2018 is upon us, and it’s the time at the start of each year when resolutions are made (and mostly broken). This January, why not make some New Year’s resolutions for your business? Even small changes can make a meaningful impact on your profitability and work/life balance, and making and keeping some of these 10 resolutions will help make 2018 your best year yet.
1. Update Your Online Presence
It’s important to maintain a presence on multiple platforms, including your website and social media profiles. However, it’s easy to let your information become stale, and that can actually hurt your business. Make an inventory of all the places you’re present on the web, and make sure they feature updated information as well as current images from your portfolio. Ensure that all the links between profiles, such as the Instagram link on your website, are working too. This is also a great time to review your “About” page and make your website more mobile-friendly, if you haven’t already.
2. Work Smarter, Not Harder
Time is the one thing we could all use more of, but there are so many processes that can be automated or made faster and easier with platforms like Honeybook and Matchology or tools like Zapier. They are a life-changer! For example, our users tell us that Matchology saves them 2/3 of the time compared to regular submissions methods, while still fitting easily into their existing workflow. This frees them up to concentrate on what really matters: connecting with customers.
3. Delegate
It’s easy to believe as small business owners that we need to do ALL THE THINGS ourselves, but delegation is the key to a healthy work/life balance. Is it time to grow your team? A pair of helping hands can be the difference between taking your business to the next level and burning out completely. The key is communication, training, and a little letting go.
4. Start Networking
If you’re not already networking, now is the time! Whether it’s attending your local Tuesdays Together meet-up or making the time to engage with other wedding pros in a Facebook group, networking is a great way to spark new ideas, generate business via referral and generally feel less alone as a small business owner.
5. Get Published More Often
With so much to do, submitting your work to editors can slip to the bottom of the To-Do list, but getting published puts you front and center in the minds of potential clients and is essential for both word of mouth marketing and social capital. Matchology does all the hard work for you, matching your submission to the most appropriate blogs – and our acceptance rates are soaring as a result.
6. Keep Learning
New year, new skill! Learning something new—whether it’s directly related to your business or not—will help keep your skills honed and ideas fresh. Read books and blogs, attend events and webinars, or sign up for workshops. Whatever you choose, there’s always something to be gained.
7. Charge What You’re Worth
It’s many a poor creative (literally!) who makes the mistake of undercharging and undervaluing the true value of their services. If this sounds familiar, resolve to make 2018 the year that you raise your rates with confidence. Do your research, get to know your ideal customer, and then charge a price that fairly reflects your work and time.
8. Get Focused
Even though most of us have a grand plan in our minds, it’s easy to lose sight of our goals without regular planning. Set aside time each week (or each month, at least) to take stock, set realistic goals and strategies, and get back on track when needed.
9. Get Organized
Organization takes ongoing discipline, but it has one vital result for smart business owners: great customer service. After all, you want to be the one who answers the inquiry straight away and gets the job, don’t you? Take control of that inbox, and get your customer management system in order—you’ll thank yourself later.
10. Drop What Isn’t Working
Not every idea is a great one, and even some products or systems (or business relationships) that once worked begin to flounder. If something you’re doing as part of your business isn’t bringing in the results it should be, stop using it. Move on. If not now, at the start of a brand new year, then when?
Get 2018 off to a great start with 15% off Matchology using our special Rising Tide Society code: RTS15OFF Get started here.
