The week after Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on the past year. Before you start counting up all of the things you didn’t check off of last year’s to-do list, we’ve compiled a list of ideas we hope will provide inspiration as you look ahead. Whether you’re looking to brainstorm ideas for improved daily operations or simply revitalize your mindset at work, we designed these 10 resolutions to help make 2022 the best year ever for your business.
Our list of resolutions include:
- Resolve To Get Realistically Organized
- Make Your Company’s Culture a Priority
- Revamp Your Marketing Plan
- Start Delegating and Outsourcing
- Avoid Burnout
- Give Back to Your Community
- Stop Putting Off Your Needs
- Focus On Your Website
- Prioritize Your Social Media
- Climb the Google Ranks with SEO
Let’s jump right in.
- Resolve To Get Realistically Organized
We buy up specialized planners, calendars, vision boards, and organizational kits in December – only to abandon them by early February. Before you initiate a whole new organizational system, ask yourself this question: What would work best for my business? Take a realistic approach to organization by employing one or two new processes that you know will work and stick to them in earnest. If you work in a paperless field, a traditional paper planner might not work for you. Consider a digital planner application or online planning tool that will set reminders and keep you on track. If a goal is better communications with your staff, consider weekly ‘catch-ups’ instead of lengthy meetings that are casual, brief, and keep the whole team feeling connected. Most of all, don’t feel the need to modernize or upgrade a system that’s already working. If you love your Rolodex of phone contacts – keep it! Just be sure to set aside some time to ensure that your methods are up-to-date and keeping you organized.
- Make Your Company’s Culture a Priority
A business is only as successful as its employees are happy. Focus on creating, or if one already exists, promoting a company culture that makes your team feel valued, respected, appreciated, and inspired. Ask your team for ideas and changes they would like to see. Use their feedback to establish new priorities for the culture of your business.
- Revamp Your Marketing Plan
Think about your 2021 marketing plan. What worked well? What needs improvement? How do your customers or clients reach you presently? How could that method of reach be optimized? After you’ve answered these questions, you can build a preliminary plan that removes any elements that do not work while prioritizing the things that work the best. Get creative and add new tactics as you go. Your new plan shouldn’t feel daunting or unattainable. If you feel stuck, ask for help.
- You Are Only One Person: Embrace Delegating and Outsourcing
Many entrepreneurs and small business operations use an all-in-one approach to business promotion. Because they are responsible for multiple roles within the organization and employ in-house promotion methods where possible, marketing the business is often placed on the back burner. It’s time to work smarter, not harder. Your time is valuable, so take the power back and consider hiring help to take care of your IT and marketing needs so that you can run your business with peace of mind.
- Avoid Burnout
Burnout is one of the most dangerous and common issues for business owners. Burnout creates challenges within a business, affects client and team relationships, and can even spill over into your personal life. To sum it up, burnout is bad news. Even individuals who are passionate about their work suffer from burnout, so the first step is recognizing that burnout is as common as it is real. Make an anti-burnout action plan. Keep your stress level regulated with daily practices that could include five to ten minute walks, breathing exercises, mid-morning timeouts, or quick meditation sessions. Make breaks from work a priority on a regular basis and commit to disconnecting and disengaging from work during those breaks. Initiate a training program to offload and delegate time burning tasks whenever possible. Set clear boundaries between your work life and home life. Get away from your desk periodically throughout the day. Set reminders on devices that you use regularly to ensure that you’ll stick to your plan – and then commit to it.
- Give Back to Your Community
Little else is more important than giving back to the people of your community. Giving of time and care for the community is always a boomerang; the good given comes right back. In 2021, Twin Oaks Technology gave back to service areas in a lot of huge ways – sponsoring local celebrations and community revitalization projects, civic organizations, and local business associations. Explore causes that are important to your business and help out in any way that you can. Volunteer to help, sign up to become a mentor, make donations of your time, or set aside a portion of proceeds to help a worthy cause that is meaningful to you. Giving back feels good and the impact of your efforts will be powerful and lasting for the community, and more surprisingly, yourself and your team.
- Stop Putting Off Your Needs – and Eliminate What’s Not Working
Do you have a worn out, broken desk chair that you’ve convinced yourself will last one more year? Is your computer arguably one of the first computers ever made? Jokes aside, you deserve better. Both new technologies and office equipment were created to help make work easier – not harder. Throw out the broken fax machine, replace the outdated firewall hardware, and/or invest in a nice desk chair for yourself. The same stands to reason for products and vendors. If it’s not working anymore, eliminate it or replace it. The adjustment period and time needed for transition will be worth your while. Who better to invest in than yourself and your team?
- Prioritize Your Social Media
Like it or not, a social media presence for your business is baseline. The internet has quickly become the number one method of finding and learning about your business. That said, your potential client base doesn’t just want your product – your audience wants to engage with you. This year, commit to weekly interactions with your audience, engage with other businesses, post information and related content, and answer questions about your business when contacted. Utilize scheduling tools that social media platforms offer and plan your posts ahead of time. If the idea of monitoring your business social media has you feeling overwhelmed, have no fear – help is available.
9. Focus on Your Website – and Make Sure it’s Mobile Friendly
As previously stated, the internet is the number one method of finding and learning about your business. The last couple of years have proven that the internet is the most basic and necessary tool for working and communication. A business web presence is absolutely essential – and most people are searching from a mobile device. If you do not currently have a website for your business, we’ve got work to do. A website can showcase your business without being overly difficult or complicated to build and maintain. There are a ton of easy and user friendly website builder platforms available that provide step-by-step instructions and tutorial videos for beginners. Don’t forget to make sure that your site is responsive and optimized for mobile devices. If it all sounds too daunting or confusing, leave it to the tech-sperts. <– (See what we did there? 😊 )
- Climb the Google Ranks with SEO
Business growth is important to all business owners. With that goal in mind, engaging your audience and attaching new customers is a critical piece to achieving that goal. While sharing posts on social media and keeping your website up-to-date are great strategies to stay accessible to potential clients, the ranking of your site in a search engine is imperative. In today’s technological world, your business’ ranking in a search engine has direct impacts on your sales and growth. SEO, or search engine optimization, is a primary tactic to send search engine users to your website, bump up your business in the rankings list, and help both your current and potential clients find your business online. SEO is a process, but we’ll explain how it works and advice on best practices.
*BONUS TIP: Make it the Best Year Ever
The best year ever is ahead. Whether you have a resolution that’s similar to one on our list, or if you have an entirely different list in mind, don’t lose sight of what you want to achieve. We believe in you and know you’ll succeed. Happy New Year to you and best wishes for the BEST YEAR EVER!
With luck,
Twin Oaks Technology Team