New Year, New Plan, New Future

The start of a New Year and fresh financial quarter is one that typically gifts us with a blank slate. It gives  you the ability to start afresh, make new memories, learn from new mistakes and plan all over again - it’s all part of the business process.

So, here are some of our suggestions to get you looking towards to a brand new future for your business: 

Re-examine your current/previous processes
In formulating and mapping out a new and effective plan, hindsight should be your chief ally. You need to be your toughest critic by rigourously reviewing the procedures that are currently in place within your organisation.

While this investigation leads you to better understand your company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats – it also enables you to review inefficiencies within your current structure. As you are well aware, “fat” of any kind inhibits the agility of your company.

The ultimate goal here is to continuously tweak and fine-tune your procedures to the point where it is superbly systemised – that way, you can further improve your overall productivity.

1. Set Granular and SMART objectives
   Putting together tactical goals is another vital step to ensuring your business is ripe for successful. In putting together these objectives, it is worth considering that they must be Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. I’m sure you’ve come across this acronym ever so frequently, but honestly, it’s worth repeating.
   
   The primary focus here is on being extremely detailed with the new company objectives; this should also extend right down to the assigned tasks of your workers and describing what success looks like.
   
   The benefit of such specificity is that your employees not only understand these procedures/objectives/tasks from a fine level, it also dissuades them from procrastinating: they are then able to make the right decisions without delay.
   
   Remember, clarity brings both comprehension and a sense of urgency.
   
   
2. Galvanize external support
   It isn’t unusual that company leaders sometimes forget to include their external clients as part of their ambitions for the New Year – their focus is typically focused internally.
   
   Ensuring that your external clients (suppliers for instance) are on board and support the new vision helps with ensuring a seamless adoption of the said vision. It also makes them feel like esteemed and important members of your business – which in a sense is good for business.
   
   
3. Further digitalization efforts
   At this point in the game, there’s no denying of the rudimental and transformative impact digitization has on any business. It would be fundamentally careless not to take a keen interest in such matters as a way of developing and defining overall growth strategies for your organisation.
   
   What you should be doing here is further sharpening your digital tools, so they become better value-adding channels, assist you in better understanding your consumers, and ultimately, reinforces positive brand association.
   
   
4. Be bold and take more risks!
   Apathy is one of the biggest obstacles that most businesses have to overcome. Business-as-usual should have no place in your new plan and general mode of operating this year.
   
   Be open to unconventional thinking and radical methods.
   
   Don’t be comfortable with the confines of “best practices”.
   
   Don’t allow your business to strangle in the noose of sameness!
   
   The past year has been a testament to the fact that disruptive ideas lead to an incredibly lucrative business.

We hope that this piece has been a great motivator as you rev things up in the New Year.

Above all, it is our wish that these pointers incite you towards a bigger, better and brighter year.

Wishing you so much luck in 2016!