3 things to do for your business fitness in 2023
Today is January 2nd of the year 2023. I am sure all business owners, even if they’re taking today off, are thinking about the decisions they made or are about to make for 2023. Some are thinking about their prospects and clients. Others are thinking about their employee needs and retaining what’s currently working in all aspects of their business. But if you’re like us, you might have had a great 2022 and want to do it again in 2023 maybe more efficiently or even in a way that is more enjoyable. To help with that we’ve come up with 3 things to do for your business fitness in 2023. I think the list could be much bigger but I think these 3 we can speak confident about in a short blog post.
ONE: Take the weight off
One of the most liberating moves a business owner can make for their business is to move away from clients, vendors, employees or even service providers that bring emotional weight to the business. We could probably write a book on this one. But, take some time to meditate on your day to day business. Who is bringing you stress, is it all the employees or one in particular? How about clients, who makes you question your ability to have happy clients, is it all clients or one or two in particular? Vendors and Service providers, which seem to be late or maybe treat you like a number or just don’t deliver every time?
I’ve lost enough sleep over every single one of those. Many times allowing these characters to exist in your business only bring you stress, negative thoughts and eventually can rob you of your joy and drive to build a successful business. Do not allow it. By the end of the year we decided at least two clients were no longer going to be a good fit for us. In one case we did not reach out our hand and take a substantial deposit for services. We simply declined to keep working together and helped make a list of the items they will need to accomplish moving away from us. In a second case we gave them an alternative to work with a competitor. We will facilitate what they need, but they were no longer a good fit for us.
Who is no longer a good fit for you? Maybe is time to move on!
TWO: Build your system for strength
I recently visited my doctor, due to severe pain in my leg and lower back. The problems are many such as my weight, poor posture and poor nutrition. What was her solution? She created a system I can follow that is allowing me to recognize my physical and health weaknesses. Through physical assessments, blood work and a few questions, that system she created has helped me identify the weaknesses I was allowing myself to live with.
My doctor, then formed a team, that created the system or process, which I am currently following, to strengthen my body, my nutrition, my ability to be disciplined and therefore reach my goals. For strength, I am in physical therapy 2-3 times a week, for nutrition I am seeing a nutritionist who has helped me get into an 1,800 calorie diet and finally for discipline, medication to suppress my apetite. So far is going great.
What about your business? What are the weaknesses? You may or may not need a professional to help you identify them and then create a system to address them. I am a firm believer that most business owners, if they take the time, can identify a few weaknesses and create a system for addressing them. A good example of a business weakness we have is communicating with all the clients on a regular basis. I mean all the clients, not just the top clients that keep us busy. How are we going to address it? A monthly newsletter. A monthly mailer and for those clients we feel we can help the most, a monthly phone call. I once heard that you’re 25 times more likely to sell to a current client than to a new client. Yes, new blood is the lifeblood of most businesses, but you have to keep the current clients happy, serviced and if you’re helping them grow their business, who deserves it more than those that have already placed their trust in you?
THREE: Create a routine for toning your business
When it comes to the human body, establishing a cardiovascular exercise routine will be critical to toning your body. Increase repetition of good exercise routines will accomplish that goal every time. What about your business? Let’s take marketing for example. What worked in the past? What is working now? What have you not tried yet that should work, maybe something your most successful competitor is doing?
If something worked in the past and you stopped doing it, why? Did it stop working or did you feel it was costing too much, yet it actually was giving you a return on investment? What about the basics of your brand for marketing. How is your logo? Should you rebrand with a new one? Do you have business cards, brochures, a website and signage that all match in color, brand message?
These questions should be considered by every single business owner. When we evaluate a business to help them grow in marketing we ask these same questions. But the most important question is what is working? You see if something is working, we can do more of it, like adding repetitions to a workout routine that is giving results. Lets do more of it. If you have not found the formulate yet, let’s find the solution and once found, repeat, repeat, repeat. Soon enough the business will be stronger, leaner and be better equipped for future growth.
This blog post could be much longer, but I feel it gives us all something to meditate on for the health of our business. No doubt 2023 will bring us challenges we can’t even imagine. How will we be best prepared for those challenges?. We’re convinced a lean, strong and healthy business will be by far best prepared.