As the 1st half of the year comes to a close, it is time to sit and take stock and plan for the second half. So here are some key tasks for your “to do” list:
1. Make a two column list. Everything that went right on the left and everything that went wrong on the right. You ‘ll be surprised at all of the things that went right. Try to build on these. Take all the things that went wrong and try to implement corrective measures.
2. Review you business plan now (if you don’t have one, get one immediately – I’m extremely disappointed in you). Try to understand where you are relative to the plan and make adjustments accordingly (either to the business or the plan).
3. Redo your marketing plan for 2013 or get one.
4. Get a business web site if you don’t have one. More and more small businesses are coming to depend on these. If you do have one, clean it up and make it more effective.
5. Develop a business recovery plan in case you get hit with a disaster. It is always good to have planned the recovery steps before hand.
6. Start using social media sites like Facebook. Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube. Most of you customers or potential customers hang out at these sites. There are many things that small businesses can do with social media rather than spending dollars trying to reach their target market in conventional ways.
In the words of Seth Godin, “Before you finish this paragraph, you have the power to change everything that’s to come. And you can do that by asking yourself (and your colleagues) the one question that every organization and every individual needs to ask today: Why not be great?”