Top 8 Business Goals You Should Have for 2018

There will never be a better time than now to set your sights on ways to improve business for 2018. Below are certain tactics that will bolster revenue, increase brand reach, and improve recognition to take on the new year with confidence and vigor.

Top 8 Business Goals You Should Have for 2018?

1.  Craft or Improve Your Social Media Presence:

No matter what your current stance on social media is, it’s clear that social media is here to stay in one form or another. It’s time to put your reluctance aside and get in the game. A well-curated social media presence is a potential way to get countless eyes right where you want them: on your business. 

First, you want to decide which social media platform is best for your business. If you are in the restaurant or food business, you want to have a platform that lends itself to customer feedback or promotions like Facebook. If you run a photography or art company, Instagram might be the way to go due to the emphasis on images. 

2.  Invite Interaction:

Whatever your current method of communication is, use it to garner a larger social media following. Whether it’s email subscribers or some other type of list of contacts, invite them to interact with you on your chosen social media platform. This will open up a dialogue which you can use to improve your practices and customer service. 

Posting regularly may seem pointless to a person unfamiliar with the landscape of social media, but it conveys that you care about your presence. It shows you are maintaining yourself and your business, but it also proffers additional benefit due to the mere exposure effect better than basecamp.

3.  Set Concrete Goals With Your Social Media:

Decide what exactly would be of greatest benefit on social media and then shoot for it. Do you want to expand your subscriber base or aim for a higher number of shares? Being precise with your direction will give you something to push for, which is always better than simply moseying through the world of social media aimlessly. 

Another valuable facet of social media is the ability to partner with industry influencers. If you are in the same business as someone who has a large following and could conceive an overlap in interests, then reaching out to them could exponentially increase your following in days, hours, or even minutes. Also bear in mind that your social media presence is a work in progress, and in most cases you will not see a return on your efforts for a few weeks to months.

4.  Examine Areas That Could Be Improved:

In the age of innovation, there many sophisticated ways of doing things that once were mere science fiction. One such area is automation. Implementing a project management software helps you keep tasks organized and accessible. In turn, workflow will improve which means more money in your pocket. Organization can be tough with a cluttered desktop or the cumbersome need to operate several programs at once, but this is soon to be a thing of the past.

5.  Increase Customer Loyalty:

If your business model allows for it, consider incorporating a customer loyalty program that offers points or discounts for repeated business. This increases customer retention and incentivizes every business interaction you have with them. If the loyalty program is made attractive, it’s a surefire way to increase business.

6.  Find Ways To Expedite Work:

If a piece of equipment at work is faulty or outdated, looking into a new replacement or different way of conducting business might be a good investment. Likewise, tedious tasks can now be relegated to automated programs with astounding results. 

For example, Inventory software could benefit your business by keeping track of purchases and sales. While AP automation software can take a good deal of frustration out of your accounts payable department. This will eliminate the dreariness associated with staring at expenses for hours, but will also cut down the chances of expensive human error to nearly zero. 

7.  Consider New Markets:

If you feel a certain market is saturated or that you can benefit from broadening your horizons in the marketplace, consider exploring. Amazon used to sell books, but it expanded and now its CEO Jeff Bezos is the richest person in the world. It’ll take time to adjust, but if you can afford to try it, you may find it to be more lucrative than you originally thought. 

Make Your Company Attractive To Employees

If you want to keep the talent you have cultivated on your team, you want to make the job as rewarding as possible. Make sure a task well done is recognized, and your employees will feel a sense of pride and dignity. You may also look into adding more benefits, but understand that many benefits highly valued in the eyes of employees cost next to nothing, so you don’t need to worry about breaking the bank. Some examples include working remotely, opportunities to cross-train, and an onsite lounge or company resource center. 

8.  Reach Your Goals:

Achieving your goals isn’t the easiest thing, but with hard work, you’re likely to accomplish more than you think. Setting goals within your business can be a group effort–get your employees involved. Hear their personal goals, and work together to create a list of goals to work toward. It’s likely you will succeed in your business by taking some of these goals into consideration, and by constantly working toward bettering your company.