The New Year will be here before we know it. It’s time to make some New Year’s resolutions. You know the typical resolutions everyone makes come January 1 (like getting in shape). However, if you’re a business owner, that means it’s also time to start thinking about resolutions specific to your business. What are you going to do in the upcoming year to make your business even better? Setting business resolutions – and following through on them – is an excellent way to reach your goals and set yourself up for success over the next 12 months. But what resolutions should you make? What are the things you need to focus on to take your business to the next level? Here are three business resolutions to make if you want to have your best year in business ever:
Leverage technology to make your (and your team’s) life easier
There are so many technologies out there that can improve your business. And if you’re not doing so already, if you want this year to be the best year ever, you need to start leveraging those technologies. The right technology can make your (and your team’s) life significantly more comfortable. With the right tools, you can get organized, streamline processes within your business, and get more done in less time. Is your team having trouble staying on top of projects? Use a project management tool like Asana or Trello to make sure everyone knows what they’re responsible for, when tasks are due, and how projects are progressing in real-time. Are you spending a significant amount of time tracking down your team to get updates on clients? Invest in a customer relationship manager (CRM) and get updates on all of your clients, leads, and prospects with the click of the button. Want to increase your productivity? See how you’re spending your time with a time tracking tool like Time Doctor and use the insights to eliminate any distractions and get more done during the day (you can even use an app like Freedom to block access to productivity draining websites like Facebook or Twitter during the workday).The point is, if there’s something you or your team is struggling with, there’s a technology out there that can help. And if you want to have your best year ever, you need to make a resolution to take advantage of those technologies.
Systematize your business
If every task in your business requires you to start from square one, you’re not using your time efficiently. By systematizing as many processes within your company as possible, you’ll free up more of your and your team’s time – which will allow you to focus your energy on taking your business to the next level and having your best year ever. Any task that occurs on a regular basis in your business is a prime candidate for systematization – and an opportunity to save time, energy, and resources. For example, let’s say you’re planning on hiring additional team members within the New Year. Without a training system in place, you’ll be responsible for meeting with and training each new hire individually, monopolizing your time and keeping you from working on other projects. But if you systematize the process (by creating some sort of training manual or platform), you can remove yourself from the equation. Your new hires are still getting trained – you just don’t need to invest the time in training every time you make a hire. Systematizing works in all areas of your business, like managing emails; responding to customer inquiries; handling internal communications; HR; and just about everything else. Make it a point to look for opportunities to systematize; while it might take a time investment on the front end, it will save you a ton of time and energy, in the long run, increasing productivity and contributing to your best year ever.
Commit to customer service
While there are many ways to judge the success of your company, one of the best is “how satisfied are your customers? ”Because here’s the thing: the more satisfied your customers, the more successful you’ll be. So if you want to have your best year ever, you need to resolve to do everything in your power to make sure every single customer is happy, satisfied, and interested in continuing to do business with your company. And how do you do that? By committing to outstanding customer service. It sounds obvious, but for whatever reason, excellence in customer service is becoming more and more of a rarity across the board. By committing to delivering the best service to your customers, you’ll immediately set yourself apart from the competition. You’ll become an authority within your industry, inspire brand loyalty, and keep your customers coming back for more. This year, make it a resolution to make customer service the top priority in your business – and watch yourself have the best year ever as a result. If you want this year to be the best year ever in your business, you have to take the right steps to get there. And with these three business resolutions, you’ll be well on your way.
