It's that time of year.
Business owners around the country are trying to end the year strong and tie up loose ends in order to start 2017 off with a bang.
You may be asking yourself, what should I focus on this last month? Not only that, you have to consider that this last month is going to be a mix of Christmas excitement, time off (doctor, dentist, shopping) and the obvious early end to the month.
Well, if you're a small business owner, here are some suggestions.
1. Clean Up
You want to come back to a clean workspace, office, whatever you have. The less clutter you have to start 2017, the less of an excuse it can be to get off to a slow start.
2. Balance Budgets
See where you ended up this year and get an idea of what you need to dive into in January. If you have some money left over this year, it's not a bad idea to lock in some advertising or get some new equipment before the end of the year. You know, tax purposes. You can also brainstorm what to spend some of your budget on in January as far as advertising or expanding your business.
3. Embrace Your Target
If you are business-to-business, you know that a lot of budgets will get a fresh coat of paint in January. This is good for you, sell right out of the gate. If you sell to consumers, take advantage of that Christmas money that so many people received by offering some belated Christmas/New Years deals.
4. Update Your Equipment & Software
We touched on this earlier but if there is equipment that clearly needs replaced, do it in December. This goes for software too. If there are projects you've been putting off because you don't have the correct software or projects that have ended up too difficult and eaten up too much of your time because of a lack of software, now is the time to pony up. Think of it as an early Christmas present to yourself.
5. Enjoy The Time Off
Time off should be just that, time off. Unplug, don't worry about work. When you get back at it in January, you'll wish you had that time back. Enjoy your family, travel if you'd like and cherish the time you have away from work. You'll be back at it before you know it. Personally, I'll be shutting down on the 23rd and won't be back grinding until the 2nd of January.
If you would like to schedule a free consultation to go over your advertising goals for the end of 2016 or the start of 2017, contact us here. Happy Thanksgiving!