By Susan Guillory
I know it’s dorky, and you probably don’t think resolutions really work, but every single year, I make resolutions for both my business and myself. The trick is making them something I can actually achieve and measure (here are my tips for setting small business resolutions the right way).
So this year, here are five small business resolutions I’m making. Are you with me?
1. I resolve to take more time for me.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes you make busy work for yourself, and then you realize it wasn’t necessary? Like: you check your email every 10 minutes, but nothing’s really happening, so you waste all that time for nothing.
Well, this year, I want to do less unnecessary work and have more “me” time. So if I finish my work by noon, I can take the afternoon off. Blasphemous, I know.
2. I resolve to delegate more.
I’m proud that last year I did a great job of handing work over to my freelance writers. It feels really good not having to even touch a client project because I know I have reliable people on my team. So I want more of that.
Oh, and the side effect of delegating is that you have more time to work on growing your business. And who doesn’t need that?
3. I resolve to read more.
I’m a content producer, which means I don’t have a lot of time to be a consumer. Still, I know it’s important for me to stay on top of what’s happening in my industry, so I’m going to set aside time each week to read small business and marketing articles, then share them on social media, because hey, I need to do that more anyway.
4. I resolve to focus on my niche.
Over the years, I have cast away products and services that really weren’t my core offering. It scared me, because I thought it meant I would have fewer customers, but instead, I attracted more of the ones I really wanted. Give it a try.
5. I resolve to produce error-free work.
I pride myself on being a pretty good writer and editor, but I still make mistakes. So this year, I’m going to take my time to ensure that everything I deliver to clients is 100% perfect. What about you? Does your sloppiness sometimes jeopardize your client relationships? Put effort toward making sure that you deliver a flawless experience or product, and you’ll see a rise in customer satisfaction.
See? Resolutions don’t have to be painful or frivolous. They just have to cover what you want to achieve. So…what do you want to achieve for your business this year?
