5 Business Resolutions You Can Start Right Now

by Alyx Holder

While celebrating the end of 2020 and the beginning of the new year (safely and while following social distancing guidelines, we hope!) did you set a New Year’s Resolution? While last year’s challenges certainly taught us all the value of slowing down and investing in self-care, now is the time to refocus and strive toward your goals. New Year's Resolutions aren’t limited to things like dropping that extra quarantine weight or finally going back to school. For entrepreneurs and business owners around the world, this new year is about reigniting the grind and reaching greater heights.

These 5 quintessential business resolutions will help you get there.

1: Optimize Your Website

The internet is one of the most powerful marketing tools in your arsenal. The nearly limitless exposure for your business to both existing and potential clients is priceless-- and most importantly, free. While digital marketing can seem complicated and intimidating to the uninitiated, at its core the principles are simple:

• Provide a Central Hub of Information for Your Audience: your website is the online face of your business. It speaks for you in your stead to clients who have no prior experience with you or your company. Make sure it offers all the information they may need to make an educated decision about making a purchase or using your service. Answer the frequently asked questions and make sure basic contact, location, and business operation information is accurate.

• Showing Authority and Value: in a world where we can access products and services from nearly anywhere on the globe, why should your customers trust you? Building your online authority inspires confidence and establishes your place among competitors.

• Drawing in the Right Clients: traditional advertising like ads and billboards are great for general exposure, but more often than not they have a very low return on investment. Why? Because they offer little ability to target your client demographic directly. Sure, you can have local signage that advertises your business to passing cars or pedestrians, but whether they will become new customers is completely out of your control. Used properly, digital marketing uses online data to help connect your business with people looking for your specific products or services. Whether you want to target your audience based on interests like archery, anticipated needs such as with expectant mothers, or use a broader scope, the flexibility with which you can direct your online marketing efforts is a major advantage.

2: Invest in Your Team

No one person can achieve their dreams alone. It takes a team of people just as dedicated to your goals as you are to make them a reality, especially when you’re just starting out. For women of color, this is especially true;

After a challenging 2020, there are plenty of well-qualified candidates on the market looking for a new beginning with a company they can believe in. Make sure you get the right people on your team by offering a fair, competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package.

If in-house marketing isn’t feasible for you and you want to leave it to the experts, Jali Creatives is here to help! Dedicated to empowering female founders and CEOs, we can help you close the gaps in your digital marketing strategy or help you develop one from the ground up. Contact us now to see how we can help you.

3: Boost Your Social Media Presence

The value of a strong social media presence continues to rise in terms of digital marketing in 2021. The largest brands in the world invest millions of dollars each day

into keeping their social media accounts active, relevant, and trending (we see you Wendy’s). Why? Because there were 3.6 billion people actively using social media in 2020 and that number is projected to continue increasing over the next five years. That level of exposure is invaluable, which is why so many large corporations have dedicated social media teams, work with social media influencers, and partner with sites like Youtube and Facebook to get their ads in front of their desired customer base.

You don’t need to be a multi-billion dollar company in order to make that same system work for you. In fact, one well-timed paid ad on Facebook can result in a major increase in revenue and return on investment without breaking the bank.

Here’s why your 2021 business resolution should include boosting your social media presence:

• Trending topics: know exactly what your audience is talking about in real-time and use that information to your advantage

• Analytics data: Get a fuller picture of who your clients are, what they want, and how you can best fulfill their needs

• Increased visibility: YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter are social media juggernauts and feature some of the most frequently used search engines on the internet. These platforms can also boost your ranking on Google, Yahoo! and Bing

• Brand recognition: the more places your business is presented online, the more likely your customers are to remember you

• Cost-effective: Where traditional marketing means often comes with high price tags, social media marketing lets you control exactly how much money you want to invest

4: Define Your Goals and Strategize

New Year’s Resolutions are about setting specific goals and making strides toward realizing them throughout the coming year. For small business owners and entrepreneurs, business resolutions work the exact same way.

When planning your 2021 business goals, they should be:

• Specific: Setting goals that are too vague is the easiest way to fail. With too much room for interpretation, these goals don’t inspire the same level of commitment. When deciding on your business goals be as specific as possible including tangible numbers and a deadline.

• Attainable: While we all want to shoot for the top, aiming too high can be discouraging or overwhelming. Be realistic when setting your goals, but don’t be afraid to challenge yourself.

• Adaptable: 2020 certainly taught us all the value of flexibility. Life seldom goes exactly the way we plan, so being able to adjust your goals as necessary will help you remain focused throughout the year without defeat. Alternatively, if you achieve your initial goal ahead of schedule, pushing forward for even better improvement is always a great feeling.

Once you’ve chosen your overall goal for the year it’s time to strategize. Planning for each quarter in accordance with past business trends helps to keep everyone focused and aware of the end goal.

5: Network

Even in these strange, socially distant times, networking is important for any small business owner or entrepreneur. Not only does networking help you build valuable connections with others, but it's also a great way to learn from others with more experience or different perspectives. While traditional networking events are still paused for the foreseeable future, virtual mixers and meetups still offer the chance to get to know and support others on their journey to financial independence. From partnership opportunities to potential mentorship, networking events are a great way to raise brand awareness and gain insight on market trends, competitors, and advice for best practices.

No matter where you are on your business ownership journey, Jali Creatives is here to support you in your digital marketing needs. Our team of experienced digital marketing professionals can help you identify your strengths and opportunities for growth to help your business reach new heights. We specialized in marketing for small businesses and love to help women in business fulfill their full potential.

Let’s talk about how we call help you! Call or email us today!