Business New Years' Resolutions

Business like life works in cycles doesn't it? As we work through each year, our business lives cycle through a host of events and emotions. We have good days, good weeks and good months ... as well as bad ones.

Nonetheless, entrepreneurs know that in order to be successful, they must shoulder the load, and keep turning the wheel. I like to say that it's not what happens that counts, but how you react to what happens that counts.

So, as we all begin a new year, it's important to look back, to learn from our experiences, while also looking forward to the opportunities that the new year brings. What follows, in no particular order, are some thoughts and resolutions you may want to consider as you move into the new year of 2010.

Join a new business organization or networking group

By far the most valuable thing I've ever treated myself to as a business owner is to be part of a CEO networking group. My group uses its time together to discuss life's personal and business challenges in a supportive, confidential environment.

Other groups focus on sparking new ideas, refining old ones, and making contacts. Whether it's a group specifically designed for networking or an organization dedicated to a particular type of business, in person or over the 'Net, making the effort to be a part of a group will revitalize you and your business.

Make business planning a weekly event

Business planning is vital if you want a healthy, growing business. Business planning lets you take stock of what worked and what didn't work, and helps you set new directions or adjust old goals. My recommendation for this new year is to not limit your business planning to a once-a-year activity. Step it up to a weekly activity and be sure to tie in milestones, deliverables and the people responsible for executing the plan.

Delegation

As a small or early-stage business owner, there are so many things to do that it is impossible to do them all yourself. As Michael Gerber says, you need to learn to work on your business, not in your business. It's important that you, as the owner, are working on those things that bring the highest value to your organization.

If you can decide what those things are, you then can and should delegate all the other tasks to other employees in your organzation. When you do this, you'll feel an immediate freedom and will become reenergized about your business ... just don't forget to really empower those people to whom you've given responsibility to really get the job done, realizing that they will probably do the taks differently (maybe better) than you.

Promote your business regularly and consistently

Don't get fooled into thinking that promoting your business is a task that can get pushed to the bottom of the list. There are a number of simple activities you can pursue that can be very effective whether that's beginning to leverage social media environments like LinkedIn, FaceBook or Twitter. These are low-cost venues but still have the potential for major reach. Maybe start a Blog so that you can position yourself as an expert in your industry segment. If you're reading this Blog post, you can see that I write consistently about technology and leadership issues because I focus on these areas.

Learn something new

I became a Black-Belt in Taekwondo at age 46, so I can tell you that it's never too late to learn something new. What you decide to pursue may or may not be business related. Regardless, learning something new can only help you as a person and as a business owner. Learning something new will add to your skills and add a new dimension of interest to your life. Meeting new and interesting people may lead to new business contacts, partnership or friends.

Give something back to your community

Do you ever get the urge to be really, really selfish? I do, and I get my fill of selfishness by giving back to my communuity. Many people shy away from giving (money and/or time) until they realize that it's a very selfish activity. The amount of feel-good you get is directly related to the amount you put into your "giving" activities. A good friend of mine just launched an organization called Be of Service, helping others to realize just this.

Put time for you on your calendar

Since I'm writing about being selfish, I would be remiss to not make the point that it's absolutely critical to build some "Me Time" into your busy entrepreneurial schedule. It's important to take the time to recharge and refresh yourself; a healthy work-life balance demands time out.

Try to get yourself into a workout habit. I started getting up a little earlier in the morning and hitting the gym for an hour before my day begins. It's worked wonders and makes me feel like I've accomplished something for myself before I even get to the office in the morning.

In addition, pre-plan some time in your calendar (block the days out right now), to take a couple of days off here and there. If you're working on your business instead of in your business (see Delegation section), your staff may not even miss you!

Replace the old with the new

If there is a piece of equipment in your office that's interfering with your success, get rid of it. Whether it's an old fax machine that's a pain to use, or the need for a new employee to lighten your work load, make a New Year's resolution to stop putting off getting what you need. The irritation of making do just isn't worth it. 

If it's not working, move on

All your company's offerings aren't going to be great. All sales methods aren't going to work for everyone, and all suppliers or contractors aren't going to be ideally suited to your business. If something isn't working for you, stop using it. Don't throw good money after bad. Don't make excuses that enable the situation to linger on. Don't invest a lot of energy into trying to make the unworkable workable. Move on. Something better will turn up.

Happy New Year everyone. Here's to all great success!

Let me know what you think of my list by commenting below.