8 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Small Business

There are some things we know we personally have no control over – who gets elected president for one, or, say, the rise and fall of Pokémon Go for another. But the good news is that there are some things that we do in fact have control over, like our businesses. Here then are eight things you can do to make 2017 a better year for your business:

1. Revamp your website: If your website still says “© 2014” at the bottom, maybe it’s time for an update. Sure, it will cost you a some time and energy and perhaps even some money, but that is the price of living in the digital age. You need to make sure that your website is fluid, attractive, modern, easy to navigate, well-written, and mobile compatible. According to a study in 2015, 57% of users will click away from a website if it doesn’t load in under three seconds, so make sure your website is a priority this coming year.

2. Improve your social media presence: On a similar note, you cannot neglect your social mediapresence. There are over a billion active users on Facebook and several million on both Twitter and LinkedIn, which means that social media users are a huge demographic you can tap into. Make sure your pages look as good as your website, post quality content regularly, engage with your followers, and take the liberty to get creative. This is by far one of the most important things you can do to ensure your own small business success.

3. Spruce up the office: This is one is simple but important. Physical space affects mental space, and customer perceptions to boot, so make the necessary changes to ensure that you are doing your work in a healthy, positive physical environment. A little “spring” cleaning never hurt.

4. Go green: There is a lot you can do to make your business a little greener, even in small ways – things like reducing paper use, prioritizing recycling and waste reduction, and buying energy-efficient products. This resolution may be a little easier to neglect, as you won’t see any immediate results, but this is the resolution that everyone appreciates and can benefit from.

5. Be more charitable: Small businesses can do well by doing good and paying it forward. Find a favorite charity or cause and give back. Involve your staff. You can even get your customers involved too.Bonus: Millennials love shopping at businesses that do the right thing. As we all know, what goes around comes around.

6. Get to know your customers better: It’s never too late to get to know that woman who comes into your store every Wednesday, or that dude who always shows up at your sales. Sure, you have already established solid relationships with a large swath of your regulars, but every business inevitably has a segment of customers who get overlooked. Spend your time on them; make sure they know how much you appreciate them. It will pay off.

7. Recognize and fix company shortcomings: Take stock, talk to your staff, speak with customers, analyze your situation, and make a list of a few things you all can do better as a business. Make some adjustments. There’s always room for improvement.

8. Make those hard decisions: Whatever you’ve been avoiding: Stop. Go do it. Now.

And have a great new year!