5 Strategies to Start The New Year Strong For Your Business

I know it’s still January, but you can already feel those lazy summer days slipping away, can’t you? (#Sadface) While it might not be time to get back into work mode just yet, when the time is right for you, these 5 strategies will help you start the new year with a bang.

As you move back to your desk in whatever way feels right for you, I hope this blueprint for getting back to business gives you the start to the year you need to set yourself up for success.

1. Start the new year strong with your first-quarter goals

To start the new year strong, you must first map out your first-quarter goals and put a plan in place to achieve them. While ‘goals’ can be a word that makes you want to run for the hills, they are an essential part of running your business.

Writing down lofty ideas is one thing, but documenting and planning specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based goals (SMART goals) is the ONLY way to turn those ideas into reality by the end of the quarter.

If trying to decide on your goals has you wishing you were back on the beach (why are you making me do this, Steph?!), check out my strong business foundations blog post. It has endless ideas for what you can (and should) be working towards now.

Need help? If you need professional guidance to set and achieve your goals, take a look at my  Quarterly Business Planning Sessions. With my help, you’ll start this new year stronger than Wonder Woman.

 

2. Start the new year strong by firing up your marketing engine 

I like to call content your ‘marketing engine’. After all, your content can drive your marketing and communications across various channels. Remember, showing up and sharing your expertise reminds your current clients how fabulous you are and attracts the right prospective clients. So getting that marketing engine ready to run is one of the first things you should do when you’re back at your desk.

Take a little time to plan the topics you want to discuss (think about what will capture and promote your unique expertise). Then plot a schedule and set the tone for how you’ll share your wisdom throughout the year.

While it can be easy to ignore content marketing and say, ‘I’ll get to it later,’ – my advice is to get to it NOW. Because once you’ve got the momentum rolling, you’ll be able to turn your focus back to client work, knowing your marketing engine is driving itself all over town to spruik your services, even while you sleep.

Need help? If you’ve already got some great content, but you need to update it and share it across more platforms, ready my post about repurposing content. It’s focused on repurposing podcast content, but you could use the same principles to repurpose existing content from your blog, newsletter archives, YouTube channel and more.

 

3. Start the new year strong by doing something for YOU

It’s hard going back to work after a break. Even when you feel refreshed and raring to go, it’s easy to slip straight back in the trap of being consumed by your business. So let’s make this the year you break that ‘all work and no play’ habit you didn’t realise you’d fallen into.

If you could give yourself a couple of hours every month to do something just for you (for YOU – not for your business, not for your family), what would it be?

Now, I’m not talking about building in daily exercise, morning habits, or eating well (while these things are important, they’re not what this strategy is about). I’m talking about treating yourself to something you’ve always wanted to do but never gotten around to. You know – that thing you said you’d do when you had the flexibility of running your own business… That’s the thing I want you to think about now.

Maybe it’s taking a sewing class. Or pole dancing class! Or going for a regular massage. Or treating yourself to a fancy lunch at a top-rated restaurant. Or going to the movies (to see the movie you want to see – not what your spouse or kids want to see).

Whatever it is, I want you to block out time in your calendar to do it every month. Go on – block the time out now (seriously, open your calendar and do it right now). Every month, you’re going to give yourself a couple of hours away from your desk to do something just for you.

And don’t give away that time! I’ll allow the occasional reschedule – but you’re not allowed to delete it!

(How does this help you start the new year strong for your business, you ask? Because when YOU are your business, taking care of YOU means taking care of business. xoxo)

 

4. Start the year strong by reviewing your small business foundations

I’ll never apologise for banging on about how necessary your small business foundations are (they’re really super important). But the reality is you need to review and refine them constantly.

To help you start the new year strong, I want you to pick one of the key foundations your business needs and review where you’re at with it. Which area has started to lag? Maybe your website’s getting out of date. Perhaps you need to review your services and launch a new offering for the new year. Maybe this year is the year of networking for you.

Don’t try to improve them all at once. Just pick one thing you’ll focus on for the first quarter, and make a plan to make that business foundation stronger than ever.

Need help? If you want guidance to improve the small business foundation you’re working on, take a look at my  Quarterly Business Planning Sessions. With my help, you’re small business foundation will be as strong (and stunning) as a diamond.

 

5. Start the new year strong by outsourcing

Every growing business gets to the point where outsourcing is no longer a might-do, but a must-do. At some point, outsourcing will become one of the best ways you can streamline your operations and grow your business revenue.

You could free up your time by outsourcing busy work like accounts reconciliation, administrative tasks and social media to a bookkeeper or virtual assistant. But you can also look into outsourcing some of the mental load of running your business. Bringing in an online business manager can give you a ‘second brain’ to bounce ideas off and share the responsibility for steering the ship and delivering growth for your business.

Looking inward to decide where outsourcing can help you is a fantastic way to start the new year strong and give yourself the support you need to build your business, not just run your business.

Need help? If you want to know more, read my blog post about how outsourcing can help you reclaim the joy in your business. And if you’re not sure if you’re ready for a virtual assistant or an online business manager, take my quiz to help you evaluate where your business is at.

 

Ready to start strong? Let’s get to it

I hope these 5 strategies to start the new year strong have sparked a little excitement for you to return to the office. There are a few ways you can choose to implement them. You could tinker away at these strategies while you’re still on your summer break to slowly get you back into business. Or you can use this post as a blueprint for your first couple of weeks back in the office.

However you decide to work on them, these strategies will help you feel more in control and prepared to take on the new year with a renewed sense of focus, motivation and drive.

And I can’t wait to see you make this year your strongest business year yet!