Your Business Resolutions for 2011
Discussion
Each year I find myself, along with most others, setting yearly resolutions that often get neglected within the first month!
How many of you small business owners though actually set yourself non-monetary targets for your business, in effect creating a small list of business resolutions that you can keep to hand and try to attain throughout the year?
I use a simple list manager in my iGoogle which is my homepage, meaning every time I start a new browser session, I see my little todo list and 2011 resolution list sitting there staring at me!!!
So far on my resolutions list are...
Did you blog/twitter today?
It's a simple one, but I think an important one for some businesses! Like the personal resolutions of going to the gym 3 times a week, writing a blog and twittering is often started with a full helping of enthusiasm and gusto, but it soon falls by the wayside! My #1 is to ensure that I keep on top of these marketing activities.
Network more online with small businesses
There are lots of opportunity for one to help others here and on some of the UK business oriented forums, sometimes I'm too easily persuaded to just read the forums and not contribute, but it's important for me to help out where I can, and I think doing so will mutually benefit Paper Free Billing in the long run.
Learn more about SEO
Kind of an ongoing one, I've read all about it on various fora (forums?) and am not slowly reading through the Art of SEO (and even blogged about it...). Any learning is beneficial and it's important to understand what people are talking about, even if I choose not to do the SEO myself, its going to be a worthwhile effort spent learning about it.
What would your list be? Post a reply below - I think it would be a nice to come up with a list of the top 10 idea's to jumpstart your business in '11!
Cheers all and here's to a prosperous 2011 :-) - Steve
How many of you small business owners though actually set yourself non-monetary targets for your business, in effect creating a small list of business resolutions that you can keep to hand and try to attain throughout the year?
I use a simple list manager in my iGoogle which is my homepage, meaning every time I start a new browser session, I see my little todo list and 2011 resolution list sitting there staring at me!!!
So far on my resolutions list are...
Did you blog/twitter today?
It's a simple one, but I think an important one for some businesses! Like the personal resolutions of going to the gym 3 times a week, writing a blog and twittering is often started with a full helping of enthusiasm and gusto, but it soon falls by the wayside! My #1 is to ensure that I keep on top of these marketing activities.
Network more online with small businesses
There are lots of opportunity for one to help others here and on some of the UK business oriented forums, sometimes I'm too easily persuaded to just read the forums and not contribute, but it's important for me to help out where I can, and I think doing so will mutually benefit Paper Free Billing in the long run.
Learn more about SEO
Kind of an ongoing one, I've read all about it on various fora (forums?) and am not slowly reading through the Art of SEO (and even blogged about it...). Any learning is beneficial and it's important to understand what people are talking about, even if I choose not to do the SEO myself, its going to be a worthwhile effort spent learning about it.
What would your list be? Post a reply below - I think it would be a nice to come up with a list of the top 10 idea's to jumpstart your business in '11!
Cheers all and here's to a prosperous 2011 :-) - Steve
Just finished our plan for 2011, and a list of tasks, but the general message throughout is "work smarter".
After a year of going paperless, and getting rid of toxic clients, we are now in a position to storm forward in 2011 (fingers crossed).
after all that though i'm nicking your "blog/twitter" rule;)
After a year of going paperless, and getting rid of toxic clients, we are now in a position to storm forward in 2011 (fingers crossed).
after all that though i'm nicking your "blog/twitter" rule;)
Yes, the learning about SEO is certainly something I need to put on my list - My site gets hits through Google only by searching for us by name or by one of the events we've been affiliated with.
Having said that I have done very well through Social Networking, twitter in particular is well worth harnessing - no good for hard selling but definitely for the softly softly approach.
I also need to focus on being better with paperwork...
Having said that I have done very well through Social Networking, twitter in particular is well worth harnessing - no good for hard selling but definitely for the softly softly approach.
I also need to focus on being better with paperwork...
haha i like the spend less time on PH... although thats never gonna happen 
I wrote up another 7 in a blog post http://www.paperfreeinvoice.com/top-10-2011-new-ye... should interest a few of you!
I wrote up another 7 in a blog post http://www.paperfreeinvoice.com/top-10-2011-new-ye... should interest a few of you!
Blogging is something I really want to get into this year and have been thinking about for a while.
Who do you get to read through the posts before you hit send? I've got a few ideas of what I want to use it for (a bit more than blah blah our products etc)and just thinking through them.
Just sometimes, I wish I worked for someone else as I'd be told what to do and not have to make all the decisions!
Who do you get to read through the posts before you hit send? I've got a few ideas of what I want to use it for (a bit more than blah blah our products etc)and just thinking through them.
Just sometimes, I wish I worked for someone else as I'd be told what to do and not have to make all the decisions!
littlegreenfairy said:
Just sometimes, I wish I worked for someone else as I'd be told what to do and not have to make all the decisions!
Now that I do identify with! Just once in a while it would be nice to say "not my problem, I only work here" However, .. I have instigated my iGoogle home page and ticked 13 out of 14 items off my 'To Do' list. Highly recemmended for a New Year 'Solution
H6CJF said:
littlegreenfairy said:
Just sometimes, I wish I worked for someone else as I'd be told what to do and not have to make all the decisions!
Now that I do identify with! Just once in a while it would be nice to say "not my problem, I only work here" However, .. I have instigated my iGoogle home page and ticked 13 out of 14 items off my 'To Do' list. Highly recemmended for a New Year 'Solution
Congrats on the good progress, is number 14 a big task and why you've not finished it? :P
littlegreenfairy said:
iGoogle here I come. Sigh. This to do list is getting longer and longer.
Congrats on the good progress, is number 14 a big task and why you've not finished it? :P
Its more a 'work in progress' as it is about getting quotes for something. As it is I've had quotes from 3 out of the 4 possible suppliers and the other should get back to me tomorrow. I suppoe I could tick it off as done but that would feel like cheating. Instead it will head up tomorrow's list... oh joy!Congrats on the good progress, is number 14 a big task and why you've not finished it? :P
Anyway, I look forward to welcoming you to the new found network of saddo's with an igoogle to do list
condor said:
Having just learnt that SEO means Search Engine Optimisation - I will endeavour not to assume people understand 3 letter acronyms 
I plan to advertise more.
Same here I have some serious niche skills and know who my customers could be but don't know the names to contact them, also for some reason I am sitting back waiting for things to happen which they aren't because no one knows I am out there.I plan to advertise more.
Engineer1 said:
condor said:
Having just learnt that SEO means Search Engine Optimisation - I will endeavour not to assume people understand 3 letter acronyms
I plan to advertise more.
Same here I have some serious niche skills and know who my customers could be but don't know the names to contact them, also for some reason I am sitting back waiting for things to happen which they aren't because no one knows I am out there.I plan to advertise more.
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