After another unprecedented year that brought many challenges – we don’t blame you if you haven’t managed to achieve 100% of your goals for 2021. However, there are still things you can do to get back on track and power through the next 12 months. We have a few favourite resolutions for small businesses that should always sit at the top of the pile. Done well, these are almost guaranteed to kickstart the results you may have missed out on last year.
The main thing to remember is to keep them realistic. Take into account the time you have to dedicate to each goal and what resources you may need to make them happen. Some of them may also involve investing a bit of money to improve your organisation as a whole.
This is where it becomes crucial you have a clear understanding of where you lie right now and where you want to be this time next year. With a clear plan and a good grasp of your current situation, these targets will remain achievable as well as offer significant benefits to you in the long run.
This list will give you a good idea of where to start. But start by evaluating and deciding where your main focus should lie in 2022.
Boost Your Online Presence
It goes without saying that every organisation should be present to some extent online these days. If you are not, it’s going to become increasingly difficult for people to find you. The pandemic has made this even more apparent as people were relying on social media and online shopping to really get anything done.
This should always be one of the resolutions for small businesses because you can never be too present online. There are things to be done daily that will increase engagement, followers, leads and organic traffic. When you start to dedicate time to this, you will notice how quickly it can be done and how well it will benefit your company.
1. Build A Website (Or Update Yours)
The first part of assessing your digital marketing will be to figure out how to optimise a website so that it displays everything you are about in a simple, engaging and fully branded manner. It gives your customers a base to visit for basic advice and contact information. But more importantly, it provides you with a platform to show off and stand out from competitors. With brilliant published content, images and branding – you have the means of drawing in sales and new leads from all over.
2. Get Social
It’s time to think about which social media platforms you are not posting on but really should be. LinkedIn is overlooked by a lot of people, but in the business world, it is great for networking, hiring and becoming a reputable voice in your industry. Similarly, your customers are almost guaranteed to be scrolling through many platforms, multiple times a day. When you begin posting unique and relevant content to these places – you can quickly gain a following of people that believe in your brand.
Not only that, but it allows you to start a conversation. Physically engaging with your customers and potential clients helps to build trust and create a community of people that will share and interact with your posts. This is one of the best ways to increase your presence and take advantage of word of mouth.
Write A Blog
Just like we are doing now, you can use a blog to share your own knowledge and offer people answers to questions they may not even know they had. As a result, you begin offering unique and valuable content that can help move potential leads to sales. It is a powerful means of connecting with your audience and gives them a bit of added value while they decide to use your services or buy your products over someone else’s.
When you can articulate industry jargon and complicated questions into easy to understand articles – the average consumer will begin to trust you and see you as a respectable and reliable source of information.
You will have a lot of knowledge and experience in what you do. While we don’t expect you to teach everyone everything you’ve learnt in 30 years through a blog – you are the best person to answer their questions and offer advice. As are your employees. Blog writing is one of many resolutions for small businesses that can be worked on by the whole team. Get departments involved in writing content about their own skills and tasks they carry out every day.
Not only will this help solve a lot of communication issues with clients as you can use your articles as resources, but it will also help reiterate any training and upskilling you carry out. Blogs give employees an output to share what they have learnt which often helps with information retention. Whether it is a customer or team member looking for advice – they can check the blog for answers before jumping the gun and going straight to management.
Invest In Ongoing Professional Learning & Development
There may be standard courses you enrol your team into each year. Things like first aid or onboarding training tend to be done at regular intervals. However, proper professional learning and development will help your employees reach targets and be prepared for any changes or bumps in the road during the next year.
Adaptability is vital in any organisation and proper development will help prepare people for new industry insights or hitting goals set out after implementing these resolutions for small businesses. Even with a small budget or limited resources – you can ensure individuals have a means of growing within their role and being able to offer as much as possible as they do so.
You can do this by first communicating with your team to find areas in which they want to excel. When they have input into what they learn, it can help keep them focused and engaged. It will also highlight any skills gaps you may not have noticed through feedback or catch-up meetings. The benefit of this is that you can hone in on certain areas that will have the most benefit to your company as a whole.
Not only does this help cut costs by eliminating irrelevant training, but it helps to support any new targets you have for 2022. Azimuth can help create a bespoke approach that will take your employees down the path of career growth and personal development. We cut out the bits you don’t want to make sure everything is kept concise and useful. Get in touch to start the journey.
Get Involved In The Community
You might be thinking: how on earth will this help my company grow and improve? But it is in fact a really important part of building trust, getting noticed and standing out from the crowd. It has been a really hard couple of years for every single person and so we could all do with a bit of extra support from time to time. No matter what you do or what industry you represent – you have something to contribute to your community.
You don’t just have to rely on cake sales and general fundraisers to make a difference. Your whole team brings different skills and abilities to the table that are valuable to people out there. This could mean offering a bit of free financial advice to struggling independent businesses or writing a really epic blog post that will help get that local charity noticed online. Whatever it is, use your company as a basis to get involved in the community.
You could even make it an ongoing part of your organisation. Make it one of your regular new year’s resolutions for small businesses and do something different each time. It will keep your employees motivated, engaged and excited to make a difference in a new way.
When people notice you are doing something extra and outside of your usual service, they will remember you for it. This means that not only are you giving back and contributing something valuable, but you could be working towards new and loyal customers at the same time. Not to mention that you will feel really good for it afterwards!
Resolutions For Small Businesses: Kickstart 2022 With Azimuth
Brands across the world are all doing as much as they can to stay afloat at the moment. It has been a struggle, to say the least over the past couple of years, but by setting realistic goals we can develop a pathway to success in 2022.
This doesn’t mean you need to tackle 101 new things that are going to transform your organisation. But even by revisiting targets you didn’t quite meet last year – you will be contributing extra value to the company and ensuring you make the right moves forward.
Take some time to evaluate where you sit and which areas you want to tackle as a priority. That way you can stay focused and provide a pathway for employees to follow as they help you approach new challenges and implement new processes.
To ensure you are making the most of your team and resources, contact Azimuth to begin your investment in professional development. Your employees will be more engaged and capable of hitting these new targets for 2022. We can discuss bespoke opportunities and ensure you are ready for what’s ahead.
You can reach us at enquiries@azimuth.eu.com or call 01483 24 33 81. Work with the experts you can trust. Azimuth, a new direction in learning.
