Are you ready for an amazing outstanding exciting epic New Year or are you just hoping for more of the same? Most people wish for a better year than the year before and I bet you are one of us.
So what have you done to get ready for this epic New Year? Have you set your goals? Have you reviewed and revised your business plan? Have you created a financial goals sheet?
What do you do to set yourself up for success when a new year graces you with a fresh start? Here are some of the things business owners do to start the new year off right.
- Review business planned and revise as needed. Look at your business plan and adjust as needed. Many of us, especially in the early years of business, need to make these adjustments as we go because business is still pretty fluid. Meeting the needs of our clients often dictates slight changes in our overall plan as we keep the end goal in mind.
- Review goals and set new ones. This means writing them down with details and how and when you will accomplish them. Break them into bite size chunks and start eating away at them. Look at your goals and break them down into 90 day sprints. I recently purchased The Freedom Journal from John Lee Dumas of EOFire.com to help me accomplish my goals one chunk at a time. I highly recommend it if you really want to achieve your goals.
- Create an annual budget. Look at your expense for last year. Will they increase or decrease? Do you need to spend more to sell more? This is especially important if you have a product based service. Are there areas you can reduce expenses? Are there areas you can streamline costs by combining services? Your bookkeeper should be able to help you establish a budget if you need help.
- Create your financial plan. Know what how much you want to make by year end and break it down to how much you need to earn each month and how many sales or new clients you need to meet those monthly goals. Know what that means to your bottom line and don’t forget to include your expenses in your calculations.
- Set your business networking calendar. Plan for where, when, and how often you will attend networking events. Include these costs in your budget, these extras can really sneak up on you if you don’t pay attention to membership dues, meeting and meal costs. Review your current networking efforts and adjust as necessary. Include a follow up plan as part of your schedule. Allowing time for one on one meetings and follow up calls is imperative to successful business networking.
- Establish a social networking calendar. Share relevant content that establishes you as the expert and share often. Create evergreen content that you can repurpose often. Share content in different formats (video, text, and images) at different times of the year. Know where you want to connect online and be purposeful in building connections. Know how much time you must dedicate to social media and make it a priority IF that is where your ideal clients are hanging out.
- Create a vision board. A vision board can be as simple as post it notes with words scribbled on them or as elaborate as photos cut from magazines or downloaded from the computer. The idea behind a vision board is to create a clear visual of the things you want or want to accomplish. It can be as simple as one goal or ten. I have a vision board for my health goals and I have another with my business goals on it. I love post it notes planning boards and teach clients to do them because you can get everything out of your head and onto paper easily and then rearrange it as necessary or remove them as you accomplish them.
So, are you ready? Have you set your goals, do you have a plan? Do you need help? Asking for help is one of the best gifts you can give your business. I did it! I have a business coach, I joined a mastermind, my bookkeeper prepares my budget and projections, and I have several people I rely on for truth and honesty when my crazy runs wild.
I want you to know that you are not in this alone!
If you are ready to create an epic New Year, we can help. At 30 Second Success we will work with you to create an actionable plan that will move your business forward in 2018. Schedule a call or a strategy session today and start moving toward the success you want and create the epic New Year you deserve!
Wishing you much success in 2018,
Laura