The period after Christmas (Twixmas) is often a quiet week, and so as business owners, it offers the perfect opportunity to get things organised and planned for the new year – just a few hours and you will be on the right path for the year ahead. As a Virtual Assistant, I often help people to organise themselves for the New Year, so here are some ideas I often recommend…
Step 1 – Look at the last year, what worked and what didn’t?
The first step is to look back on the previous year and identify any challenges or opportunities that may have arisen during that time. When reflecting on these experiences, there are some key things we need to take note of:
- What did you do that was successful?
- If you did not achieve what you set out to do, why not?
- What lessons were learned through these experiences?
Step 2 – Organise your cashflow.
The third step is to organise your cashflow. Knowing what’s going on at all times is an essential part of running a business and being able to plan ahead.
Check the balance of your business bank account regularly, so you can see what’s going in and out of it, and make sure that you have enough money to cover your expenses. You should also look at where you spend the most money – do any areas need prioritising?
Look at your bank statements to see where savings can be made, or if there are certain costs that could be reduced. If you find that you have an unexpected gap between income and expenditure, how much time does this leave for other aspects of running your business?
Step 3 – Review your business plan and set your SMART goals
SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. They focus on the end result rather than just the process. Using this method will help you to be more organised and productive in achieving your goals, as well as helping you to achieve more in less time.
To use SMART effectively:
- Set one main goal at a time; it’s often best not to try multiple big projects at once
- Make sure all of your goals have clear outcomes that can be measured against each other (e.g., “I want more customers by June 2020.”)
- Plot your timeline for achieving these goals on a Gantt chart or in a diary and pop it on the wall by your desk, so it motivates you to keep striving for those goals.
Step 4 – Organise time in your diary to look at pricing and where appropriate contract renewals.
Check your contracts, are they all up to date e.g. with current legislation changes, pricing and other important areas?
This is a perfect opportunity to review your pricing strategy. Have your customer requirements changed? If so, their contract may need updating.
Step 5 – Look at what systems and processes you can put in place to save time, add efficiency and give your customers a user-friendly experience.
Whether you own a small business or a large corporation, it’s easy to become bogged down with admin and lose sight of the bigger picture.
This year, take some time out to look at what systems and processes you can put in place to save time, add efficiency and give your customers a user-friendly experience.
Could you benefit from outsourcing certain tasks, employing staff or implementing digital tools to save you time and money?
Map out your processes to see where you can use your time more effectively. Get advice – if you aren’t sure where to refine your processes or systems and if you want more information, have a chat with an expert (HR specialist, virtual assistant, etc).
Step 6 – Add a data cleansing session into your diary
Data protection legislation and GDPR specify that you should not store unnecessary personal data, so you need to ensure that any data you have in your systems is absolutely necessary and that it is as accurate as possible (CRM Systems make this job much easier).
It’s a good idea to do this regularly, so it doesn’t become a big job; plan time for this in your diary at regular intervals.
So, get that morning’s planning set aside to do this, it should only take a few hours, and it could make all the difference to your business in the new year.
Do get in touch if you would like any support with your organisation or planning.
Happy planning!