Here we go again.
It’s January. That time of year when there’s a longer line to get into Zumba class than the drive-through, proverbial piggy banks begin stockpiling pennies, and the alcohol and tobacco industries take a major sales hit. The majority of us look to a new year as the ideal moment to hit the reset button and make a few minor habit changes—or major lifestyle overhauls—with the intention of improved health, wealth, and happiness. Inspired by some of our own personal resolutions, we’re sharing four easy-to-accomplish undertakings to help make 2018 your business’s best year yet.
Prioritize Your Time
A FetchRev favorite, replacing your to-do list with a calendar is an essential move to simplifying your day-to-day. As this piece by author and podcast host Srinivas Rao notes, much of our daily lives is dictated by time-based deadlines, so the most logical way to manage our tasks is actually to manage our time. Using a calendar—preferably digital—to log meetings, reminders, and even goals at specific dates and times keeps you accountable. We’re big fans of Google Calendar at the office because it’s foolproof and syncs seamlessly between our computers and phones. For setting up meetings minus the back-and-forth emails, we like Calendly, a scheduling software that shows everyone exactly when you’re available and lets others book time on your calendar.
Expand Your Circles
It seems that we all have a love-hate relationship with the word networking—it’s necessary for professional growth, but the idea of schmoozing or rubbing elbows tends to be a turn-off for most people. However, there are many ways to involve yourself with others in your industry without the “what’s in it for me” attitude. This year at FetchRev, we’ve made it a point to attend and sponsor events held by professional organizations such as the International Association of Trampoline Parks (IATP) and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA). Start small—listen to a guest speaker, attend a meetup, or schedule lunch with someone in your industry who you could foresee as a mentor. When the teaching and learning and the giving and taking are mutual, networking becomes less intimidating and a whole lot more beneficial.
Make (At Least) One Bold Move
We all had a bit of a collective laugh when the news was announced that Merriam-Webster was adding the acronym YOLO to the English dictionary. As ubiquitous and cheesy, perhaps, as the saying has become, the take-home message is still a solid one: there’s no time like the present to make your big move. Whether you’ve been dreaming of launching a new product or service, breaking ground on a new location, designing a new website, or extending to a new demographic of customers, make it your goal in 2018 to cross something major off your list. Let this be the year that you turn plans into executions—because the greatest success often comes from taking the biggest risks.
Focus on the Greater Good
In the course of a day, it’s easy to dwell on negativity: traffic was bad, sales were down, the delivery driver was late, and so forth. The easiest way out of the doldrums—and this comes from personal experience, not off a motivational poster in a pediatrician’s waiting room—is through generosity. As a local business owner, playing a role in your community not only benefits those you are helping, but it also boosts morale among your employees and can help bring new customers into your establishment. Reach out to a neighborhood school, sports team, senior citizens’ center, or veterans’ association to talk about a partnership that helps to improve the lives of the people who live and work around you.
Wishing you a happy and prosperous New Year.
Devin Pangaro & Vanessa Demske
FetchRev Digital Team
