Most entrepreneurs grow weary at this time of the year at the thought of the holidays coming while still needing to hit key targets so they can finish the current year strong. While I agree that this time of the year is the time when most become distracted, it is also the perfect time to plan for the coming year. To make your planning process simple, I recommend that you highlight 3 major initiatives for the New Year. What are the three objectives, if completed that would grow your business by attracting more clients so you can make more money?
Write them down now.
Congratulations, you’ve just set your three big initiatives for the New Year.
As the year draws to a close, let’s prepare for the coming year by taking a look back over your results, growth and income through an intensive self-assessment. Especially now that you know exactly what you’d like to accomplish in the coming year, you can review what you’ve experienced with a true desire to increase your success. Use this time to review what has worked well, as well as what hasn’t as a mechanism to make key shifts to refocus areas of your business as you consider your business growth strategies for the New Year. Start by asking yourself a few questions:
1. What was your big breakthrough this year?
2. Where were you lacking the knowledge and accountability to grow an area of your business?
3. What did you not consider when you set up your plan at the beginning of the year?
4. What would you do differently in the New Year based on these observations?
Successful entrepreneurs set aside time in the early fourth quarter of each year to solidify their goals for the New Year so they can enjoy the holiday without the stress or pressure of wondering what they will do to keep their businesses running in the New Year. My recommendation is that you plan now – before the turkey is stuffed and the tree is trimmed.
After you’ve evaluated your current year and made a detailed assessment of the good, bad and the ugly, it is time to think about how you can use your marketing to create new opportunities for business, based on your top three initiatives for the coming year. Most solo-preneurs are lacking in this area, because they think that marketing once a month is sufficient. It is my personal opinion that you should look to market at least 2 hours each day – at a minimum if you want to keep a steady flow of ideal prospects learning about your products and services. When you think about your marketing, consider the following questions:
1. What worked well this year that led to new strategic relationships or clients?
2. What activities did you complete consistently and how did they grow your business?
3. What results did you achieve when you launched a new product or service?
4. Do you feel that your marketing language is authentic and compelling? Why or Why not?
5. What systems would be useful to the way you market so you could create more consistency in your daily operations?
As you can see, marketing truly is the oxygen of your business and by asking yourself the right questions NOW, you can set your new year up for great success – when you focus on what you need to achieve a new level of success, it begins to show up for you in the form of opportunities.
Lastly, my recommendation is that you start with mapping out in great detail, your first quarter initiatives, getting crystal clear about what you will do consistently to increase your results in the areas you’ve identified.
If you start by doing this now, you’ll be ready to relax with your family and enjoy all that the holiday has to offer all the while knowing that you’re setting yourself up for Incredible Success in the year to come.
©2011 by Darnyelle A. Jervey. All Rights Reserved. Darnyelle A. Jervey, The Incredible Factor Business Mentor and Coach, is the founder of Incredible One Enterprises.com and the Leverage Your Incredible Factor System® a proven step by step program for turning your passion into profit. For more information and a FREE audio download “How to Use Your Incredible Factor to Attract MORE Ideal Clients” visit https://www.incredibleoneenterprises.com
