It is officially spring. Last week, we had an unseasonably warm day here in New Jersey, hitting a high of 77°F. Of course, it was back down to the 50’s the next day, and it’s actually snowing right now. But that one warm day did some amazing things.
People went for walks, opened their windows, put on flip flops and t-shirts. Many people took advantage of the warmer temperatures and started cleaning their homes and yards, getting ready for a new season. I even saw a guy outside in a bathing suit washing his car!
There was a renewed energy in the air; the excitement and anticipation that had dwindled during the long and cold winter was back. Everything felt new, fresh and filled with promise. We had spring fever, and it felt good.
Despite the snow here today, spring fever will be back. But beware, it doesn’t last forever. Soon, the weather will get warmer and people will start complaining about the heat. Seasonal allergies will hit with a vengeance, and the renewed energy and sense of possibility will start to fade.
Right now is the time to put spring fever to work, grab some of that energy and funnel it into your business. Right now, what didn’t seem possible a month ago feels achievable. Right now, you can do some spring cleaning in your business and make some powerful changes that can improve the path you’re on for the spring and the rest of the year.
Not sure where to start? Here are some ideas on how you can spring clean your business to achieve a renewed outlook, improved plan and reinvigorated motivation.
Plan New and Fresh Marketing Activities
One excellent way to take advantage of the renewed energy that spring brings is by trying something new, and marketing is one of the quickest ways to spice up your business.
Not only is there an endless supply of marketing activities you can try, but the only way to create an effective marketing mix is through trial and error.
I recently put together a list of 101 small business marketing ideas for About.com. The list might help spark some creativity in your marketing plans.
Declutter and Organize Your Workspace and Computer
Yes, you literally need to do some cleaning with this one. Take a hard look at your desk and other flat surfaces in your office that are notorious for becoming clutter magnets. You know what I’m talking about — that growing stack of papers and files on the corner of your desk that you’ve trained your eyes to ignore.
Now is the time to declutter and go through every document, file, paper, piece of mail and everything else that has been added to that pile over the past few months (years?), and give it a home or trash it.
Once your physical workspace is clean and organized, take a look at your computer. Start by filing or deleting some of the miscellaneous files on your desktop. Then, run operating system, software and virus protection updates to make sure your computer is current and optimized to run smoothly.
Depending on your typical email management process, now might also be a good time to clean up your email inbox, and create rules for sorting and filtering messages.
Revisit Your Goals and Make Them SMART
Goals are the foundation of any successful business. Whether you’ve let your goals lag since you worked on them at the end of last year, or even if you consistently work on your goals, spring is the perfect time to analyze the progress you’ve made and take a hard look at where you’ve fallen short.
If you’ve dropped the ball with your goals, figure out what you need to do to get back on track. Make sure your business goals can withstand the SMART goal criteria. Now is also the time to schedule one-month, two-month and three-month goal check-ins to keep yourself on track.
These are some of the things I do every spring for my business. Actually, I do these things every couple of months. It’s amazing how these simple activities help me develop a new sense of motivation and direction.
What will you be doing to spring clean your business this year?
Image credit (tulips): hirekatsu
Image credit (light bulb): zeafonso
Image credit (cluttered desk): dekok
Image credit (target): jaylopez
