As you’re thinking about your own new year’s resolutions, are you putting together some new year business goals as wel
l? Your business life deserves the kind of fresh start and intentional thinking that the rest of you does.
It’s time for a new year, a new fresh start. But when it comes to business, how do you know where to start? Let’s take a look at some ideas, based on everything we went through last year and all the trends that are likely to drive us all forward in 2021.
Start With What Wasn’t Working
We can all admit there were a lot of unavoidable bumps in the road last year. Shutdowns and stay at home orders kept people at home, rather than in stores, offices, and more. We faced economic and financial issues, logistics and process issues, shipping slow downs, regulation shifts, and more.
But setting all of that aside, it’s time to ask yourself, “What really held me back this year?”
Maybe it’s time to get out a list, your favorite planner, pour a giant cup of tea, and really think about it.
Need some tea recommendations? You’re welcome to check out my Steeping Time YouTube channels and my reviews here.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- What held you back this year?
- What did you wish you could have accomplished more of this year?
- Where do you want to see yourself in another year?
- What did you find frustrating and out of your control last year?
- What you can control this year?
Alright, now that you know which areas you want to build your new year business goals around, let’s take a look at some actionable steps you could be taking to make those more than goals, but realities in 2021.
Let’s Make Things Simpler In the New Year
There’s been a lot of talk lately about the level of simplicity that this pandemic, and year, has brought to our lives. Of course, so many issues of this year have brought certain stresses and complications we weren’t expecting.
But we also weren’t expecting to reconnect with our loved ones at home the way we’ve been able to. We weren’t expecting the breathing room that comes with a cleared social calendar. We weren’t expecting to suddenly have time for those hobbies we’d been hoping to take up. This year has taught us how to slow down, how to reprioritize, and how to rebuild our lives in a way that we’ve never had the time for before.
We can take those lessons to work too.
- Prioritize In many ways this year, we’ve learned what’s really important to us. Let’s set that kind of focus on our businesses as well. Let’s focus our energies on topics that grow us toward our goals and inspire us on a daily basis, rather than chasing carrots that we think we should catch, and never will.
- Streamline Finding yourself spinning your wheels in some area of business too much? Now is a good time to look at streamlining your business. How can you readjust and create workflows that work for you? And by doing so, how can you free up your time to get back to that inspiring work we just talked about?
- Outsource When you’ve determined what you want to be doing with your time this year, and what you want to be working better or more efficiently without your direct support, it’s a great time to assess what you can be outsourcing. Another great lesson of 2020 is that remote teams can work. So whatever business you are in, it may be time to start looking for employees, contractors, vendors, or partners who can support the work you do.
Digital Is Where It’s At This Year
Whether you’ve explored it a bit, are a total newbie, or have leveraged digital technology for years, it’s time to take digital to the next level in the new year. This year, more than ever, forced us all at home, away from in-office meetings, from trade shows, from conferences, and more. Everything from marketing and sales to day-to-day communication has gone digital and it’s time to get up to speed.
What can you take digital this year?
- Payroll and HR
- Employee communications
- Sales and Marketing
- Processes and Workflows
- CRM and Customer Communication
Since we are on the topic, marketing is a big arena that’s shifting to digital fast. Sales and marketing teams have had fewer opportunities to meet with potential customers, with trade shows and conferences being canceled this year. There’s a lot of talk about when and how they are coming back, but after a year of this, digital sales and marketing have exploded. Many may not feel comfortable gathering in the near future, and even if they do, so many of us have grown accustomed to digital communication. Businesses who lean into digital are going to do best in 2021.
Video marketing will be critical in the coming year. Now is the time to think about how you can get the word out with explainer videos or whiteboard videos. Here’s a great example of how you can use videos to connect with customers digitally.
Partnering With Marketing Experts
As you’re putting together your new year’s resolutions for your business, one of the best things you can do is connect with a list of qualified, trusted vendors you can rely on. Just because we can’t always meet with people over coffee or network at a local event, we can still make meaningful connections with business professionals we can trust, for our own services and to refer to others.
How can you make genuine connections online?
- Start with your values. What matters most to you?
- Ask around. Make introductions and ask your friends for referrals.
- Share lists and connections with others.
- BIPOC Voiceover Talent (Created by Edward Hong)
If you’re looking for voice talent or video marketing referrals, I’d love to connect. Drop me a line anytime and ask me about the type of marketing vendor you’re looking to connect with. I probably have someone I can introduce you to.
We’ve walked through a year of uncertainties and global shifting and are all ready for a fresh start. Of course, none of us can predict what can happen in 2021. Guessing would be futile, as we’ve learned, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be ready.
Being prepared for whatever comes our way this year means being flexible and agile. It means facing the future with a certain courage and setting your face toward your goals.
Let’s walk into the new year with a fresh focus on our priorities, and what matters most to us, in business and in life. Let’s be ready to use what we have, where we are, to make this year better than the last for the world around us.