As the year slowly comes to a close, now is the best time to set a business New Year resolution for the year 2023.
It’s a time to “spring clean” your business and remove any old, outdated systems that aren’t working for you anymore and look to some actionable steps that you can take to set your business up for success.
Every working professional, regardless of their role or industry, will benefit from reflecting on the past year and seeing what worked/what didn’t and deciding on what to do differently this year.
Here are some ideas to help your business have its best year to date.
Growing your business in the new year
All businesses, big or small, can find areas to improve. Doing this can help you to identify strengths & weaknesses in areas such as your system management, policies & procedures, and financial performance. It is a positive, growth-oriented approach that can identify any gaps and develop your business so that it remains successful and profitable.
Using the new year to go over your past year’s performance sets you up on the right foot and helps you to hit the ground running as soon as January 1st comes along.
1. Set your business goals for the upcoming year
Setting a business goal for the new year brings everything into perspective. It’s a way to assess where you are right now and where you want to be. Your business goals for the new year can be as simple as having a specific number of clients on your books or identifying the profit you want to make in one year.
Along with your business goals, set up a business plan to help you and your team with decision-making and to identify current and future obstacles so you can better avoid any potential risks.
To grow your business successfully, you need to know which areas you can improve upon. Reviewing your business's performance allows you to gauge your achievements and milestones. It also highlights what might not be working. Here are some ways to measure your business performance:
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Review your financial statements. How much is going in and out of your business?
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Check your customer satisfaction. Collect any feedback and see where you’re kicking goals and where there may be room for improvement.
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Review your client list. How many new customers did you get? If your client list isn’t growing, it may indicate that you need a new marketing strategy.
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Conduct employee performance reviews. This lets you see how happy your team is as well as how effectively they complete tasks.
With Fergus's job management software, you can review the performance of jobs, client bases, inventory or the business as a whole. Before the new year, find out where the business can improve to ensure success next year.
3. Tidy up your website
Tradespeople often rely solely on referrals and word of mouth. However, a website is still vital in this day and age. It can drum up more customers and adds another layer of credibility to your business.
If you’re a small business and don’t have a website or haven’t updated it in years, now’s the time to revise it. Maybe you’ve updated your brand logo or perhaps you offer more services than what is currently listed on your webpage. You may want to add a Blog to generate more traffic and gain new clients. If you haven’t got time to manage a website, consider hiring someone to do it for you.
4. Get a Google Business listing
A Google My Business listing is crucial for businesses, particularly those in trades. It can help establish legitimacy and lets locals in your area find you.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to claim your Google Business listing. This will help your business get more leads, generate more traffic to your website, improve your local SEO, showcase positive customer feedback, and gain more success into the new year.
5. Streamline your business
How can you make your business more efficient in the new year? Now is the time to look at streamlining your business operations to gain better efficiency and productivity.
One of the best ways to do this is by investing in a business management system. From making your payment options more efficient (and making it easier for customers to pay you immediately after the work has finished) to improving communication between team members and clients, business management software will make your small business far more organised and profitable.
Find out if your business is suitable for Fergus by taking our suitability quiz.
6. Touch base with customers
Prior to the holiday season, get in touch with your clients to let them know of your holiday operating hours and when you’ll be back on deck.
This is a good opportunity to take the time to thank your existing customers for their business and to cement these relationships into the new year. It’s also a vital opportunity to take some time to inform your customers of your holiday and that during this time of relaxation you cannot be contacted. Explain who to call instead or provide them with a call-back form/waitlist on your website where they can leave their details for you to get back to them once you return to work.
If you have business management software, set up an out-of-office automated text and email to let your existing customers know that you’ll be away and will be back on X date.
7. Confirm supplier delivery schedules
This time of year is always hectic. With numerous public holidays and some suppliers closing down entirely for extended periods, now is the time to plan ahead to know who is closing, when and what days material deliveries are available.
Don't forget to relax!
As a small business owner, you need time to rest and recharge. Taking a holiday is important for your mental and physical health, and it allows you to spend much needed quality time with your family and loved ones. You’ll find that once you’re back in the office, you’ll have a renewed sense of energy and optimism which you can use as motivation for a successful year ahead!
Improve your business success in the new year by starting a free trial with Fergus here.
Get sorted now so you’re booked and busy for 2023 with our End of Year Checklist, a handy guide to keep you ahead of the game.
Dan Pollard
