December already! It’s a time to think of slowing down and taking stock. Whether or not your small business has a December 31 year-end, these 7 ways to wind down your year are useful for every entrepreneur.
Ways to wind down your year as an entrepreneur
- Review your 2023 business goals. What worked well and what didn’t? In 2024, do more of what worked in 2023, and evaluate the things that didn’t.
- Develop a strategic plan. A roadmap for getting from point A to point B can help your business immensely. If you don’t have a strategic plan, we’ve got a free one-page business plan template you can download at our website.
- Review your marketing, human resources management, financing and operations. Is there anything you could do better? Get working on some ideas to become more effective.
- Discover new ways to reach your audience. Social media and marketing are always evolving, so it’s a good idea to make sure what you’re doing still works for you and your business. As a starting point, check out our tips for generating brand awareness on a small budget!
- Clean up your contact information. Remove old contacts and duplicate records, and update current contacts in your professional networks.
- Update your productivity and technology tools. Download updates and templates and make sure your current apps are still benefiting your business.
- Tidy up your data. Delete old files. Get rid of spam emails. Back up your business records or hire a company to do it for you on a regular basis. Set up a good online file folder system so you don’t have to scroll through three months of emails to find something your accountant wants.
This time of the year can be a weird mix of relaxing and busy, but these seven things are worth doing. It’s valuable to take time to look back at your year in small business, and get yourself prepared to hit the ground running next year.
