Exercise more. Drink more water. Sleep more. While these are some of the healthy resolutions people across America made as they rang in the New Year a little more than a week ago, what about resolutions that can improve your personal health PLUS the health of your business? Here are 10 to consider as you start 2016:
- Delegate what you can: It’s easy to think we need to do everything ourselves when we’re running a small business. Don’t run yourself ragged; look around at your team and delegate some of the work.
- Commit to marketing: If you want to attract new customers, you have to make marketing a priority. Either hire an expert or take the time to create and follow through on a marketing plan.
- Make time for planning: Planning is key if you want a healthy, growing business. It allows you take stock of what’s working and what’s not and set new goals or adjust old ones.
- Learn something new: Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension of interest to your life. You may also meet new and interesting people, who could become customers, colleagues or friends.
- Tap into a business organization: Well, that’s easy. Ask any NAWBO member about the most valuable benefit of membership and she’ll tell you connections. The best way to connect is always in person, so plan to attend your chapter events and the annual National Women’s Business Conference.
- Give back: There are all kinds of worthy causes. Find one that matters to you, and give what you can. Serve on a committee or board, be a mentor, volunteer or regularly donate to community groups.
- Schedule “you time”: It’s important to take the time to recharge and refresh. So if you have trouble freeing up time to do the things you enjoy, write time regularly into your schedule to “meet with yourself.”
- Set realistic goals: Goal setting is a valuable habit. Just make sure that your goals are achievable, rather than pipe dreams that are so far out of reach they only lead to frustration.
- Don’t make do: Is there something you are lacking that’s making your working life harder? Or a vendor that’s just not cutting it for you anymore? Stop putting off making changes or getting what you need to succeed.
- Drop what’s not working for you and move on: All products aren’t going to be super sellers, all sales methods aren’t going to work for everyone and all suppliers or contractors aren’t going to be ideally suited to your business. If a technique or a product or a business relationship isn’t working for you, stop using it. Move on. Something better will turn up.