WHAT THE SMALL BUSINESS OWNER NEEDS TO KNOW IN 2023
Here’s what ChatGPT has to say:
As a small business owner, staying current on the latest trends and best practices is important. In 2023, some of the key things to focus on include developing an online presence, creating an effective digital marketing strategy, investing in automation and analytics to optimize operations, and leveraging emerging technologies to provide customers with an exceptional experience. Additionally, small business owners should pay close attention to customer feedback and reviews to ensure they deliver the best products and services. Staying ahead of the competition means regularly researching and analyzing industry trends to help you remain competitive in the coming years.
Running a business takes work, and if you let it, all of your time. By following the five (5) strategies below, you’ll be able to take charge of your quarter and manage your days and your mind. Here is what the small business owner needs to know in 2023.
The top 5 things to do for a successful first quarter:
1. Pull out the business plan:
Remember when it was all a dream, and you envisioned serving, producing, making, creating, sharing, teaching – solving your client’s problem? Revisit your plan for who you’re serving, how you’re serving them, and why you’re serving them. If you’ve read Think and Grow Rich, you know this is something you might read twice daily. Create your year’s short, mid, and long-term business goals from your plan. While you’re there, think about your customer journey and how they see you. What does it look like? Feel like?
2. Track Your Time:
You need to track your time to determine how you use it. For at least a week (or two), whether you’re using pen and paper or viewing your calendar, decide where you’re spending the most time and if it is most effective for you. After two weeks of tracking, decide if how you’re using your time is in alignment with this year’s goals. What needs to change? What stays the same?
3. Get organized:
Setting up a system to keep track of your finances, paperwork, and other business-related tasks will go a long way in helping you stay organized and on top of what you need to do. When you’re ready to hire, it also serves as a baseline for handing those tasks off to your CFO, Executive Assistant, and other team members. Tools such as Asana, Trello, and Monday.com are user-friendly, but a spreadsheet with a task, date, and person assigned works just fine if that’s too much tech for you.
4. Dust off your SOPs:
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) are the blueprint for your team to have the best experience in their role. SOPs are instructions that document how to perform a task. Not only do they help improve productivity, but they also serve. Some SOPs are unique to your business, but there are tons of resources at your fingertips with a quick Google search for tasks unique to your industry.
5. Create automation:
Automation helps you save time, helps your team do their job more efficiently and effectively, and helps your clients have a better experience with you. Like ChatGPT, Canva’s Magic Write is an Ai writing assistant for written content.
Back to Basics
It’s your vision, purpose, and vision, but you don’t have to go at it alone. Grow North with a team of strategists at Felicia Ford & Co. committed to supporting you and your small business.
1. Evaluate your brand.
Consider the places your client frequents – is your brand showing up there? Social media is free, has the potential to reach many, and can be great if that’s where your clients are also. Consider how your client sees and uses your website and how they engage with your social media, emails, or other forms of communication. What’s working for you?
2. Think “1:1,000” or one to many instead of many to one.
This is the concept of creating a course, a digital product, or a recorded presentation delivering it once, but sharing it with multiple clients repeatedly.
3. Create.
Connect with a strategist at Felicia Ford & Co. to help you brainstorm, be a sounding board, and give actionable insights on simple things you can do to help manage your time and mind for a better 2023.
What tips do you recommend? What works for you? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to like and share.
A big business starts small. – Richard Branson
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