The festive season is no longer escapable. Even Scrooges like me are forced to accept the fact that Christmas is just days away :-). Even a quiet social calendar is full at this time of year with Christmas parties and end-of-year-functions… all with a familiar theme – it’s the end of another year. 2010 has been an interesting year for business. The year started with renewed optimism about the economic outlook, however many sectors have found this year tough. We don’t know what 2011 will hold but we do know that resilience is required, again, to continue to survive (and ultimately thrive) as small business owners. I often find this time of year can be quite unproductive in the small business sector, as many people move into a ‘holding pattern’, waiting until the start of the New Year to consider important foundational questions like strategies or themes for the year ahead. Yes, it’s a busy time of year with many additional distractions, but it is also a great time to determine the focus, or the themes, for your business for the year ahead. So ask yourself some simple questions …
- What worked for you this year?
- What do we want to do more of in the new year?
- What didn’t work so well? What would we like to do less of?
- What results would we like to produce in 2011?
- What do we want the theme or focus of our business to be in 2011?
These questions don’t require complicated answers, or time-consuming ‘strategising’. They just require some conscious thought as you wind up for another year AND to proactively set the tone for the next. Merry Christmas to you and your family and enjoy the break … :-)
