Small businesses are a growing force in the U.S. economy as more entrepreneurs realize they can achieve their dreams of starting their own company. Whether you’re a local boutique in a charming town square, an online business or a local service provider, you have something in common with business owners across the country — you want 2016 to be your best year ever.
The first step to having the best year yet is to set realistic goals that you can work toward year-round. You likely already have long-term goals for business growth, but what are you doing every day to achieve them? By setting New Year’s resolutions each year, you can take small steps in the right direction. But it’s important to choose the right resolutions in order to set yourself up for success.
So, to help you get started, here are a few New Year’s resolutions for your small business to consider.
Attend at Least One Networking Event Each Month
It doesn’t matter if it’s a national conference or a local business luncheon—networking with your peers is one of the best things you can do for your business. Not only will you meet people who share your passion for entrepreneurship, but you’ll be able to discuss challenges and how to overcome them. Additionally, you’ll listen to workshops and speeches that will inspire you and keep you motivated.
Update Your Online Content Daily
Whether it’s your business blog, your social media profiles or a combination, it’s important to maintain an active online presence. Set a measurable goal to add at least one piece of content every day, and hold yourself accountable. This doesn’t necessarily mean writing a daily blog post, although that should be part of your content update goals. Instead you can share a relevant article on your social channels or retweet a post by someone you admire.
Automate Processes
Look at your busy schedule and try to determine areas that can be automated. A social media dashboard service can help you with the social media updates mentioned above. Email marketing solutions like MailChimp can help you with your marketing efforts, and Slack can help you organize your inbox. The more you can let technology take over mundane administrative tasks, the more time you’ll free up to work on growing your business. You could even consider outsourcing tasks to a virtual assistant or freelancer.
By setting New Year’s resolutions that help you be more productive and stay focused, you can meet your goals and grow your business. Look at where you want your business to be in five years, and write down a few things you can do in 2016 to start moving toward achieving that long-term goal.