Some people will tell you that New Year’s resolutions never work, but you won’t hear it here: First, because you don’t need that kind of negativity in your life or in your business! Second, it’s not fair – sure, you probably won’t exercise every weekday and you’re definitely not going to avoid sugar for the rest of your life, but when you commit to making positive changes and being successful (even some of the time), that makes the next change easier. makes Both at home and in the office!
Just remember: keep it real. Keep going. And apply New Year’s resolutions to your small business, too. January is a time for fresh starts, working on new strategies to improve how our businesses operate or increase our earnings. Read on for 8 resolutions that can help take your work-from-home business to the next level in 2018.
Assignment and automatic learning
As your business grows, it’s important to realize when to delegate. There will come a point where you just can’t do everything by yourself, and where trying can actively harm your health (just say no to stress!) and your business – whether it’s blogging or offering master classes in marketing. Find ways to change that and outsource tasks you don’t have to do yourself: If you’re writing a blog, do you really need to find an accompanying image, turn it into a pin, or even research the blog yourself? No! You can outsource these types of tasks with Fiverr, Upwork, and more – for more examples, read my blog post on Mastering Outsourcing.
You should also consider automation while you’re at it. For example, take some social media work off your plate by using services like Buffer or plugins like Tweetily to queue and recycle content from your blog for your social media streams.
Be social with your business
As a home-based business, you’re missing out on foot traffic. (Family members visiting your office on the way to the fridge don’t count!) Social media is one way you can be more visible, accessible and connected to your future customers. If it’s not already a significant part of your business, make 2018 the year you add it on a social level in an intentional way.
It’s not enough to sign up for every social media service out there and just post links to your website content – most people won’t find it interesting or memorable. You need to learn which social media service works best for your industry – for recipe or craft bloggers, it’s probably Pinterest. For photographers or musicians, Instagram. For entertainment writers, Twitter. Then make sure you learn how to use each service most productively and develop your social media strategy – don’t let your business’s social media time-suck!
Get yourself a mailing list
You have a mailing list, right? And do an opt-in on your website to turn visitors into customers? If not, creating a mailing list should be at the very top of your 2018 resolution list! Mailing lists are one of the best ways to convert a stranger from a one-time visitor to someone who returns regularly or even clicks on your affiliate links or buys something from you. Even in the face of social media, traditional mailing lists are still the best way to reach your audience and grow your business’s bottom line.
Not sure what to do with it? You can do a weekly newsletter with a short personal note, new content you’ve added to your blog, a product offer, or an interesting link you think might appeal to your audience. The possibilities are endless! Now, say it with me: set up a mailing list yesterday!
Be a good you to yourself
It sounds like something you’d want to listen to in your yoga session, but it absolutely has business applications too! To keep our home-based businesses thriving, we must always be learning. Make sure the skills relevant to your job are always kept up to date, whether that means learning new social media apps, or updating MLA style, or the most useful web-coding languages (HTML, CSS). You can increase the value of your service by learning new skills and expanding your offerings – for example you can take any number of courses on Udemy. Maintaining your skill level will keep you sharp and build your productivity for a successful 2018!
Don’t neglect your work-life balance
This can be incredibly difficult for those of us who work from home – there isn’t the clear separation between business hours and home time that exists when you commute to the office. At least we save money on gas, but we also think about answering every business call or email that comes in during our downtime. This is something we must be careful about, both for our health and the health of our business. Burnout is a serious problem, and it’s easy to burn out if you let your work bleed into other aspects of your home life. Set a solid schedule and stick to it in 2018 – enjoy your downtime! It rejuvenates you so you can bring your best to your business.
Don’t fake it
Do yourself a favor and don’t pursue something in business that you’re not passionate about. I’m not saying you shouldn’t do social media marketing if you don’t care about it or that you shouldn’t regularly improve your website to increase its usability and appeal – even if you don’t enjoy these things, they’re just part of building a business. But your art, stuff your blog or service related to – That’s what you should be passionate about! Create a health food and fitness blog because you love to stay fit and enjoy fresh food, because you are being authentic, you don’t think it’s a profitable thing. Your passion for a subject that will interest you and build your business in the midst of boring things And, also, your audience will know that you are not interested, while your passion can infect their passion as well. Don’t Fake It 2018: Go to work for what you believe in.
Dropkick the sunk cost fallacy
This should apply to every part of your life, not just your business: don’t throw good money (or time) after bad. No matter how long you spend designing a new product or marketing campaign, if it doesn’t work for your business, you should throw it away without a moment’s hesitation. I know it feels bad to work hard for something and it doesn’t work out, but you’re not doing yourself or your business any favors by being stubborn. By letting go and moving on, you can learn from what didn’t work and move on to something that will – making 2018 your most productive and successful year yet!
Don’t sell yourself short
Decency is a virtue, but it has nothing to do with putting a price on the services you and your business offer. I know you can break out into a cold sweat thinking about raising your rates (even to bring them in line with other professionals of your skill level) or putting a three-figure (or higher!) price tag on a project or course. But keep your fear and modesty out of this decision, take an objective look at what you’re bringing to the table, and charge accordingly. Give yourself what you value! This is 2018 you deserved The best.
When it comes to resolutions, don’t blow yourself out by trying to do too much at once. Pick a few goals and pursue them, then move on to others as you go along. Every day is a new beginning when you can leave behind what isn’t working and find a new path forward. Remember, that! Now, what resolutions are you making for your business in 2018?
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