By Makeva Jenkins
Before you enter the New Year, there are 4 important key items you should do to ensure the growth and success of your business.
1. Make A Plan
Make sure you have read, reviewed and updated your business plan. Did you know that 19% of business owners have a business plan? Furthermore, 19% of business owners succeed. This is no coincidence. Those who have a plan are usually more successful than those who don’t. If you don’t have a business plan, I highly recommend you write one or have on written on your behalf. Use it to operate your business and measure your results, both good and bad.
2. Goal Setting With Your Team
You should be planning your goals. Your employees should know what the expectations will be for the New Year. You can set goals for each department of your company or set goals as a whole. In my opinion, you should set department goals so everyone has something different that their working on that leads to the same outcome, the success of your business. If the business is successful, you as the owner are successful, as well as your staff. Tell them if they should expect to see new faces as you look to hire more people like an Interim Marketing Director to help grow the business and reach your targets.
3. Reward Your Employees
Ensure that employee rewards have been outlined so that the morale will remain at a high level in your workplace. You never want to be that company whose staff complains about employee recognitions, rewards, pay raises, etc. Build a positive relationship with your staff in the beginning phase of the hiring process and make sure they understand that what they put in as employees is what they get out.
Make them feel valued and important, knowing that they make a difference daily when they’re doing their job. There was a great topic on Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership Podcast about Building a Workplace People Love. The podcast was explaining why people are and aren’t happy at work. Most important reason why people are happy is that they serve a purpose and are being recognized for it. You want to be that type of employer.
4. Accountability Partners & Mentors
As a business owner, it is imperative for you to secure an accountability partner and a mentor. An accountability partner can help you stay on task with the business goals you’re trying to achieve, while a mentor acts as a role model, shares helpful tips with you about business and will conduct a review of your business. When you’re the boss, it’s easy to go off course because you don’t have anyone to answer to but yourself. An accountability partner will help ensure your success. Your mentor will also will be a “go-to” answer guide for all your questions.
As the owner of a growing business, I put all these things in place for 2014 and I have watched my business grow. Prior to 2014, I failed horribly. I always put off writing my own business plan to write plans for my clients. I would watch their businesses flourish, while I was still working from home and barely making ends meet. The popular quote, “when you’re tired of being tired, you will make a change” fit me so well in 2013.
I vowed to not go into 2014 making the same mistakes that I was telling my clients not to make. 2014 was a good year for me, as well as my business. I am passionate about helping others and it has shown all throughout the year. These are very important steps to take to help ensure your success. Follow them and you won’t look back. I want to hear your success stories so be sure to connect with me below and share your journey.
Makeva Jenkins is the Owner and Operator of The Prime Enterprise Group. Through a few failed businesses Makeva very quickly learned what works, what to do and what not to do in business. Her ultimate goal is to inspire others to be their best self, personally and professionally. She strongly believes in entrepreneurship and always says, “If the opportunity doesn’t present itself to you, you should create your own opportunity.” Having worked for several large and small business firms, she decided to start her own firm, one that would be passionate and dedicated to helping others in a variety of aspects.
Website: www.PrimeEnterpriseGroup.com
Instagram: @MakevaJ
Twitter: @BizConnoisseur
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/PrimeEnterpriseGroup
