How To Transition to 2019 Like A Boss: Part Two (Preparation)

 

Between family, friends, and food, the holidays are a mess.

 

We get it. And we’re here to help!

 

This week’s blog is all about how you can prepare your business for the big transition to 2019. From finances to reflection, to goals and routines, we guarantee you are going to leave here feeling just a little bit better about the new year.

 

 

Step 1: Ponder With Your People

They say reflection is the first step to success.

 

Well, we do anyway.

Reflection allows you to familiarize yourself with the year to determine–

  1. What worked
  2. The Lessons You Learned (your mistakes, and what didn’t work)
  3. What needs to be changed

 

We could preach all day about good business practices and what we think works best, but the truth is, it varies from business to business. You know your business best and we believe you will be able to make the best decisions regarding it.

 

That being said, you should try to reflect on all aspects of your business– sales, profit, popular campaigns or products, and yes, even your employees.

After all, they are the people that keep your business running. Seriously, without your employees, it would be very difficult for you to open the store in the mornings. So treat them right.

Employee UX is a thing, y’all.

 

For more on this, check out our other blog post on building a successful team.

 

Here are a few reflection questions you should ask yourself when preparing for 2019:

  1. What goals did we succeed in reaching this year?
  2. What goals did we not achieve? Why? Can we fix this or was it out of our hands?
  3. What did we learn this year? (Good or bad)
  4. As a business owner, was I aware of my employee’s frustrations and struggles this year? Did I actively try to solve them? If not, how can I make sure I am there to help my employees when it comes to creating quality work?
  5. Did I provide my team with enough opportunity for growth?
  6. Ask your team members what ideas, comments, or concerns they have.

 

 

Step 2: Figure Out Those Finances

Yeah, this is a big one!

 

  • Your first task here is to put together a detailed report on your finances from 2018.
  • Set a couple of days aside for you and your team to comb through and mark any good or bad financial events this year.
  • Figure out why things went wrong and create a plan for how you will hand that mishap in the future or how you can prevent it from happening again.
    • This rule goes for just about any aspect of your business– social media, marketing, copywriting, finances, etc. 
  • Identify what you excelled in and capitalize on that for the coming year!
    • Again, apply this rule wherever you see fit.

 

Once you have a pretty solid idea of 2018, it’s time to transition to 2019!

Take all of the things you learned in your 2018 report and apply them to your brand new 2019 finance plan. The more detail and planning you put into this, the closer it will be to your actual future finances.

 

Oh yeah… DON’T FORGET TO PAY YOUR TAXES!!!

We know this can be a little stressful, so take advantage of all the online tools that are available to help you straighten out your finances.

 

For starters, here is a basic tax prep checklist from H&R Block.

 

 

Step 3: Groom Your Goals

Whew, okay, you can exhale again.

 

Your third task is to create a marketing plan for 2019.

  • Just like your financial plan, the more detail, the better.
  • Outline what you want to occur, what you don’t want to occur, and include how your people can prevent said bad things from happening again.
  • Go week-by-week and establish goals for each of your departments to reach.
  • Set a loose plan of all your events (holidays, company events, campaigns, etc.) so that your employees can plan accordingly or start preparing content.
  • This may even be a good time to reevaluate your 5-year plan and tweak it a bit.

 

Perhaps you’re just not happy with where your company is at. In that case, it may be time to rebrand!

Before you freak out, check out our other post on evaluating your current branding. If you still don’t feel like your brand is doing you justice, you can reach out to us for help!

 

 

Step 4: Enhance Your Everyday Routines

Once you know your overall standing, this part should be easy.

The purpose of this step is to help your company (and your employees) work much more efficiently. This could mean upgrading your tech, your day-to-day procedures, or even your customer’s experience.

 

Just take note of what is slowing you down, what isn’t working well, and what your customers are frustrated with and try to fix those problems.

 

We highly recommend this step for anyone looking to truly grow their company in 2019. (Business Rule of Thumb: You have to make changes to see changes.)

 

 

Step 5: Sit Back and Soak in that Success

Alright, it’s not that easy…

 

But now that you have a better idea of what you need to get done to successfully transition to 2019, it should be much easier!

 

It’s just up to you to push through and prosper!

Good luck!

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