Attire Accessories - Mar/Apr 2020 (Issue 81)

25 BUSINESS REFRESH YOUR BUSINESS FOR 2020 Each new year provides an opportunity to reflect on the one before, and as we’re inevitably thinking about our personal aspirations and goals for the coming 12 months, we should do the same for our businesses. Just as one of our own targets may be to allow ourselves more ‘me time’ throughout the year, the same can be said for our working careers. As the owner or manager of a business, it’s easy to get caught up in day-to-day running and think that the job will only be done correctly if we do it ourselves. Unless you’re just starting up, trying to juggle every task will only have a negative effect on your business, keeping you from the work you’re actually good at. BALANCING ACT In order to stop yourself from burning out at the start of the year, try to look at where you can delegate some duties. Your staff will appreciate the new responsibility and you will be one step closer to implementing a healthier work-life balance. Ensure your company is on the right path by re-evaluating your business plan. Take a look at where you were this time last year and ask yourself if you have achieved what you set out to. If you’ve surpassed expectations, share the achievement with your team. After all, they’ve contributed to this success and knowing how their work has helped could give them the boost and motivation that they need. If your business plan hasn’t been executed in the way you’d hoped, this is still a good opportunity to look at what didn’t work, paying attention to factors that were out of your control. Any learnings you and your company can take as a result of this could prevent them from happening again and you can look at ways to progress in future. GOOD IDEAS When reviewing the state of your company, ask your staff for feedback and ideas for practices they would like to see implemented. Your employees could be sitting on a wealth of constructive advice that may help processes and productivity, which could ultimately have a positive effect on the business. If you’re worried that people might be cautious about saying their thoughts aloud, why not leave an anonymous tip box in the office so people can add to it as and when they like? Start your year in the right way and create a 12-month action plan with reasonable targets. Pinpoint some of the company’s ambitions and think about the smaller goals that you want to achieve. Revisit them throughout the year to see how far you’ve come and what milestones you have reached. Now that you’ve thought about where your company is and where it needs to go, turn your attention to the skills you might need to get there. Whether it’s upskilling staff, management training or coaching, investing in these areas could develop your inhouse talent. Knowing that you are directly investing in your employees’ future could provide your team with the incentives to progress in their careers and secure your workforce for years to come. Stuck in a rut? Follow Sara Davies’ tips to start the year with a bang Sara Davies MBE is founder of Crafter’s Companion