Time for a Business Refresh: Five Areas Worth Revisiting
Every so often, it’s worth stepping back from the day-to-day to evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and what is slowing you down.
Here’s what I recommend when it’s time for a refresh:
1. Clear the Clutter. One of the first steps in a fresh start is decluttering. Whether it’s your workspace, digital files, or email inbox, tidying up creates a more productive environment. So clear everything off your workspace and give it a cleaning. Unsubscribe from subscriptions and newsletters cluttering your inbox that you don’t read, and get all those digital files off your computer desktop and into proper folders.
You can read more about decluttering and organizing your inbox in a previous newsletter by clicking here.
2. Check Your Website. It is important to regularly review your website to ensure it’s functioning optimally and accurately represents you and your business. This may sound obvious; however, many businesses often overlook their website’s maintenance. I recommend scheduling a monthly check of your website and adding it to your calendar.
You can read more about checking your website in a previous newsletter by clicking here.
3. Review Your Client’s Journey. Take time to review your client’s journey with a fresh perspective. Identify what is working well and pinpoint areas that need improvement or updating. The objective here is to document your observations and actively refresh your client’s journey so you’re well prepared for what’s ahead.
4. Make a list of frustrations. Identify any frustrating or obstructive elements within your business. For example, outdated, slow technology, a printer that’s constantly jamming, or manual tasks that could be automated are all common frustrations. Tolerating such frustrations within your business can cost you valuable time and money. Therefore, it is important to take action and address these problems or put a plan in place to tackle them. The goal is to remove frustrations that hinder the growth of your business.
5. Celebrate Your Wins. Take a moment to celebrate your wins, big and small. I recommend making a note of wins along the way. This can be in a notebook, Evernote, OneNote, or whatever works for you. We often get caught up in our day-to-day activities and overlook the positive things. Keep your eyes open and look for the wins. Acknowledge and celebrate your wins, no matter how big or small they may seem.
By following these steps and taking an honest look at what you’re stumbling over each day, you’ll come to understand what it’s costing you to have to search for a file on an unorganized computer or constantly fix a jammed printer. Remember, you don’t have to tackle everything at once. Start now, one step at a time. Avoid waiting until you have the perfect plan, more money, more staff, or more of whatever resources you think you need to move forward.
You don’t have to tackle everything at once. Start with one area, one step at a time. Don’t wait until you have the perfect plan… move forward with what you have today.
If a business refresh is overdue and you’d like some support getting there, I’d love to help.