A lot of us make a list of New Year’s resolutions, but have you thought of resolutions for your business? Yes, even if you’re a solopreneur you still run a business and this might be the time to think of your New Year business goals.
1 Earnings
Do you know how much you need to earn this year to live comfortably? Do you know how much you should be charging to achieve that comfort? How many days off can you take without compromising your target earnings?
Is it time to get a pay rise? If you don’t ask, nobody will give it to you. You’re your own boss and you give yourself the raise. If you haven’t increased your rates in a while, now is a good time to do this.
2 Payments
Make sure you invoice on time and follow-up delayed payments. If you’ve had a hard time following up on delayed payments, then maybe my tracker will help you.
3 Projects
Are you happy with the projects you’ve been working on? Maybe this is the time to change direction or start niching? This could also be the time to start turning down projects that don’t fit your needs. It’s sometimes good to say ‘no.’
Do you tend to have gaps in your schedule or maybe you overbook? Maybe try my workload tracker this year?
4 CPD
When’s the last time you learned a new skill? When’s the last time you asked for feedback on your work? This could be something to put on your goals list.
5 Website
Have you got a business website which includes a powerful ‘about’ section, your portfolio and a call to action (CAT)? Is it optimized for search engines? If so, is it up-to-date? If you haven’t got one, then this is the time to set one up.
6 LinkedIn
Are you on LinkedIn? Is your profile up-to-date? Are you posting and engaging in other people’s content? Are you connected to the right people?
7 Community
Have you got a community of like-minded people that you can turn to when needed? Check LinkedIn and Facebook for communities for freelancers in your industry. If you’re a freelancer in the ELT publishing industry and would like to join a lovely community on FB, then get in touch with me.
8 Self-care
Do you devote enough time to your mental, emotional and physical health? Maybe start putting ‘appointments with self’ in your calendar? Don’t forget to get up every 10–15 minutes and do some activity.
Are there any other business resolutions you’d add?