs to happen each month? What tasks will need to get done? Who will need to be hired? What changes will need to take place?
#5. Outsource something.
There is no greater joy than outsourcing a task you’ve been doing yourself! =)
Whatever does not personally bring you joy in your business, see if you can outsource it. Because, truthfully, there is someone out there who is perfectly suited to that task and LOVES it.
When you outsource a task, it creates room for the other tasks that you truly love and are gifted at. It allows you to focus on your strengths and see your business expand.
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#6. Take something off your plate.
Often there’s not enough money to truly outsource ALL the things. So, let’s get creative with this step.
How could you take something that needs to get done OFF your plate (without paying to outsource?)
You could look at the team you have and adjust what each person is responsible for. Honestly, this could include your work team, or your family at home!
What jobs, or chores, can be delegated to another member of the group?
#7. Cut what’s not working.
Though this might sound suspiciously like taking something off your plate, it’s a little different.
What is a task in your business (or life!) that actually doesn’t need to be done? What could you actually CUT, and your business would be just fine?
When we all take a look at our day-to-day tasks in our business, it’s likely that there’s something that’s just not bringing in the results.
Cut that task, and enjoy your new-found freedom!
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#8. Study up on next year’s marketing predictions and trends.
Before you get overwhelmed by this step…. you don’t have to do an exhaustive academic study of marketing trends to come.
This can be as simple as a couple of Google searches to see what’s predicted for the next year.
Now, keep in mind that these are only predictions, not the gospel truth. After all, who could have predicted all the ways business would have gone crazy in 2020??
But, it’s helpful to know what you’re aiming for. Learning about business predictions for this year is a good place to start.
#9. Network with people in your same type of business.
There’s a lot to be said for not working alone! Having some relationships with people in your type of business or niche can be such an encouragement.
Whether you are asking them niche-related questions, learning from each other, or simply spending time with other people who “get it” – this type of networking is time well spent.
A great way to do this is in Facebook groups. There’s a Facebook group for just about any topic under the sun! Search for ones that seem to be relevant and request to join.
A word here…. most of these groups are hit or miss. Join several, and see which ones are meeting the need you have. If some seem like a dud, don’t hesitate to leave the group and move on.
But when you do find your people, this type of group can be just the support you need heading into the new year!
#10. Learn something new.
Is there an area of your business that could really benefit from you digging in and learning something new?
It could be a task that you would like to be more proficient in, or it could even be a household skill.
Whether it’s bookkeeping or meal-planning…. plan now to learn something new, shake things up and breathe some new life into your day-to-day.
#11. Make a “must read” list.
Did you know that the average person reads LESS than 1 book per year? And that the average successful CEO reads OVER 60 books per year?
That’s a huge difference!
And while those CEOs may have more time for learning…. it’s pretty clear that their commitment to growth and learning is how they got to where they are.
What books would you like to read this year? Need some business book suggestions? Head to this blog post here.
Also, brainstorm ways that you could work more reading into your day.
Could you get an Audible subscription and listen to audio books? You could listen while you work out, while you get ready in the morning, while you cook dinner, or during a commute.
Though we are all super busy, it’s possible to use the minutes that you have when you consider audio books.
Think of ways to pack some learning into your everyday life.
#12. Clean out your email inbox.
Do you have 12,000 emails in your inbox? Stressful, isn’t it?
Go on a deleting and unsubscribing spree!
Need some help with the process? There are solutions available that take the work out of it. One of my favorites has been Unroll.me.
Get that inbox cleaned out and in top shape to conquer the new year.
#13. Clean up your email list.
The new year is a great time to purge your email list.
You can perform tasks such as deleting subscribers that haven’t opened your emails in 6 months.
Why would you want to do this?
Well, a couple of reasons. First off, several email providers charge the business-owners based on the number of email subscribers. If you have a list full of people who aren’t opening your emails, you are paying for that!
Secondly, if people haven’t been opening your emails for months, they may not even remember that they signed up. They could mark your email as Spam…. which then really can start to hurt your deliverability.
You want a list FULL of people who love getting your emails, who open them regularly, and enjoy your content.
Delete the rest of the list without guilt or fear.
#14. Declutter your workspace.
You have likely set some big, ambitious goals for yourself and your business this year. Your office or workspace should feel like a space where you could accomplish those goals!
Ruthlessly declutter your workspace.
Either plan a day where you go in, declutter and organize all that’s there. Or else chip away at it a bit at a time over the course of a week or two.
If notebooks and papers and things are visually distracting you, find them a home that is out of sight.
#15. Infuse your workspace with some motivation and joy.
If you are anything like me, you are hyper-affected by your surroundings.
How could you infuse your workspace with some fresh motivation and joy?
If you’ve already decluttered, that will go a long way. Could you put up some new decor? Get a speaker for playing music? A nice candle?
Make your workspace into a place where you WANT to be, and where you feel like you can accomplish the giant goals you have.
#16. Put time for YOU on your calendar.
As you are looking at your fresh calendar for the year ahead, schedule some time for you.
How will you care for yourself this year? What routine will you build daily so that you are mentally in a great place?
Time for self-care will never accidentally happen. We have to be intentional and make it a priority.
Plan ahead to take good care of yourself, and all of those around you will reap the benefits as well.
Once you’ve walked through these steps, you’ve put yourself and your business in a fantastic place for the coming year. You’ve done the work to prepare. Now step into the new year and crush the goals that you’ve set!
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