As businesses enter the first days of a new quarter, there is always a strong urge to start looking at the right changes to make. Everyone goes into a new year feeling revitalized and focused on making the next 12 months as productive as possible, and that means shaking up the workspace. From improved processes to more optimistic marketing goals, having a positive plan in place can be all the motivation you need to make 2019 the year that your business becomes the best it can possibly be. If you’re looking at your business and aren’t sure what to shake up in 2019, then these three goals should be your starting point.
Assess What Worked (and what didn’t)
Your first task is to work out where you made progress in 2018 and where you failed to grow. Look at the processes that you use and the policies that you have in place. Assess them individually and make sure that they are as effective and streamlined as they can possibly be. If you have areas that haven’t worked, then it might be time to rethink them entirely. Look at the technologies that are available for your business model, and integrate the ones that will improve customer service and the full journey of the customer experience.
Invest in Online Learning
Businesses, companies or charities that don’t look after their workforce are doomed to repeat the hiring and firing cycle on a regular basis. This can seriously impact team morale and company standing. The key is staff development, through further understanding of the field and relevant training. This could include online certificates and further education or training that can be carried out online. Online training courses offer flexibility, accommodating to different lifestyles and schedules while offering approved and accredited certificates in any given field, be that mental health, or further academia. If your team feel that you not only appreciate them but that you are investing in them too, they will develop a loyalty to your company, charity or business. They will be more productive and will commit more to their role.
- Look at team members that excel at what they do, and look for training options.
- Structure work days so that your team can complete formal education that will benefit your company, business or charity. This can be anything from a course in coding to gaining a mental health certificate online.
Modern workplaces that allow for personal development will be much better placed to succeed in 2019.
Boost Your Networking
There are an endless number of online articles and tips for improving your networking skills, but those skills don’t come easily to everyone. Not every entrepreneur is comfortable talking to new people, even if it’s about business. That’s why online networking has proven to be so popular. The right networking is perfectly achievable online, and you don’t even have to leave your office to do it. Use social media platforms to connect with thought leaders in your field, and join in with the online conversations. This will boost your own standing, and give you a stronger online presence. Use Twitter and LinkedIn to perfect your networking skills, and you might develop the confidence needed to meet those people in person.
Whether your business performed well in 2018 or you felt that it could be better, there’s no better time to look to the future than at the turn of the new year. Take the time to look at your business goals from every angle, and this could be the year that your business is launched into the world and becomes a great success.
