There is an incredible opportunity that comes with the dawn of a new year. It marks a great time for change, which may be something your small business needs.
Do It Now
Have you been considering making significant changes to your business? You may be thinking about raising your prices, dropping a product line, expanding your business, changing employee guidelines or refreshing your branding. Now is the time to move forward with those changes. Customers, potential customers and employees will be less surprised by changes that come as a new year begins than those that happen mid-year.
Give Them Time To Get Used To It
Many business changes take time to get used to. In fact, many companies experience growing pains, and even a slump in sales, when they introduce major changes. Introducing them now gives your customer base time to adapt before the high season. It also ensures that your staff is ready for the new and improved way you do business before things get busy.
Do It Right
Embracing the timing of the New Year to launch changes does not mean you should move forward hastily. Take the time to ensure you do it right.
Communicate your intentions. Tell staff, customers and your audience that change is on the horizon. Even if you haven’t solidified all the details, share that change is coming and will be rolled out in stages. Decide carefully whether your changes should come with excitement and fanfare or should be quietly communicated with those who need to know.
Plan for success. Using solid data and careful research, put a short-term and long-term plan in place for the changes you want to make in your business. Be sure to work with a trusted advisor or team when making such plans.
Capitalize On Timing
Even if you haven’t been planning a big change, the New Year is a great time to announce an increased emphasis on what matters most to your clients. If you have no new major changes on the horizon, you can still announce that 2015 is the year you will focus on improving your already impressive customer service. A constant goal of every business should be to always seek out new and improved ways to deliver the very best in customer service. However, this is often neglected. An announcement of your renewed effort in this area will impress both customers and potential customers.
Seize the perfect timing that is upon us right now to set your business off on a renewed and refreshed path for the New Year – one that is bound to bring success.
To read more about change and your small business, consider these articles: