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“Your success ultimately depends on how hard you will work and your ability to adapt to change.”
Welcome to 2021! If you are an entrepreneur, you know that you cannot approach 2021 with the same business plans and goals of previous years. The coronavirus has changed business as we’ve known and if you are to be successful in 2021, you must be prepared to change.
Have you ever planned a road trip and had your route mapped out (of course using Goggle Maps to route it out for you)? You’re traveling along with the plan to be at your destination at a certain time (based on conditions when you left your house). Everything is going well. You’re making good time and then you look down at your iPhone or on the dash of your car and you see a long line of RED. As you approach what you know is going to be a slowing in traffic, you see signs indicating a detour from your original route. Of course, detours generally mean a narrowing in freeway lanes or a re-direction to a one-lane road. Whatever the new route, it means more traffic and a reality that you will not make your destination as planned.
Well, business planning for 2021 will have some of the same detours that you must plan for as we find ways to maneuver business in a pandemic. Here are five easy things you can do to get started in the right direction for 2021. Of course, your success ultimately depends on how hard you will work and your ability to adapt to change.
1. Revisit 2020
Did you reach your business goals in 2020? If not, was it due to the changes that occurred with the coronavirus or some other factors? Before you start 2021, take a hard look at what happened in your business in 2020. Audit your books and determine where you finished in terms of your bottom line. Relook at your product or service offerings. Is what you offering valid or even useful in 2021? Is it time for a new direction or even should you look at another business model entirely? Take a few days and look at every aspect of your business in 2020. Be prepared to make changes based on your needs or desires for 2021.
2. Set Your Financial Goals
How much money are you going to make in 2021? You should have an answer to how much you want to make for the year and have it broken down in increments of weekly and monthly amounts. In my last blog, I gave you some practical things you can do to set your financial goals for 2021. The best strategy is to plan annually and then break it down into monthly, weekly, and even daily goals. Start today making your financial plans and then track what you are doing to be sure you are on track to be financially successful in 2021.
3. Review Your Brand and Update
50Something Lifestyle today looks nothing like it did when I first started several years ago. My site colors have changed. My logo! The entire look and feel of my business have transformed as my business has transformed. If you have that same tired website, logo, and total business presence, 2021 is the time to make a change. Hire a graphic artist and invest in a look that works for what you offer your clients. Stop taking photos with your camera and thinking they are good enough to share with the public. Hire a photographer and do a photoshoot and invest in Canva or some other graphic program so your posts look professional. 2021 is your time to update your business brand. It makes all the difference in your success in 2021.
4. Create Your Social Media Content Calendar
Stop winging it on social media. We’ve all been guilty of being all over the place when it comes to our social media strategy. Be intentional when it comes to what you post and the social media campaigns you launch. Make a content calendar (at least quarterly) keeping in mind what’s going on in the world around you). If your audience is predominantly women, take notice of events that will appear to women (International Women’s Day for instance) and plan to post around such events.
Below are a few things you can do to update your social media and see a change in your following in 2021:
Decide which platforms work best for your business and create a theme of posts.
Hire a social media consultant if you’ve exhausted your knowledge of social media and know you need help.
Use post scheduling software such as Planable to create your posting calendar and schedule in advance.
5. Consider Offering New Products or Services
Coke Zero! Ginger Ale (Bold)! Sprite Lymonade! Do you get the point? Same products – different variations. The beverage and car industries are prime examples of industries that continually offer their clients new products, keeping them coming back for more! What are your products or services and are they still meeting the needs of your changing customer base? What can you do to refresh your offerings for 2021 to make more money and keep your customers interested in doing business with you? Take some time and look at what’s happening in your niche. Are you competitive? Did the products or services you offered in 2020 make you the kind of money you wanted to make?
Do an inventory of what you offer your clients and determine what you can remove and what new solutions you can offer that will help you grow. I know for me; this year will be all about building the 50Something Women’s Network membership site and having a one-stop solution for women entrepreneurs over 50 who want resources to help them make money. It will also be a hub for women over 50 who want to improve on the life they are living over 50 and connect with like-minded women. There are so many opportunities for us after 50. The Network will be a hub for helping women find those resources and live their BEST life right now!
What will you do in 2021 to make the difference?
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