Set Your Business Resolutions for 2016

New Year inevitably means looking ahead to the next twelve months and thinking about what you want to achieve. As Horsham is a treasure-trove of small to medium sized independent businesses, we thought it would be worthwhile to put together some top objectives for 2016.

Whether you’re looking to start or progress a brand, it’s always good to have a plan:

Think strategically

Take a look at how you’ve run things over the last year and create a list of how you can maximise your time. This may involve taking a step back and figuring out where your key skills lie and delegating other tasks to different members in your team. To a degree, this can involve letting go of some control and trusting that your staff share your aims. If you’re unsure, hone down your key objectives into a top five and share with everyone so you’re all on the same page.

Review how you promote

With a new year looming and being early on in the financial year, now is the best time to take stock of your brand and work to make improvements. A huge part of promoting your business is your brand image – your logo and where it is applied. If you feel your logo is out of date, get back to the drawing board and see if you can better illustrate your core message.

Whether you create a new logo, or decide to just refresh your signs, banners or vehicle graphics for a fresher, more professional feel, contact local company SL2 signs for guidance. It can be a difficult process, as it’s both creative and technical, so don’t hesitate to look at existing competitors and their brand promotion for inspiration.

Try something new

Be brave and aim to do something different in the first half on the new year. What haven’t you tried? Could you get more involved in the local community? Look for charity events, local markets and business meetings that you can attend or take part in, always keeping your business cards near. In Horsham, there are regularly run self-employed coffee mornings, where local businesses such as Carmella open up their doors as a workspace. This is a clever way to connect and you might just find a new business partner, or even find new works as people learn more about your skills.

Reach out to your audience

You may well have a loyal consumer base, so keep them interested with a personal touch, and gain new customers with incentives. In Sussex, we’re proud of local businesses and want to support them, so it’s always beneficial to put yourself out there. If you have a business in the town centre, try putting posters in the windows for any offers you’re running or for new product promotion. No matter where you’re based, always put it online where the most people can access it.

So, don’t just think about eating less chocolate this year; concentrate on taking your business to the next level, and in Horsham, you’ll always have the support you need.