Spring is in the air, which means the dust is being cleaned off our braais, swimming pools are cleaned, and people generally seem to be in a better mood. If you were stuck in the winter hibernation mindset, there is a good chance that your small business requires a good spring cleaning. It’s time for business owners to take advantage of this upcoming season, get organised, and improve by spring cleaning their business.
Here are some quick tips to get your business thriving this spring.
1. Refresh your brand Take this time to complete some spring cleaning, both figuratively and literally. This upcoming season your customers are excited and ready to shop for new ideas and products, so ensure that your business is prepared. Take a comprehensive look at your day to day activities and reassess your customers’ needs to help make improvements where needed. This season try new things or expand that product base.
2. Update your marketing and digital strategies Take a step back and examine your marketing strategies. Like your business, marketing tactics are constantly developing and changing. Each day we see a new marketing trend pop up and make an impact. This is the perfect opportunity to capitalise on new changes to come with the change of season. Try and research new marketing trends, invest in social media by creating a theme that can be carried across all platforms, automating tasks like emails, revisiting your brand and analysing data from the previous year. Remember your current loyal customers and try using promotions that give customers a reason to use your products or services.
3. Remember your team Time needs to be allocated to your customers, but you shouldn’t forget your employees and team that make your business run. They are vital to the growth of your business, and as a business owner, you should make sure they are motivated and happy, especially preparing for the new busy season. Challenge your whole team to answer the question, “ why do you get up and come to work every morning?”
4. Consider your coverages Does your business have all the coverage it needs? Have you expanded your services or product offerings? This is a great time to review your rates and coverages.
5. Organise inventory If your business carries inventory on-site, now is an excellent time to spring clean and organise everything properly. This will help to boost efficiency and set the right mindset for all staff involved
6. Have a look at your business operations. Have you taken a step back and had a look at your business operations from start to finish? Are there areas that you could cut costs and improve efficiencies? Consider trying that new software programme or changing your customer management system.
7. Deep clean your books Your business accounting books are the heart of your business’s transactions and financial records. They are vitally important as they help you forecast your future and make intelligent decisions about your finances. This is the season to organise your books, review files and accounts, sort receipts and digitise what you can. Try that accounting software you were thinking of previously.
8. Develop your business plan Businesses constantly grow and change, and because your business is changing, so should your business plan. Before the busy season comes up, try to set aside some time and reflect on the last year and ask yourself what changes your business has made. Did you improve or add new products? Did you target new audiences? Did you change your business structure? Mention all these changes in your business plan. A good business plan can help business owners prioritise how to spend their money and allow them to set measurable goals.
By setting time aside and giving your whole business a spring cleaning, you will be more productive and be able to develop more strategic goals. As a business owner, you will find that you will head into spring better prepared to grow and succeed.
