Top Tips for 2015 from Business Leaders

This is the perfect time of year to begin to shape your business exactly how you want it. Set goals, take some tips on board and learn what the best in business are saying. We’ve rounded up top tips to get your business in shape for 2015, inspired by business leaders.

Be charitable

Did you know that customers are likely to buy a product that benefits a great cause. Aside from the obvious fact that being involved with a charity does something good, it can also establish positive attention for your organisation. It need not be something large scale. If you are a micro business, why not choose a local charity to team up with? Run an event, get your staff involved. Increasing awareness and sales is a win-win situation.

Thought inspired by Dan McCabe, Director of SixDegrees.org

Slow down and reassess

Running a business can be hectic. With seemingly hundreds of tasks, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Make use of time-tracking software such as Toggl to check if you’re spending a reasonable time on particular tasks. Emails, for example, can be a massive time-suck. Are there things that you could outsource, or put to the bottom of your list?

Use ‘S.T.O.P’ to help you to reassess and get things back in order.

S – ‘slow down’

T – take deep breaths

O – observe your tasks

P – proceed

Thought and ‘S.T.O.P’ inspired by Scott Eblin, author of Overworked and Overwhelmed

Keep an eye on industry trends

Who are the leaders in your industry? Follow them on social media. Set some time aside to catch up on what they’re saying. Are there any key dates that you should observe, or industry events that you could attend. Keep an ear to the ground for conversations that may shake up the way you offer your service and sell your product. Deloitte, Accenture and others offer insightful industry reports for varying sectors.

Get a mentor

It can be difficult to navigate the world of business but there’s never an excuse to be alone in it all. The internet has a wealth of resources out there but there is nothing like one-to-one coaching. This is where a mentor can come in. They offer tailored advice and guidance. Look for a mentor who is seasoned and successful in business, who is willing to spend time helping you and your business to develop. (If you need a business mentor in Hertfordshire you know who you can talk to!)

Embrace cloud technology

The digital age has done businesses major favours. There is nothing like a face-to-face meeting but cloud software is making it easier than ever to add a whole new dynamic to the way your company works. Having all of your documents and correspondence on one handy system makes remote working easier than ever. Your location will no longer be a hinderance, as long as you have a wifi connection.

Business moves fast. Your diary can be synced with that of your clients and colleagues. That doc that needs to be updated? Do it on the move. Cloud technology is here to stay. If you haven’t embraced it already, now is the time.

Thought inspired by Jason Richelson, founder and CEO of ShopKeep POS

Invest in yourself

That conference you want to go to? Those books that you haven’t got round to reading? Create the budget and the time for them. Is there a course or qualification that would help you to excel and become more of an expert in your field? Make 2015 the year that you accomplish those goals and set yourself the targets. Maybe it will cost you along the way but the biggest success stories have had to invest in themselves along the way.

It may be as simple as reading a book every month but no harm can come from spending the time to learn from people who are ahead of you.

Remember your purpose

Stopping to refocus every so often and look at the reason you started out on your business journey is a fantastic way to keep you on track. If what you are doing does not match up with your objectives, look at tweaking your strategy and doing things differently. That way, when it gets tough, you can remind yourself of your ‘why’. Every great company has a ‘why’. Write down your mission statement and put it somewhere visible. It will give you and your team something to work towards. Do you have a team? Make sure that they are working towards the same thing as you. Set the culture of your business and make sure it’s enforced, every time someone new comes along. Communicating it internally means that your customers and clients will quickly grasp it too.

If you would like to discuss your goals for 2015, feel free to speak with a business advisor in Hertfordshire.