Small business owners' New Year's resolutions for 2016
Posted: Mon 28th Dec 2015
We asked entrepreneurs to share their ambitions for their business in 2016.
Get the New Year off to a great start at StartUp 2016, 10 free events for start-ups and small businesses across the UK on 16 January 2016. Choose an event and book your ticket here .
"Dare I say, and at the fear of sounding repetitive, it's the same resolution as last year! Enterprise Nation exists to help people start and grow their own business. It's what we're fully focused on every day of the year, except Christmas day when we afford ourselves a break! The resolution stands firm in 2016 and it's to help as many people as possible to start and grow their own business."
Emma Jones, founder, Enterprise Nation
"Heading to Australia for first ever sabbatical after 28 years on the treadmill. 15 of those years self employed without a break longer than a fortnight and that was 16 years ago! Two months to refresh, re-energise, and create some new dreams and plans. My associates are holding the fort. Big leap of faith, but I know it's the right thing. Do what you've always done, get what you've always got."
Faye Smith, Keep Your Fork
"Spend more time building stronger relationships with clients and try and use the telephone in place of email as I can talk faster than I can type!"
Simon Shepherd. Client Marketing
"Take some of the day to day pressure off us and think smarter about it. We need to hire in some help and outsource some of the admin work so the business can work for us."
Sanjay Aggarwal, Spice Kitchen
"Next year we're going to work on getting even better at what we do. Entrepreneurial businesses have the advantage that there is a direct connection from the business to the customer. We can act quickly and we have the ability to over-deliver on expectations and to delight our customers. We will be thinking of new and innovative ways to do this."
Emma Warren, Niche Brands
"I need to tackle my big resolution which is to improve my time management. I've made some progress with this but need to create stricter schedules, which is more difficult than it sounds for a right-brain dominant person!"
_Pippa Moye, Silver Ray Healing Therapies
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"I am going to keep working with my long term clients staying focused on delivering their objectives in 2016. I will look to take on one new client in a different sector to ensure I keep my experience varied as I am not looking to specialise at the moment. My key goal is to ensure my clients are happy with the work I deliver for them.
Hannah Russell, Mini and Mighty
"To do less "stuff" better to completion. To outsource more. To serve my actors better. Stay laser focused on goals and not stop until they have been reached. To improve our acting studios. To stay ahead of the competition. Banish procrastination. Look after the business' well-being."
Louise, StandBy Method Acting Studio
But what about 2015? Did business owners achieve their resolutions for this year?
"My resolution for 2015 was to achieve a better work/life balance, and to take advantage of the fact I run my own businesses, so therefore in theory should set my own schedule. Unfortunately I achieved an epic fail! My idea of giving myself a clear day of when I did no work related activities didn't really get off the ground. I am very lucky to work for myself (and for everyone involved in my business), and the plus points far outweigh the minus, but I do tend to work 24/7, and structurally I also work around school pick up times and kids' activity times. Once the kids are asleep, I pick up the US portion of my business, and start Skyping and emailing. Oh, and writing..."
Daisy White, Daisy White's Booktique and Pop Up Horsham
"I wanted to do good things for good people, continue my entrepreneurial streak, and help small businesses. I'm doing that and more, so 2015 has been a strong, innovative, and successful year."
Emma Warren
"My 2015 resolution was to stop saying 'yes' to everything and everyone. Unfortunately I couldn't keep it. I'm still in the mindset of wanting to please everyone at the detriment of the business (sometimes) and I need to learn to trust my product and services more!"
Ben Lee, Ever Thought of Trying
"2015 was the year I launched my business. My goal for the year was to get one client and have my marketing consultancy up and running. I have ended up with four long term clients, the first one coming on board within a month of launching. On top of this, I have done shorter one off bits of work. So yes, I'm thrilled that I met my objectives!"
Hannah Russell
"My biggest objective was to get our digital marketing strategy established and implemented. Sadly we were let down by a couple of people and only made it half way. We've got to grips with social media but not updated our website due to a lack of a clear strategy. I had a breakthrough when I travelled from Brighton to Bristol for Enterprise Nation's Festival of Female Entrepreneurs and came back full of energy to get a grip on this. With a new web developer and marketing strategist we're powering ahead now!"
Carole Jordan, Business Heads
Get the New Year off to a great start at StartUp 2016, 10 free events for start-ups and small businesses across the UK on 16 January 2016.
Register now for a free place here:
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