2013 is the year of the entrepreneur. If you have an idea to start a business or have been in business for a while, there are now more resources, marketing outlets and technology to help you run your business than ever before. After Thanksgiving, most people start winding down and taking time off. But as small business owners, many of us do not have that luxury, especially if you are a retailer. This holiday season, I wanted to inspire you to renew your business in every way. I have assembled an all-star lineup of small business experts to bring you critical information and advice on management, finance, marketing, technology, and social media to hit the ground running in the new year. We’re calling it 31 Ways to Boost Your Small Business in 2013, and we’ll be sharing the content using the hashtag #Boost2013 across social media. Please help us share this valuable content to grow small business everywhere.
Now for the first post in the series I give you 10 Things to Do Before 2013.
It’s time to get your business organized for the New Year. As small business owners, we do 10 jobs at one time and the administrative details are often what get pushed aside. Do not start the year with a messy desk, things to file, resume to review, or without taking stock of your accomplishments this year. Set yourself up for success, by taking time to mange your annual tasks.
To get the New Year started off right, here are a few tasks that you’ll be glad you did at the start of January. Here are 10 Things To Do Before 2013:
1. Update Your Bio and Resume. Take the time to review your accomplishments before you forget them. Have you achieved any milestones, joined any boards, or won any awards? Got some media coverage? Landed any marquee clients this year? All of these accomplishments should be reflected in your complete bio, resume and your social media profiles, especially on LinkedIn. Be sure to develop a short 100 word bio, too.
2. Create 2013 Folders. Create new files in your cloud computer storage for all of the key folders that you use on a regular basis i.e.: contracts 2013, team folder 2013, client projects 2013, artwork 2013, blog content 2013, etc. If you do not already do so, start using dropbox.com to back up all of the files and manage version control with your team.
3. Update Your Keywords. You need to know the top 5 keywords or word combinations people use to search for your product or service online. Use your keywords throughout the static web pages and in all blog content on your website. Keywords can change over time. My favorite keyword research tools are wordtrakker.com, keyworddiscovery.com, or the google adwords keyword tool.
4. Update Your Website. Give your website or blog a facelift for the New Year. Changes mean growth. Even adding a new header graphic can make a significant difference. It might be time to update your theme on your Wordpress blog. Create new content such as an ebook, audio download, or product sample to engage your website visitors. Make sure that you have at least 3 ways to get your visitors’ contact information to build your email marketing list.
5. Backup Your Contact Lists and Mobile Devices. Your contact lists are the most valuable asset in your small business. Make sure your contacts are backed-up. Export your contacts from your email such as gmail into a spreadsheet. Be sure to export your LinkedIn, Facebook contacts into your CRM system. Don’t forget about your smartphone, too. If you are an android user download free app called Titanium Backup. It saves all of your apps, settings and data, contacts, bookmarks, games and most system settings to the phone’s SD memory card, so all you have to do move it to the new phone. For iPhone users, iCloud and iTunes can back up most data on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices.
6. Clean Out Your Inbox. File it or delete it. If you haven’t read the emails by now, they are just not that important. And if you subscribed to anything you do not read, it’s time to unsubscribe. Start 2013 with no old emails.
7. Invest in a New Headshot. If your professional headshot is more than two years old, it’s time to get a new one. If you have changed your appearance in anyway, you need a new headshot. Hire a professional; please do not take the photo yourself from your cellphone. Be sure to smile and look friendly. Ladies, hire a professional makeup artist too, to make sure you look your best.
8. Update Your IRS Forms. Make sure you get up-to-date W-9 forms and/or W-4 on all freelance and full-time employees. The IRS requires that W-2 and 1099 forms be mailed by Jan 31, 2013 to all workers paid over $600 this calendar year.
9. Develop a 2013 Target Customer List. You should have a target list of clients you plan to prospect for the New Year. Challenge yourself by putting some big fish on the list. It’s a great way to keep your sales activities focused on specific targets. You will also be able to network more effectively with this list.
10. Develop More Content. If you are using social media to build your brand in 2013, you need to spend time to develop great content. People learn from reading, watching and listening to helpful information. If you’ve been blogging the last two years, start a podcast or video series in the New Year. If you have been posting content twice a week, take it up to three times a week. Consider starting a group on LinkedIn or conducting live interviews on Google+ Hangouts. Developing signature content is the best way to firmly establish yourself as a key influencer in your industry.
Do you have any more tips for tasks before 2013 for small business owners?
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Melinda – Great tips for business owners as always. I would also add that you should look back at the year 2012 and write down what worked, what did not and why. Plan to do more of what worked and decide what you will do differently for those things that did not work well.
Melinda, I’d also add reviewing your business and marketing plan and creating your 2013 marketing calendar. I agree with Harry’s addition as well.
I looked forward to this post and will definitely share!
Be Incredible,
Darnyelle
Use backupify ( https://www.backupify.com/ ) for point 5. Configure once and never look back.
Gads you are organized! I love it! If anyone needs a site updated, let me know, a few tweaks can breath a whole lotta life into your digital look!
These are excellent tips, as are the additional tips in the comments! I’m definitely sharing these with my team.
Melinda, these tips and the awesome comments by Darnyelle and others are definitely of value to our #GGeneSIS community. Here is my contribution:
UPDATE AUTOMATED EMAIL MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
–Remember to update any auto-responder campaigns that you’re sending out … and it may be best to remove dates and wording that points to specific seasons, to help your automated campaigns become evergreen so that you don’t have to update them at the end of every year.
–Also double check the back-links and downloads in those campaigns to make sure they’re still working correctly and that the dates or seasonal information in them is also up to date
Passing this thread on. Thank you to everyone!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
~Donna Marie Johnson
CEO at GGene S.I.S., LLC
Already doing some of these things and can stand to do a few more.
Melinda this post was right on target. Wonderful reminders for entrepreneurs. I love the idea of writing the targeted client down and keeping a file for it.
Great tips and I am implementing right now!!
Thanks again for great suggestions.
Peace and Joy,
Melisa
Take advantage of the holiday down time and get some business education. Any areas of business that you may need to learn about or brush up on, do it now so that you can start the new year off right feeling confident about your ability to run your business properly and provide your clients with the best information, products and/or services.
Great list, Melinda.
If your business relies on social profiles — Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn in particular — I would recommend backing up those profiles as well. I do this every quarter for my accounts. It’s relatively simple and avoids headaches if one of your profiles gets hacked or otherwise deleted. Here’s a post I wrote in January with instructions on how to back up one’s profiles. I hope this helps. http://www.v3im.com/2012/01/sopa-blackout-how-to-back-up-your-social-media-account-data/#axzz1jytblYZx
This is a great very well rounded list Melinda! I would like to add to keep a list going of things that you wish you weren’t doing in 2013. Those things in ’12 that weren’t the best use of your time ie: personal errands, filing, book keeping 🙂
This list is fantastic and right on point. Love the one about organization, a key element when running your own business. Another organzational tip is to write down ALL bills that need to be paid on a monthly calendar and CHECK it daily. Have done this for the last 20 years and I never miss paying my suppliers/distributors on time.
Great tips and definitely ones I will put to good use this year.
Thanks for the great tips, Melinda!
May I also add Setting Goals?
~ Decide three to five goals you’d like to achieve for your business by the end of this year.
~ Determine the steps needed to reach each goal.
~ Designate your timeline.
~ DO IT! A ‘plan of action’ without the ‘action’ is just another piece of paper cluttering our desks.
Best successes in 2013! ~APT