2012: The Year Of The Dragon
According to the Chinese proverb, “Failing to plan is planning to
fail.” This pretty straightforward concept definitely rings true now
more than ever at the end of the year.
As a business owner, the next couple of weeks or month is the most
critical planning time for your business. It’s a time for you to review
what worked and what didn’t work in your business in 2011 so that you
can improve upon it in the coming year.
In today’s Main Essay, I share with you a five-step process you can
follow so that your business is even more successful in 2012.
In the Check It Out section, you will learn how to take action to prepare your business to become more profitable in 2012.
In the Quick Tips section, you will learn how to remain fit, how to
clarify your thoughts, and how to lift your spirits by changing one
simple thing.
We hope you enjoy this issue of the Business Thrival Newsletter.
Cheers,
Jynell Berkshire
Associate Publisher
Business Thrival, Inc.
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2012: The Year Of The Dragon
By Jynell Berkshire
According to the Chinese Zodiac, 2012 is the year of the Dragon. The
Dragon is the mightiest of all signs symbolizing dominance and ambition.
A Dragon is a powerful leader that is driven, unafraid of challenges
and willing to take risks. So much so that a Dragon’s passion and
enthusiasm can leave a Dragon feeling exhausted.
As a business owner, you too can feel exhausted, especially at the
end of another year. As you sit back and reflect on 2011, you think
about all that you accomplished and all that you didn’t accomplish. You
wonder what you should do to make your business better and more
successful in the coming year.
To help you with this, below is a list of 5 key steps you can implement to ensure that 2012 is a boom year and not a bust.
1. Review Your Goals
The first and foremost thing to do is to sit down and go over whether
you met your goals. If you have been in business for a short time, did
you grow according to what you had planned? If you have been in business
for a while, how has 2011 compared to previous years? Did you have more
revenue, more customer issues, or more operational complications in
running your business?
If you did not create a plan, then do so. You cannot arrive at a
specific destination without a plan for getting there. Do not let
another year pass you by without getting the things you want in your
business.
A great way to do this is to create a checklist setting forth each
goal that you want to achieve. Your checklist should include what you
want to improve upon, new initiatives to implement, expected outcomes,
and your budget for such checklist.
If you don’t have a defined budget, you won’t be able to accomplish
each item specified on your checklist. The best way to prepare your
budget for 2012 is to review your budget from 2011, which is the next
step.
2. Review Your Budget
Taking the time to review your budget can make or break your company
in the next year. If you found 2011 to be a difficult year, then ask
yourself what your budget aspirations and constraints were.
For example, if you are a newer business, may be you had difficulty
in growing to the level that you had anticipated. If you are an
established business, you may have had difficulty with expanding your
company, such as hiring employees, office space limitations or even new
product lines.
Whatever the case, take the time now to create a detailed budget for
2012 to serve as your roadmap. This roadmap will help you to deal with
any unexpected issues that may arise.
Once you have created your budget for the coming year, stop and look
back at what worked and did not work with your marketing efforts.
3. Review Your Marketing Efforts
Marketing is a key component for any business. We all know that you
really never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make
sure that the first one counts.
For example, did your brand meet your customer’s expectations?
Meaning, if you made a promise, did you deliver? If not, then ask
yourself what you can improve upon to make sure that you do so in 2012.
Can you automate your marketing?
With technology today, it is easier than ever before to get in front
of your customers. From collecting email addresses to sending out
discount coupons electronically, to integrating your marketing message
with mobile devices, or to using social media to network. By
incorporating technology into your marketing strategy, it will help your
business to have long-term success.
4. Review Your Social Media
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, these are the three social media
giants today. With millions and millions of users, social media
continues to grow and is not going anywhere anytime soon.
So, how much social media presence did your business have in 2011? If
the answer is not much, you need to look at how you can utilize social
media in 2012.
For example, look at how you can use social media to promote your
products or services, to post links to your newsletter, articles you
have written or industry news, and to network with others to introduce
your business. By using social media, you can quickly and effectively
increase awareness about your business, increase traffic to your web
site, and reinforce brand recognition, to name a few.
Besides social media, you should also review your web site to make sure it is up-to-date.
5. Review Your Web Site
Often times, web sites become stagnate. You get busy doing other
things that you forget to review or even update your web site with
current information.
So, take a close look at your web site and ask yourself some of these pertinent questions:
- Do all of the hyperlinks work?
- Is all the information contained on your “About” page still relevant?
- Have you optimized your web site with keywords to help Google find you?
If you answered “No” to any one of these questions, then it’s time to take action before 2012 and update your web site.
By implementing these 5 key steps in your business, 2012 will be YOUR year of the Dragon!
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If you plan to make 2012 better than 2011, then now is the time to take action!
It’s time to look at hundreds of ways to increase your sales to make your business profitable…
It’s time to advertise you business in lots of different channels…
And, it’s time to learn about 25+ free and inexpensive ways to market
your products or services where millions of people shop every day.
So, DON’T wait –
Watch this short presentation NOW!
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Look What Others Are Saying
Hope you both had a Merry Christmas and hope you have a profitable
New Year! Denise, I just read your post on the 2th and I really like to
say how sorry I am about your house fire. Hope no one was injured! My
daughter and were just discussing how horrible to lose personal items
would be especially pictures.
Very nice post on achieving goals! Hope to get some new sites up and
running and it always helps me to set a deadline date, so as to pace
myself and feel as if I am getting something accomplished. Thanks for
your thoughts!
J.B.
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Quick Tips
Body:
Are you making bold resolutions on January 1st to “eat more healthy”?
If so, then stop and think small. Trying to reach any diet goal does
not happen overnight. Create a weight loss plan and work towards your
goals every day. Before long, any excess weight will be gone.
Mind:
Creating a list to clarify your thoughts, resolve any problems or to
generate ideas is good for your mind. For example, take a blank piece of
paper and draw two columns. In the left column, write down any specific
issues or question you have. Then in the right column beside each issue
or question, write your answers. This not only helps you to become
better organized, but provides you with a checklist to hold yourself
accountable.
Spirit:
Not everyone finds the holiday season to be a joyous occasion. In
fact, the holidays can be depressing and extremely stressful. So much
so, that you may become irritable and grumpy. Don’t let this happen to
you. A quick way to improve your mood and to lift your spirits is to
surround yourself with people who have a positive attitude.
Hair News Network
