As a small business owner you’re probably always looking for the next best way to improve your business. With a new year upon us, I’m betting some of you are looking even harder to create New Year Resolutions in your business. But what will serve your company best? What will this year bring, after all.?
Resolution ideas for your business: There isn’t a plan that will work for every small businesses across the board. But, if we have learned anything over the last two years, it’s that your business needs to be strong, agile, and ready for anything. This year I am putting my money where my mouth is and taking some pointers from my books to strengthen my business:
- Refresh your marketing plan – So. Much. News. And commercials. And noise. And static. If your community sees the same old visuals and messaging from you, they will likely ignore it. To that end, we’ve been rebranding. Yup. You know from Get Different, that before you even think about creating sales, you need to create the kind of attention that attracts your prospects to you in a millisecond. Updates to your logo, communication, materials, website, offering, pricing – it’s all part of it. You don’t have to make major changes, but look at how you can make each aspect of your branding better, and different, than all the rest to ensure you receive the best prospect attraction to ultimately scale your business.
- Delegate more – Let it go, let it go…When you have a small business, it’s easy to get caught up on the micro-details of the day to day tasks. Alert! Trap! You’re wasting potential and valuable time in your business if you’re not delegating. You cannot grow your business if you don’t let go of the aspects of it that can easily be handled by a team member. Maybe there is business knowledge that you have, which no one else in your company does. Then share it! Knowledge sharing is the ultimate way to empower those you share it with. It may take a little time, but in the long run, you’ll save time and your business will run efficiently. Take a look at what you can do to create systems, eliminate linchpins and redundancies in your business. We had our entire team create a systems board for their jobs, videos and all. Now, we can all refer to those boards if someone is out. Our company will never be “stuck” when it comes to delegation. Not sure where to start? Clockwork is your go to for delegation in your business.
- Nurture your business relationships – Weed out your best clients. If you read The Pumpkin Plan, you know that I no longer waste time chasing ALL the customers. This will work for you too. Identify what you do best, and grow your company by doing that. Then, determine which customers add the most value, and provide them with the best opportunities for their sustained growth. Lastly, nurture! Once you figure out who your best customers are, blow their minds with care. Discover their unfulfilled needs, innovate to make their wishes come true, and over deliver on every single promise.
- Order, order! Look at the systems in your business. Are they working? Just because you’ve done something one way since the inception of your business, doesn’t mean you have to continue on the same path. It also doesn’t mean your way is the prime example of efficiency. In Fix This Next, I outline how sales, profit, impact and your legacy all hinge on how you create order in your business. If you don’t have systems for the execution of workflow better than anyone else, than you are going to be…everyone else. Sell better than anyone. Deliver better than anyone. Make that impact and legacy you imagined when you started your small business. Just remember that to get those real deal results (not the temporary fixes), that order in your business is what creates the sustainability of it all.
- Join a mastermind group – Isolation. That’s a recurring theme for small business owners. Sometimes it feels like you’re the only one with your specific set of challenges. If only there were other people in the same boat you could speak openly about those challenges with in a confidential and helpful space…See where this is going? If there is one thing I want you to do this year, it’s to seek out a mastermind group. Our current culture is creating extra isolation. An opportunity to rectify that and connect with like minded business owners is golden. Look into a mastermind that is the right fit for you. I know it will serve you and your business well.
A friendly reminder! If you want your business resolution to stick, you will need to be you have good habits in place. Look at what you’ve been doing, and see if there are any behavioral intercepts that need to be added in order to be truly successful in realizing your New Year’s resolutions.
I am so honored to be on this journey of small business ownership with you, and hope to serve you well. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
-Mike
PS – Just so you know this wasn’t one big commercial, visit HERE for free, immediate resources, graphics, and worksheets.
Dear Mike,
Thank you for all that you do. I am years into my journey to help business prosper and grow, but still struggle to gain traction due to fear of failure. After learning of your book Profit First and reading it multiple times, I have finally found someone who has the same beliefs as I do. The information you provide is exactly what I needed to see and hear.
How does one become a Profit First Professional?
What would you tell someone who is afraid to put himself out there for fear of rejection and failure?
Thank you
Bob
Hey Mike!
Thanks for sharing your resolutions!
In 2022, I’m set on a few major changes to build on my success from 2021.
1. Set up a solid, repeatable marketing process. After tons of research I still don’t have a proven step-by-step process that works. Need to lock this in.
2. From step one, get enough clients to bring me up to a full 40 hours of billable weekly hours.
3. Simplify and delegate. Decide what can be moved off my plate, systematize it, and let other people take care of it for me.
4. Stop worrying so much about money. I’m tired of the anxiety. ready to let that go.
Thanks again Mike, for your consistency and positivity! In such a nutty confusing world, it’s really helpful to know you are there trucking onwards! Boom! Keep on!
I already have all the books you mentioned here and have read two of them. My goals this year are:
1. Finish my A2A training with Lisa Campbell – including setting up Profit First in my business.
2. Read “Get Different” and share with my Marketing person.
3. Only take on those clients that fit my “Avatar – ideal client” and industries I like.
4. This really should have been #1 – take better care of me.
I know these are not “SMART” goals but they are where I will start the ideas and then apply the “SMART” process.
Thanks, Mike, for your thought-provoking post. It’s somewhat overwhelming to think about taking action on all 5 ideas, even though they are all beneficial. If people can identify the one that is most important for them right now that they will focus on for, say, the next 30 days, then at the end of that period they can look at what their next priority is.
¡ Many thanks for these advices Mike !
Surely they are of great value for my business.
I needed these reminders to help me, my businesses, and others. All the best in 2022, Mike! Cheers!