Tip from the experts: Business in 2011

Well, as I'm sure you know, the New Year is fast approaching.  New Years provide us with an opportunity to start over, to create a clean slate for ourselves and our businesses and to promise to do better in the upcoming year.  To that end, we asked three of our members who are small business experts to answer the following:  What is the one thing businesses must do in 2011?  Below are there responses:

Tom Garrity, Compass Point
Create a focused strategy and communicate/align it to your employees is critical to your success.  The game of business is not won on the owner’s/CEO’s shoulders.  It is won by a great team, focused on the company’s most important goals, and who is lead by the owner.  Decide what you are going to sell, who you are going to sell it to, and how you are going to win… and 2011 will be a successful year.

Sally Handlon, Handlon Business Resources

With all the emphasis on social media, don’t expect it to be your total communication effort.  Just like your marketing plan should have a component of “social media”, your overall communication plan for customers and employees alike, should have a portion dedicated to “social media” but don’t forget the basic foundations of communication.

Each of us communicates and understands differently due to gender, culture, personality traits, etc.  For some it is speaking, others reading, listening or writing. Using a variety of methods helps to insure that the information or message reaches the majority of  your stakeholders.  And by mixing up the delivery methods, you can help to insure that you are maximizing your reach.

It is very easy in our fast-paced and multi-tasking environment to overlook taking the time to think about and communicate in various forms – there is too much to do.  However, it is by taking the time to have these different interactions….slowing or changing the pace,  that we can better understand what our customers are seeking and we are able to keep our employees informed about the company so that can represent us with knowledge.

Bill Rampo, Rampo+

My reading of the tea leaves tells me that the recovery in the business sector will be stronger than anticipated in 2011.  As a result, business owners need to be prepared now to squeeze the maximum amount of business out of an up tick in the economy and in the attitudes of their current clients and prospects.

If they have not already engaged in a thorough review of their business’ operations they need to do it now!  The last thing they want to have happen is to miss opportunities early in the year.  They should also be mining opportunities from their clientele and prospect lists now!  Asking clients and prospects about their purchasing plans for the New Year now is an excellent use of time at this time of the year.  If they haven’t done this, they need to do it now!  

If they have not unpacked, reviewed and repacked the appropriate workflow, marketing, networking, sales and client care systems they need to do it now!