If you are wondering how you can make 2016 your best year yet in business, then this two-part article will give you some handy suggestions that will help you have a stellar year!
These suggestions really work. How do I know this? Well, they have helped my business grow from zero to six figures in less than a year. Follow them and they will help you enjoy the same success.
Here are my first three suggestions:
- Review Your Performance in 2015
It might seem odd that my first suggestion is to look back at the year that has just ended, yet I can assure you that you’ll find nuggets of gold by doing this.
To complete your 2015 review, take some time to consider the following:
- Did you achieve your income targets? If yes, how? If no, why not?
- What were your best months for sales? What happened in those months that generated your results?
- How can you learn from your best months in 2015 to consistently create these sales and income in 2016?
- Which of your products and services generated the most revenue for your company?
- Which of your products and services generated the least revenue for your company?
- Based on your results in d) and e), what changes would you like to make to the products and services you offer in 2016 to maximise your revenue?
- What leaky holes showed up in your business in 2015? A leaky hole could be where you spent money on something that turned out not to perform as well as you hoped. This could be spending on staff, consultants, trainings, technology or anything else.
- What leaky holes are you going to plug so they do not continue in 2016? How are you going to do this?
- What business accomplishments are you most proud of this year?
- What aspects of your business are you most grateful for this year?
- What was your biggest learning in business in 2015? How would you like to use this learning to support your success in 2016?
Read also: The number 1 mistake small business owners make when creating their services
- Make Time to Plan
As the saying goes, “Failure to plan is planning to fail!”
This is so true – without a plan you are like a car without a steering wheel. Your plan can give you direction and is a document you can refer to to make sure you are on track.
What do I recommend you plan?
Well, first begin by deciding what income you want to generate this year, then split this down into monthly income goals. Then work out what services, programmes and products you need to offer to achieve your monthly income goals.
You will want to create an excel spreadsheet for your Marketing Plan for 2016, which indicates when you are offering your products/ services and programmes.
Write onto your Marketing Plan details of all the marketing activities that you need to complete each week in order to attract the number of clients you need to achieve your income goals.
By planning this process out you can see firstly exactly what you need to do so you don’t get that blank Monday morning feeling of what should I be doing now!
Secondly it helps you to assess if you are being realistic with your goals, and thirdly decide what refinements and adjustments you might need to make.
Finally, use your Marketing Plan as a live document that you refer to regularly to ensure you stay on track with your marketing and ultimately achieve your income and client goals.
- Create A Sales Forecast
There is nothing that gives more of a boost to your motivation to achieve your business goals than seeing your yearly sales forecast with a lovely healthy operating profit!
A sales forecast is a document that you can create to chart your expected sales in each month of the year based on the products and services you are offering.
Of course this is an estimate of sales you will make, as we never know exactly how many sales we will make. However, by reviewing your performance in 2015 and making assumptions based on what you do know about your business’s current market share and opportunities for increasing sales, you can create your sales forecast for 2016.
Creating your sales forecast will help you to gain clarity around which products and services you need to focus on to achieve the income goals you desire to make.
Keep your eye out for part 2 of Make 2016 Your Best Year In Business, as I’ll reveal how to budget for expenses, track your money and much more…
Read the second part of this article: Make 2016 your best year in business – part 2
