When the new year rolls around, we often lay out resolutions to guide us through the coming months. We commit to healthy changes, financial improvements and relationship goals. But what about your small business? No matter how well it’s running, it can likely be improved somewhere. So why not create a few resolutions to make it the best it can be? When you’re ready, we’ve got some small business tips that’ll help you reach your new year’s small business goals.
Be dynamic. Don’t shy away from new ways of doing things.
Marketing, social media and technologies are changing all the time. By keeping your mind and your options open, you’ll likely come across something that lets you create new products, find new avenues of business, or even reduce costs. Constantly learning is never a waste of time and effort.
Build the right team. Find the skills, personalities and dedication your business deserves.
Every business has its own personality, and every workplace has its own feel. You’ve got to seek out the people who fit between those two goalposts (and trust us, there are lots of people like that out there). When they’re excited and passionate, with lots of energy and their own small business tips and ideas to contribute, you’ll find your business soaring to better and better heights. Those people are out there. Find them.
Trust in your team. Delegate roles and responsibilities.
Though you certainly need to guide your employees, constantly being over their shoulders leads to resentment. You hired these people for their energy, skillsets and know-how, and you’ve got to trust in that. Make it clear what you expect from them, provide guidance when needed, and let them work towards those expectations. Your confidence in them will spark their confidence in you.
Invest in your team. Educate them, promote them, bond with them.
If your employees don’t love your business, you customers won’t either. Help your employees grow their skillsets and their confidence levels, both through challenging projects and educational opportunities. Recognize creative thinking and exceptional work and give them more responsibility when it’s clear they’re eager for it. And don’t forget to see them as humans.
Automate your processes. Simplify your efforts as much as you can.
Time really is money. And you can gain more of both when you invest in automation. Email marketing is a great way to pull in customers, but you’ve got to find ways to keep them engaged. Adding automation to your email strategy can remind customers of carts they’ve left behind or products they’ve never considered trying—and an engaged customer remains a paying one.
And when your customer orders spike, packing times can soar. Entry level automation can restore your time frames to normal by turning repetitive actions over to gadgets and machinery. Tape dispensers prep measured lengths of tape for sealing boxes, bag inflators prep food bags for edible goods, bubble on demand speeds up the use of void fill, and label dispensers make branding a breeze.
Make room for downtime. And make sure you enjoy it.
Remember, you and your team need time to relax and recover from the stressful times. Offer proper vacation and personal time and encourage your people to take it. Remember that life is meant to be lived, experiences are king, and rest isn’t laziness. Losing sight of those things will weaken the workplace and damage its productivity. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
Celebrate all your wins and successes. No matter how small.
Just like you and your team need downtime, you need to celebrate the good times, too. Whether it’s a new sales goal, a new client, or a new product, it’s all valid and worthy of joy. Pot lucks, group dinners, axe throwing—it’s all a sign of success and appreciation.
We say you should go dancing. Seriously.
Don’t neglect your packaging supplies.
It’s not the most glamorous part of your business, but it’s one of the most important. Even if your marketing is in a smart and successful place, and the customer orders are rolling in—a lack of packaging will grind everything to a halt. Build your packaging strategy, order your packaging supplies, and maintain levels that’ll keep you from scrambling for help.
With these small business tips, we’re sure your small business is going to have a stellar year. Investment in yourself, your employees and your business itself is always a great idea. Happy new year to you, your family and all your projects, from your e-commerce partner, The Packaging Company.
