Planning for success in 2019

With the holiday season upon us and the new year just around the corner, it is normally around this time of the year that many businesses start to think about goals for the year to come.  Are you considering expanding your products and services, or even hiring on some new people to help get your services and products out into the world?

During this time of the year, offices usually quieten down which gives you just enough breathing space you need to plan for the year ahead.  When planning for the next year – here is a list of things we at The OCI Group think you should start with to get the ball rolling:

Business Plan Update

As you already know, any successful business model has a business plan.

Not the kind that you keep stored in the back of your mind, but a physical one that is written down on a piece of paper and been made official.  If you do not have a business plan, now is the perfect time to get one set up.  Once you have a plan set in motion, review it and make all the adjustments needed.  By doing this, you will be able to stay focused on key activities that need to be undertaken to bring you success.

Here are some questions to help you get started

• Financially – where is your business?
• What do your current and anticipated business expenses look like?
• How did you perform on last year’s goals?
• What successes from this year can you build on for next year?

What are your competitors doing?

Once you have your business plan for the next year all set up and reviewed, you need to start looking outside of your company.  What outside factors will have an impact on your business going into the new year.  Remember to factor in Economic, political and competitive factors – these can all have a positive or negative effect on you and your business reaching your business goals.

By keeping up-to-date with local and international news, you will be able to determine the demand for the product/service you provide, and whether you will need to make provisions or improvements.

Revamp your online presence

Websites are becoming the most important aspect of any business.  Most websites are built when the business is started, and often fall by the wayside and are not maintained properly.  This could be a great source of potential leads and information for your company.  By using tools such as Google Analytics, it will answer questions like:

• Where are your customers coming from?
• What are they looking at?
• What is the conversion level for visitors?

The holiday season is the perfect opportunity for you to take the time and step back from your hectic work schedule.  Take this time to assess, adjust and implement new procedures that will help you with your day-to-day management of your business.

How are you getting ready for the new year?