For many, the new year is the perfect time to take stock and set goals for the next 12 months. To eat better, exercise more, or finally take that calligraphy class you’ve been talking about forever. For business owners, making new year’s resolutions can significantly impact their success. Here are 5 new year’s new year’s resolutions for business owners in 2018.
1. Communicate Better
This is a focus on quality over quantity. Sure, you can blast out 10 Facebook posts a day and retweet all night long but could you connect with your current and potential future clients even better by doing less? Focus on posting interesting, timely information instead that encourages your audience to interact with you. Respond to comments on your posts and leave some on other’s pages. Take the time to make a few real connections every day instead of trying to reach everyone at once.
2. Prioritize Balance
The workday for a small business owner doesn’t always end at 5 pm on a Friday and pick up at 9 am on Monday. In order to continue being the successful professional you are and to avoid burnout, be sure one of your new year’s resolutions is to take the time you need to recharge. Exercise, spend time with people you care about and get some sleep at night. Carve out time for yourself and you’ll find your mind is more refreshed and your body is more energized.
3. Help Out
Think back to when you were first starting out your career. You were probably excited and hopeful while simultaneously feeling nervous and unsure. Did you have support, or could you have used more? Reach out to someone in your industry just starting out and who could use mentoring or a sounding board for advice. Your generosity will not go unnoticed, and you will be seen as both an expert in your field and as a person people want to work with.
4. Be Proactive
As you think about your new year’s resolutions for 2018, start thinking about 2019, 2020, and beyond. This task can seem daunting, so start by making a list or marking up a calendar. Write out what you’d like to see your business become or what goals you’d like to achieve (both personal and professional) and what steps you can take to make those dreams a reality. Use this plan as a motivator to stay on track with goals throughout 2018.
5. Delegate
You’re a smart, accomplished professional with your own business. You’re used to doing everything yourself, but should you? Delegating can be difficult, especially for those who are used to wearing every hat needed to run a business, but delegation can open you up to focusing on what you love and what you do best. Take a step back at your business and look at the big picture: What do you dread doing? What do you think you could do better? What overwhelms you? The answer to these questions may lead you to work that you can and should delegate to someone else.
From Outbound Engine
www.rietmark.co.za 