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Your 2018 Year-End Review Guide

As 2018 draws to a close, now is the time to review and reflect on the past year. A year-end review is vital to ensuring your success in 2019. Why? One of the fundamental steps in building a strong brand and business is to collect data on how each of your business goals and objectives are performing.

December, being the last month of the year, is an ideal time to review what worked, what didn’t work, and how you can improve in the coming year.

Last Year’s Highs and Lows

Identify the high points and the low points of the year. Consider your costs, the time expense involved and whether the final outcome was worth it. You may find that there are high points that were too costly for your business in the long run, or you may discover low points that could have been successful with slight adjustments.

Review these periods carefully to gain a full understanding of how your customer or client-base responds to different marketing strategies. Were you able to achieve your objectives? Were there added benefits or problems that you did not foresee in the planning stages but are obvious now with some time to reflect on them?

Resolutions and Next Year’s Goals

Using the insights you have gained from reflecting on the successes and failures of this year, create new strategies for 2019. What you learned in 2018 will help you determine your business objectives for next year. You may decide to work on achieving goals that were not met in the past year, or you may instead choose to draw up entirely new milestones you would like to reach that are more reflective of your current situation.

Even if you decide to scale back certain parts of your business and reallocate your energy into other parts of your business, do not think of this as a failure. In fact, it is just smart business. As the world changes around you, make adaptation one of your top priorities.

New Year, New Strategies

The holiday season gives you a little bit of time to stop and catch your breath. Over the year you have probably come across new tools and strategies that you suspect may help improve your business. Take this time to explore new software, the latest developments in your industry, and fresh ways to connect with your target audience and grow customer loyalty.

 

Marly Broudie is the Founder of SocialEyes Communications – a digital marketing and business development firm based in Toronto, Ontario.

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Top 3 resolutions for business success this year

 

It’s the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year came so quickly. As part of this transition period for the business owner, it’s a great time to 3 identify business growth as goals are set for the upcoming year. Goals that outline hopes, plans and strategies towards more success. You’ll need all these resolutions to grow your business so what should they be? Here are the questions you’ll use to define your 3 resolutions:

You want to make more money this year. What’s your Money Resolution?

You want more new customers this year. What’s your People Resolution?

What will you do about your products and/or services this year. What’s your Product Resolution?

It’s all well and good to have hopes, dreams and plans, after all most of us hold personal (new years’ resolutions, anyone?) and business goals.  Before we get too deep in the weeds when we look at our business goals it would be wise to use high-level business growth categories where you can place the goals that support those categories.

These categories? They roll right back into to your Success Resolution. You can get the most effect by making sure these powerful categories support your:

  • Money growth category
  • People category
  • Products development category

Step #1 in creating your Success Resolution would be to:

Define the 3 main resolutions. State the amount you want to make or exceed this year. State your intentions as to what networking events, business organizations you intend to become part of to grow your prospect/customers when you provide your pain-relieving services and products. Are you going to add, remove or update any of your services or products this year? Specify these items here.

Step #2 in your Success Resolution would be to:

Define your Categories and explain how they contribute to the corresponding resolution.

Start with the statement “My XXX category contains:” Add your main headings here (eg: Promotion, Planning, etc)

Step #3 in your Success Resolution would be to:

Define your goals under the appropriate category. Each goal should follow the SMART strategy (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based). Consider adding these beneficial properties to your SMART goal. An element of challenge to get you out of your comfort zone. Make it motivate you to move you to the next step on the path you’re taking. One last reminder: make it doable so you can safely follow through.

Consider these goals when making your plans:

Money goals

With your money resolution in mind, determine how you’re going to reach those goals. Are there items you will be adding or revising?

Promote your business – sometimes small businesses fail to properly prioritize this important activity. You will need to create your marketing plan or hire a marketing expert to take care of this task for you. If you are just starting out you can get started by finding low cost ways to promote your business. Remember the promotional opportunities you can access through your own website (it can serve you more appropriately with some review). Don’t overlook this resource!

Business planning (regular) – Make this a must do weekly activity. Doing this weekly means you are acting “in the moment” to understand what’s working and what’s not. Set aside time each week to reflect, adjust and look ahead. A suggestion might be to make this non-negotiable time in your business week.

Delegate weaknesses – It’s time to admit to those things you don’t do as well as your business needs, and to get help for those important areas of your business that can be better served by someone who is an expert in that area. It will serve you well to remember the adage. “Sell your strengths and buy your weaknesses.”

