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Hey, It’s January…

HelloJanuary

Ahh, the first month of the new year! January is kind of like the silence after a really crazy storm. We’re not used to it being so quiet, no matter how many times we deal with it. As a small business owner, there are a few things you can be doing, in this notoriously slow month, to prepare for the rest of the year. January is a time to reflect, reassess and recuperate. Here’s how:

Analyze last years ups and downs

Let’s start with reflection. Here’s hoping last year was an extraordinary success for you and your business. If so, analyze why you did well. What caused this surge in your business, how can you repeat this and maybe even increase it one way or another? If you felt you could have done better than last year, what changes are you willing to make to get there. Did you take too many risks? Try dialing it back a little, or flip that if last year was rather conservative for you.

Imagine you are playing a game of tennis. You either win the game or lose (I consider tying to be losing FYI). If you won the game, that’s great. Figure out ways to keep winning more. If you lost, then the only thing to do is to figure out what you did wrong and fix it for next time.

Take a deep breath

It’s time to reassess your business and your plans for the future. Just because you had a successful year prior doesn’t mean you should just rinse and repeat. This is the perfect time to grow! Plan a new ad campaign, work on a new product, work on gaining more impressive clients. This is the time to figure it all out. You’ll be too busy later on in the year to think about this stuff. Take this slow month to figure out ways to make this year better than the last. I mean, look what Uber is doing!

Relax

All work and no play…

Want to know what the best thing for your brain is after working its butt off? Rest. January is a great time to take a well deserved break. Whether it’s just a day or a couple of weeks, give your self time away from the office to just do nothing but relax. Sit by a pool, go on a cruise, spend time with your family. When you get back to work you will feel so refreshed and ready to take on the world! Time to recuperate.

That’s it, so simple, right? No, of course not. If running a business were simple, we would all be doing it! These are just some helpful tips to keep you moving forward. Here’s to another year filled with good fortune and success!


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