Christmas came and went. 2015 is already “so last year” and 2016 is full of new possibilities and fresh starts to old habits. January 1^st marked the beginning of a new list of resolutions to help us, and our businesses, improve our habits for a happier and healthier future.

Regardless of how tough the year before was, a new year gives us the ability to begin with a clean slate. Your goals may include decreasing costs, improving cash flow, getting (or staying) organized, or rethinking new ideas and establishing new milestones. Identifying a list of goals and then writing them down not only helps you more clearly visualize those goals, but it can also help you laser-focus in on what new tactics you can use to improve the status and profitability of your company. In that light, below is a list of 5 great New Year’s Resolutions to keep in mind for 2016 for your business:

1. Resolve to delegate. Delegating responsibility can be one of the hardest things to do as a small business owner, but handing off even one or two of the many tasks that fill up your day can take stress off your shoulders and leave room for you to grow in other areas. Start by making a list of tasks that fill a typical day; include the big things and the little things. From there, determine which are essential for you to accomplish personally and which can be delegated to someone else. Administrative tasks such as filing, updating your blog, or tracking client information are examples of tasks that can be delegated responsibilities that will free up your time to focus on revenue-generating activities.  How can you achieve this goal?  Consider contracting things out, giving referrals, hiring staff or working with a virtual assistant to help you achieve this resolution.
2. Resolve to show more appreciation. Businesses in every industry talk about how much they love their customers, but few actually show it. Create a customer appreciation plan; even the smallest gestures will be noticed by your clients. Maybe that means sending out a personal email, a handwritten thank you note, or even a holiday card. It doesn’t need to be a big or time-consuming gesture.  The possibilities of showing customer appreciation are endless and will ultimately strengthen your relationship with your clients.
3. Resolve to make sure your web content is at its best. If your company’s website is the virtual window to your business, then its content lines the shelves. Much like a brick-and-mortar operation, you want the content on your shelves to be top notch. No typos, no clichés, no needless redundancies, and enough calls-to-action in between the important information to catch a customer’s eye. For the New Year, consider taking an objective look at the content on your website and decide if it’s the best that it can be, or if it’s just what you thought was fine to put up there at the time of publication. Ask yourself if the information sells your service or product, if it makes sense, and if it’s SEO friendly. After you’ve looked at it, as an associate or friend to review it and give you honest feedback. Then do it again.  Try to see the content through your customers’ eye and really remove your personal preferences from the review.  Truly great content on your website will go a long way in boosting your company’s reputation and sales.
4. Resolve to re-evaluate your business model. After a few years of being in business, chances are what you’re doing now isn’t exactly what you set out to do. Fluctuations in the economy, new competition, or customer preference may have pushed your business into unexpected directions. Taking the time to review the business model you put together at the start of your company and comparing it to your current production method may help you see how your original goals stack up against your real-world experience. Doing this can help you realign or make new goals that you’d like to achieve in the new year.
5. Resolve to refresh your social media presence and marketing strategies. Needless to say, marketing your business is important to growth. But, keeping a worthwhile marketing strategy up-to-date can often get pushed down to the bottom of the day’s to-do list. By making time to refresh your social media presence and marketing strategies you will give new life to your marketing plan. Start of by taking an inventory of new and current social networks and deciding which platforms work best to promote your business to your client base. Then take a hard look at last year’s marketing efforts. What worked and what didn’t? What were the payoffs and what should you be doing differently this year? Reviewing and giving new life to your social media efforts and marketing strategies can help you reach new clients and expand your sales base.

I know this list may seem a bit daunting, but the effort that you put into your resolutions will be worth it for you and your business. As virtual assistants, we help our clients stick to their resolutions and help them focus on the things that matter. If you need help with your 2016 goals, contact us, we’d be glad to show you how we work.