Now that we’re officially past the holidays and the new year’s resolution hoopla, I wanted to share five easy steps that you can do this month to set your business up for success in 2019. Let’s jump right in!
Make a Plan
Make a plan. A weekly plan, a monthly plan, and a plan for the year. Having a weekly plan for your business and your day-to-day is key to working your way to achieving your goals for the new year. I designate each day of the week for certain tasks. For example, I work on client projects on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays. I try to only schedule calls on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. And I leave Friday open as an admin day where I update my income and expense tracking sheets, follow up on any emails, and organize everything from the week before and prep for the week ahead.
In addition to a weekly plan, I have a monthly calendar where I keep big tasks written down that I need to accomplish during the month, whether that be client projects, blog posts, tax filings etc.
Along with weekly and monthly plans, I like to keep a running tab of my goals for the year in the back of my planner. If you do better with electronic calendars try keeping a running list in Evernote on your phone or in Google Docs. Make a note in your calendar to reference this list at the end of every month to make sure your weekly and monthly plans are keeping you on track to achieve your goals for the year.
Identify Your Biggest Business Struggle from 2018 and Address It
What was your biggest struggle in 2018? Were you constantly feeling like your client information was all over the place? Were you having a hard time keeping track of the status of client projects? Identifying your biggest problem from the previous year and tackling it at the beginning of the new year is a great way to set yourself up for success in 2019!
If you had a hard time managing client contact information, check out a CRM program like Dubsado. Or if you had trouble keeping track of client projects, check out a program like Trello. Once you identify your struggle and find a solution to remedy the struggle, stick to it! Know that there will be a learning curve, but it will be worth it in the long run.
Open a Business Bank Account and Apply for a Business Credit Card
It’s imperative that you separate your personal finances from your business finances. The easiest way to do this is to open a separate bank account for your business and apply for a small business credit card. I wrote an entire post on the best small business credit cards! Getting your business finances in order is key to setting yourself up for success throughout the year.
Track Your Income and Expenses from the Beginning
Along with separating out your personal finances from your business finances, it’s important to track your income and expenses from the beginning of the year. This makes tax time SO much easier! And makes it easier to track how your business is doing throughout the year!
If you’re looking for a cost effective way to track your income and expenses, setting up a simple Google Excel Sheet is an easy and free way to track your finances. If you have enough bandwidth to invest a bit of money, I recommend QuickBooks.
Cut Out Unnecessary Expenses
The beginning of a new year is a great time to examine your expenses from the previous year. What apps, programs, and services are you paying for in relation to your business? Are those apps, programs, and services worth the investment? If not, ditch them. A monthly fee of $12 may not see like much, but by axing a few of those unnecessary subscriptions or services, you’ll likely save yourself and your business a few hundred dollars a year.
I hope these tips are helpful in setting yourself and your business up for success in 2019! Cheers to a wonderful new year!