 

People goals

With your People resolution in mind, determine how you’re going to reach those goals.

Want new customers & prospects? When was the last time you reviewed your client avatars? Do you still interact with these identified customers where they are most likely to get together? Are there new avatars you can add that will open new doors for you?

Networking groups – Are there new ones you can investigate to help connect with your potential customers? Plan to attend their meetings for at least 3-6 months and add it to your calendar as “must-do” commitments.

Get out in your community and join causes you are passionate about. These are easy ways to grow goodwill as you give what you can. A side benefit is the goodwill shown to you and your business while you get to do something you love doing. Everyone wins with this strategy.

Use social media, email and your online presence to grow your connections. Serve value to your prospects the way they like to be served. When you take the time to plan out your online presence you grow an extra pair of hands that are focused on staying in contact with potential and current customers, making sure they received the message you intended.

Product goals

Do you have new products or services created or planned? You need to plan, develop, cost, promote and price your new offerings. What does this mean to your customer? Have you researched the need for this offering, and the pain point will it address? Proper planning in this area can refresh a service offering or successfully launch a new one. More products or services finely tuned to your customers will grow your bottom line exponentially and possibly lead the way to other opportunities, such as passive income. Are you ready to take advantage of something like this?

What’s working & what’s not

You may have a tired, ineffective product or service you’ve not had time to evaluate. It may even be costing you in terms of branding, perception or relevance – all things that impact the buying decisions your customers are looking to make. Take the time to review and eliminate any product or service that no longer serves either you or your market. Look to your data (including any sales figures/download rates, etc. that inform you of the effectiveness of this item. Keep your product goals front and centre as you determine what’s working (and you need to keep/update) vs what’s not working any more. Be clear on what you want to achieve in this area.

So, there you have it – your 3 New Years’ Resolutions for your business. Each one is key to the success of your business and will bring you closer to your goals. Now’s the time to make a real difference. Start with your Resolution, identify the proper Category, and then finally break it down to the S.M.A.R.T goals you’ve identified. Doing this will help you work your magic and achieve your resolutions in a build-it for success strategy. Can you do it? Of course, you can! It will be Happy New Year to you because you have resolutions you can keep!

 

Barbara Jemmott is the founder and business strategist at Your Entrepreneurial Spirit. Her 4-point YES to Customer Acquisition Program (C.A.P.) allows her to work her passion which is helping entrepreneurial women grow their audiences and income, online. She got here through her 20+ years of experience helping business understand and implement systems, strategies and procedures to increase productivity as well as implement change and streamline operations. With responsibilities designing, developing and training small to large technology training initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, she brings “Big Business” expertise to the small business space. Learn more about Your Entrepreneurial Spirit and the YES to Customer Acquisition Program at www.yourentrepreneurialspirit.com

 

 

Be Fearless

Sheralyn

Typically in this space I touch upon issues of concern relative to communications in general or communications strategies for small business. Today however, I want to challenge you to face 2016 not just with improved communications skills but also with confidence, clarity of vision, a renewed focus and, this is the big one – fearlessly!

No doubt, at more than one point in your life you have been afraid. Maybe of the future, of failure at school, work or sports, afraid of giving birth (that’s a big one!) or of embarking on a new career.  What was it that helped you overcome that fear? OK, in the case of giving birth you kind of had no choice but in the absence of the onset of labour pains – what helped you to take the leap of faith necessary to move past your fears?

Perhaps your answer is “courage” or maybe “resolve.” Still others might say it was  “opportunity” or that the timing was “right.” Perhaps you were given the gift of money whether through a packaged buy – out or an inheritance. Whatever your answer, being fearless had to have been a part of the process.  This doesn’t necessarily mean to suggest you were without fear but rather, that you embraced your fear and forged ahead regardless.  So how can you encourage being fearless?

Becoming fearless involves strategy.  Yes certain elements like timing and opportunity are important but having a strategy in place that you can act upon for when the timing is right will help create potential success.  Have you, for example, made a list of the pros and cons for your potential action? Have you done research? Have you anticipated all the possible outcomes and planned for them accordingly? Have you considered getting some coaching to help you bridge the gap between your fear and your determination and resolve?  If you have a plan in place with clearly defined, specific and measurable goals this alone will help reduce your fears.  Proactive planning tools will help you to achieve your dreams and while they may not eliminate your fears entirely, they certainly help you anticipate and plan for them, reducing fear to something much more manageable.

