2021 is finally coming to a close, and what a year it has been. Give yourself a pat on the back for keeping your business going despite the challenges you faced this year, such as COVID-19 lockdowns and radical changes to consumer spending.
This time of the year is the perfect opportunity to not just look back on the past, but also plan for your business's future. Let’s take a look at seven New Year’s resolutions you must make for your business to thrive in 2022.
1. Learn to delegate tasks
Running a small business involves performing a myriad of tasks, and you might feel that you need to work on all of them. However, doing so will exhaust you, which can result in burnout and less time to accomplish other things.
Delegate some of your tasks to prevent such issues from cropping up. Delegating builds trust, empowers your team, and aids with professional development. It also helps you identify the employees that are best suited for certain tasks.
2. Build your professional network
Growing your small business must involve having a strong network of connections that you can turn to when needed. These connections can be business consultants, trainers, industry experts, vendors, or other business owners. Networking allows you to gain new business opportunities and insights that you may not have otherwise thought of.
3. Find new ways to promote your business
It can be difficult for your business to stand out in today’s highly competitive market, so you need to find simple yet effective ways to grab your audience’s attention.
One way to do this is by promoting your business on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. These services can help you reach current and potential customers, increase awareness about your brand, and boost your sales and revenue. You can post content about your brand or partner with a social media influencer who can get their followers to try your products or services.
Another way to promote your company is through direct mail marketing. This is a strategy that engages prospects and loyal customers through physical mailers, corporate gifts, or other items. In some instances, direct mail marketing yields better results than digital marketing due to its tangibility and its customizability.
Related article: 5 Reasons why your small business should set up a website
4. Set SMART goals
It’s not enough to set generic business goals in 2022. Instead, make sure that they are SMART:
- Specific: Your goals must be narrow, well-defined, and unambiguous so they have a significantly greater chance of being accomplished.
- Measurable: You should have metrics against which to quantitatively or qualitatively assess your progress toward your goals.
- Achievable: Your goals should be attainable within a certain time frame.
- Relevant: Your goals should align with your business’s long-term objectives and values.
- Time-based: Your goals must have a realistic and clearly defined timeline, including starting dates and completion dates.
A SMART goal goes like this: “I want to boost our client retention rate by 40% in nine months by conducting a customer listening campaign to learn where to add value for certain accounts.” SMART goals give you a clearer sense of direction and make it easier to measure success.
5. Give back to your community
Giving back to your community shows that your business is committed to creating a positive social impact, which is key to building a solid reputation in your industry.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Support other small businesses. Local businesses can help each other out by banding together. Stock your shelves with locally made products or offer discounts or gifts to customers who present a receipt from another community partner. Even encouraging clients to like your partners’ social media pages can make a big difference.
- Get your employees involved. Have your employees plant trees, clean up a public space, or bring food to a local food bank or homeless shelter. Your staff will surely appreciate the change of pace and admire your commitment to giving back.
- Donate your products or services. Offering these to members of your community who might need them can make a huge impact. If you run a clothing store, for instance, you can donate goods to clothing drives. Or if you’re in the technology industry, you can donate computers to schools.
6. Scrap what doesn't work
If a certain product or service, sales method, or business relationship isn't working well, discard it. Focus on the things that you can still control instead of feeling regretful about abandoning a certain investment.
7. Partner with a managed IT services provider (MSP)
If you frequently experience problems with your IT infrastructure, you may suffer downtime that can result in unhappy customers and monetary loss. And while you may have an in-house IT team, their expertise may be limited, and they won’t be able to protect your business from attacks when you’re closed for the day.
Fortunately, there’s a solution: managed IT services providers like NetQuest. Partner with us, and we will maintain your IT infrastructure 24/7/365 and fix issues promptly so your business is always operating at peak efficiency. To learn more about what we can do for your company, download our FREE eBook or leave us a message today.
