As the year comes to a close, it is time to sit and take stock and plan for the new year. So here are some new year resolutions you should make:
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 in early January (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 2008 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. Star a blog. There are many things that small businesses can do with a blog rather than spending dollars trying to advertise in conventional ways.
Read Seth Godin’s post Only Two Years Left where he reviews a post he made 4 years ago. Very little has changed and his comments then, are still appropriate now.
Happy 2008.