As we get closer to the end of the year, now is a great time for businesses to wrap up projects and take a bit of time to reflect on their business practices from last year and their goals going into the next. Let’s take a look at the five things you can do to amp up your workflow next year.

1. ASK!

Send out a survey or schedule quick meetups with your clients and employees to get their opinions about what was good and not-so-good about working with/for your business. If you receive their feedback with an open-mind and willingness to make changes, your employees will appreciate that you took time to ask. This may also open your eyes to issues you did not see before or that may not have impacted you in your position. By getting to know what your employees need to be happy and successful, you will have a better idea of the areas in which you may be lacking.

2. SET GOALS

One of the fun parts about being a business owner is that you are steering the ship. You get to set your eyes on the horizon and make the turns that will take you where you want to go. And it is important to look ahead. With the flurry of business that comes in during the fall, you may have found yourself looking only one or two steps ahead of you; just to keep your head above water. As things slow down at the end of the year, take some time to look forward again. Make sure your ship is still sailing where you want it to go, and if not, figure out what pivots need to be made to get back on track. The best way to do this, is by setting attainable and trackable goals for you and your employees. Set goals for every month at a minimum, and make sure you keep track of them!

3. GIVE THANKS

Another practice that gets swept on the wayside when you get busy, is maintaining relationships. BOTH with clients and employees! To keep people coming back, they need to know they are valued. What better time of year to remind everyone you appreciate them than Christmas? Give ’em a pony! … Well no. But do send cards with a personalized message or hold an end of the year party to give your thanks to everyone that has helped your business stay afloat another year.

4. LOOK OUTSIDE

Have you been staying on top of industry trends and what your competition is doing? When you were a start-up this was necessary knowledge to have when you pitched to investors. Now that business has picked up, has that gone out the window? Not to worry, just hop on the internet and take a day or two to check back in to what other companies have been up to. Maybe there are trends you missed while you were keeping up with demand. Or perhaps there is a change you’ve wanted to make to stay with the times that you just haven’t had the time for.

5. RE-ORGANIZE

Now that you have compiled all of this new information, feedback, and research, get it organized. Whatever works for you— lists, phone reminders, or sticky notes, just make sure that you have a way to be reminded of the things you have learned while you had the time to focus on growth. Tie up all loose ends and start putting what you have learned to action. Make sure to take time to not only organize your thoughts, but get the office in tip-top shape as well! When you come back after a nice break, you want to start on a clean slate that is all ready for some major business success— happy employees, an organized office, and a clear direction are going to make you excited to return to work after some much-needed rest.

BONUS: If one of your goals is to amp up your marketing, get in touch with us! We would love to help you check off a few boxes on your goal sheet right off the bat by making you some awesome marketing videos. Making progress on your goals just got that much easier.