So GET PLANNING! Be specific. Always remember however that a little bit of healthy fear is a good thing. It’s natures built in “fight or flight” response. It keeps you alert and aware to potential pitfalls but by planning for them, you can face your fears – fearlessly!

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed?  Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

New Year – Renew

yvonne

Looking for your New Year resolution of 2016 and wanting new changes to your life?

Simple… do things differently.

Every year many of us set new year resolutions, goals or mentally think of how we would like to do things differently, and come end of the year we find ourselves in the same spot.

And this is often not for lack of trying; we set out with best intentions, we update our resumes, we join the gym or renew our memberships, we start writing our business plan… but somehow, along the way things don’t always pan out as planned.

Until we get to the root cause, come 2017, we may still have the same goals, and still be making the same New Year Resolutions.

If you want to see different results this year, you need to first ask yourself: What do I need to change about the way I think in order to set myself up for success?

Perhaps you are sticking to old thinking and yet want new results, which may make your quest very difficult to perhaps even impossible. You may achieve some success with your old ways of thinking, but you will find yourself back at the beginning again if you have not dealt with changing your mindset. – Change Your Mindset and Change Your Life How can you ensure 2016 is different! Albert Einstein put it aptly when he said insanity is  “doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

One other area worth noting that may be hindering us is our surroundings . . The people we surround ourselves with, and what we expose our eyes and mind to can so easily have an impact in the way we think and actions we take. When your mindset is interrupted with negative thoughts or contrary energy to your goals, it will affect the way you react to life, which gradually will affect your goals as well. We must find what hinders our way of thinking and change it to a positive mindset to experience positive results.

To renew our mind is to recondition our mind. We start by recognising negative thought patterns and purposefully replacing them with new and positive thoughts. – Change Your Mindset and Change Your Life

To get different results we have to start doing things differently. How do we get to the root cause of what is holding us back to start get the results we want? This is where reflecting, shaping our mindset, planning and taking action, all come together to create the perfect recipe for success and a more wholesome lifestyle that will change our world.

Like one of my favourite quotes says : Change your thoughts and you change your world- Norman Vincent Peale

To learn about Yvonne’s latest book on Changing your Mindset for greater results,visit http://www.oliveblue.com/changeyourmindset/

Yvonne is an Author, Speaker, Change Consultant & John Maxwell Leadership Coach who is passionate about working with Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Organisations to help implement change they want and achieve their goals.

She can be reached at:  http://www.oliveblue.com/ . https://www.facebook.com/oliveblueinc . https://twitter.com/oliveblueinc.https://www.youtube.com/user/ChangeYouWantTV

Before you make your resolutions and set your goals, DO THIS first!

Uchechi

So, 2014 is about to come to a close, and I’m sure many of you have been thinking about resolutions you want to set in the New Year. I’m one for planning and setting goals, but late last year, I discovered something that I thought was just genius and I wanted to share it with you today. It may be the ticket that actually guarantees that you strive for the right goals; ones that you will actually enjoy pursuing.

So, what is this new method I’m talking about? Well, it’s from one of my mentors, Danielle Laporte, author of The Desire Map. The Desire Map’s core concept is that, because we set a goal in order to feel a certain way, we need to start from there (the feeling place). She says, “You’re not chasing the goal itself; you’re actually chasing the feeling that you hope achieving that goal will give you.” She calls these feelings, your core desired feeling. When we take this approach, we then set our goals based on how we want to feel. If you take a look at past goals you’ve set for yourself and your business, if asked, “why did you want it”, it really boils down to a feeling. Let’s take a goal to get 10 new clients for your business. It really isn’t just about the 10 new clients, but more about how getting those new clients will make you feel: the desire to reach more people with your product or service, feel accomplished, productive, and of service. Those are the goals you’re really going after, not just the number of clients.

Let’s take another example of a resolution many people have which is to lose weight, say 20lbs. It really isn’t just about the number 20, but really about how losing 20lbs would make you feel: the desire to feel fit, strong, healthy, confident and sexy. So, before you set your resolutions and goals this year, it is critical to establish your core desire feelings first!

