By Catherine Lang-Cline
The word “resolution” in the Merriam Webster dictionary reads; \ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən\ : the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict, problem, etc. : the act of resolving something.
We make personal resolutions for the New Year, but what about business resolutions? The beginning of a fresh new year is a perfect time to consider possible improvements moving forward. Setting the right intentions can make your business more effective, productive, profitable and fun.
Here are three business New Year’s resolutions to make the upcoming year your best yet:
1. Put more processes in play. Most businesses are pretty informal about their ways of doing things. Often that’s because the pioneers who started them are scrambling to get everything done. But once a business has more people involved, it’s a good idea to focus on clarifying how it’s best to do things, so everyone knows what to expect. One resolution could be to get processes written down. It’s so much easier to simply hand over a list and say “This is how we do it here,” instead of adjusting for all the mistakes that will inevitably occur when new hires lack that information. Written processes also make your business less dependent on specific individuals and more ready to shift roles and include new hires or temps when needed.
2. Hold people accountable. This year, resolve to make people accountable. Accountable to you, your clients, budgets, deadlines or whatever else you need to keep track of. When starting a business, you just try to make the “magic” happen. As you grow, you need buy in and commitment from your team. Do you have values you would like for them to follow? Maybe this year you let your team know what your company stands for and tell them exactly what you are expecting from them, so that they can better support that in all their work.
3. Hire help as you need it. It can be a fulltime person or a temp, but if you wait too long you could burn out your staff. Plan early to get the right help in to assist your team members so they can focus on doing what they are best at. Maybe it is you that needs help? Is there something that you can delegate? You should only be focusing on the things that only YOU can do. Get rid of everything else. Hiring in a timely fashion will cut down on mistakes, exhaustion, and will increase your productivity. If you are not sure where to start finding help, ask for referrals. You can also start a relationship with a staffing company or recruiter that understands you and your business. That way, help will be just a phone call away.
And finally, stick with it! With the proper resolve and follow through, you can make this year one of the best that your business has ever had.