Next year, my biggest focus is on my core desire feelings. My specific tangible goals, which are important to have, is now based on my core desired feeling not the other way around. So many times, we subscribe to society’s definition of success and achievement. We then strive to reach it, even though reaching it does not evoke feeling of success for us! You need to understand what success feels like for you, and then align your goals to those feelings. If we take the example of losing 20lbs, and focused on the core desire feelings of being strong, fit, confident and sexy, you can set goals to strength train and work out 3-5x/week, because that’s what it will take to feel that way versus just having a goal to lose 20lbs. Even buying that cute little black dress that hugs all the right places will give you the same feeling! How great is that?!

Another great thing about this is that it allows you to evaluate opportunities that come up through the year. So many times we lose focus on our goals or have the “shiny object” syndrome. However, if you have something to compare the opportunities against, it makes it much easier to decide what is best for you. You are then able to make decisions that are aligned to your values and missions.

When you’re clear on your core desired feelings, you become an “intentional creator” of your life as Danielle puts it. As we all know, we start of the year with great intentions. However, along the way, we may hit some roadblocks. When we focus on our core desires, we are able to recognize when we’re not on it. We can’t control what happens, but we can control our reaction and experience of what happens. Focusing on your core desires allows you in those moments to take back your control and ask yourself; “what can I do to generate my core desire feelings”. This allows you to not be a victim to your circumstances.

Check out my two of my favourite gals in this video (Marie Forleo and Danielle Laporte) talking about the steps to match your goals to your core desired feelings here.

So when setting your goals this year, be clear on why you’re setting your goals and look to match them to your soul’s desires.

Uchechi Ezurike-Bosse is a Business & Lifestyle Strategist, Speaker and Writer, but most importantly, a proud Mother and Wife. Uchechi is Founder of My Empowered Living (http://www.myempoweredliving.com) a website aimed at helping women shift their mindset and live their passion! Whether it’s starting and building their dream business, or helping them create a lifestyle they crave, Uchechi is the modern woman’s secret to success! Visit Uchechi at www.myempoweredliving.com to get her FREE online video training series The 4 Keys to your Business Success! This free 4-day business training reveals her 4 key strategies needed to build a profitable and successful business, and how to put them to work in your business!

Dreams vs. Goals

sandra

Can you believe that there are just over 5 weeks left in 2013?  I don’t know about you, but time seems to just keep speeding up.  It feels like just a few months ago I was ringing in the New Year with friends and loved ones!  As we head into the final stretch, now’s as good a time as any to review our accomplishments for the year.

Do you have a long list of things you wanted to achieve back in January that still remain undone?  If so, then it’s time to consider why you didn’t make the progress you wanted to this year.  Many of us make New Year’s resolutions, but we lose focus as the year continues.  Think about how packed gyms are in January and how the numbers start dwindling in February.  Why do we lose momentum so quickly?

One of the reasons is because we don’t see the immediate results we desire.  We live in a world where instant gratification has become the norm.  When we don’t see the results we want as quickly as we want, we become discouraged.  Another reason is the fact that we haven’t put a plan in place to achieve our goals.  I’m sure we’ve all heard it said that a goal without a plan is just a dream.  Without a strategy to achieve our goals, it is easy to get distracted and/or discouraged.

Plans don’t have to be static.  The most effective plans evolve as we put them into action.  When we take action on the goals we want to achieve, we learn new things and often encounter unexpected outcomes and challenges.  The plan needs to be flexible if our goals are to become a reality.  Remember to focus on what you want to achieve and not be too stuck on how you think it should happen.  It’s impossible to know all of the avenues that exist to take you to the realization of your goal.  Keep an open mind and you’ll be amazed at the opportunities that present themselves to you!

As we get closer to the end of the year, now is a great time to start thinking about your goals for the New Year and develop the plan to make them a reality.  Consider what you want to achieve in all areas of your life: personal, career & education, health & wellness, relationships, financial, and contribution (charity/giving back).   Break them down into short, medium and long-term goals and keep track of your progress at regular intervals throughout the year.  As you see the progress you are making, you will be more motivated to keep going.   Your goals can become a reality; you just have to be committed to making them happen!

If you’d like to get a head start on 2014, join me for my Jump Start Your Year workshop on December 1st.

Here’s to making 2014 your best year yet!

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution.She is working on her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect: 
www.embraceyourdestiny.ca
www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny
www.twitter.com/sandradawes

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