The new year is here (ahhh!) and whether you’re happy with where your business is or not, here are some ways that you can step it up even more and reach your fullest potential in 2018:

 

1. Get organized

The biggest excuse for entrepreneurs to not feel organized is that they don’t have enough time to do it. Things just keep piling up. Paper, files, bills, tasks… yikes. Before you totally jump in 100% to the new year, take one day – one day – to sort your sh*t out. Delete files you don’t need on your desktop. Recycle papers you don’t need and have just been making your space look like a mess. Take the time, and go into 2018 right.

 

2. Streamline your graphics

This is a relatively easy one, but maybe I just say that because I come from a graphic design background. What we do here at Rebel Office (and that I recommend for you): Take an hour to plan out the types of graphics that you even put out there. Quotes? Promos? Freebie downloads? Blog posts? Write them all down. Now, head on over to Canva or a similar graphics program and create those templates.

Now, whenever you have a new quote or a new blog post, all you have to do is change the title and/or background picture. Your style stays the same! Piece of cake.

 

3. Make time for self-care

It’s tough as entrepreneurs to justify taking that quality “me-time” when we could be spending it on our business. One less thing to do tomorrow, we think. But the truth is, if we’re not feeling our absolute best about ourselves, we won’t ever feel amazing about our businesses. This means we’ll never get our businesses to where they need to be.

Start making those non-negotiables. Some ideas: shut down all your devices at a specific time at night, go for a walk every day at lunch, or commit to not working on weekends.

 

4. Stick to your goals

It’s so easy to get distracted with a new idea or get discouraged when that new idea doesn’t have the reaction you expect and want to change directions right away. At any moment of self-doubt, step back and think about the big picture. What’s your goal? Where do you want to be in a year from now? Where do you want to be in 90 days from now? Re-focus, re-group, and more likely than not, your initial plan was the right one. All you needed was a bit of persistence.

 

 

5. Invest

Another touchy subject, but one that we often forget as we’re hustling to make that money. The reality is that, in order to start making money at the level that you truly want to be, it takes that initial investment upfront. You’re not a pro at every single thing out there. Find others to bring into your life and your business that complement and elevate you. Need a designer because you know your graphics and website aren’t where they need to be? Want an accountability partner because you know you struggle to reach those goals and staying motivated? Looking for someone to set up your Facebook ads because you’ve had zero to minimal success? Make that commitment and be amazed at the results.

Sidenote: Just make sure to do your research and not make emotional investments. Check reviews. Check past work. Talk to them first. Make sure you’re a great fit.

 

6. Check-in on your message

Everything that you put out there to the world needs to be aligned with who you are as an entrepreneur and as a business. Take a moment to check in on what you’ve put out lately and make sure that it makes sense to that “big vision” we were talking about earlier. There’s this big push for constant content being put out – but we’ve found it’s best to just stay quiet or recycle something great then put something out there that’s sub-par and doesn’t make heaps of sense for your brand.

 

7. Get clear on your “dream client”

2018 is a year for incredible things. This means stop chasing clients that’ll pay and start attracting clients that you absolutely love to work with. Sit down, close your eyes, and think about who you actually want to be working with. What’s their income? What are they willing to spend? What are their pain points? What are their hobbies? Get it all out and start tailoring your message to appeal to them, not that client that isn’t really sure and doesn’t pay on time and fights you the whole way along.

 

8. Experiment with your marketing

As much as every single entrepreneur out there wants a golden strategy for marketing, what works for one business doesn’t work for the next. And even if it works now, the world of marketing changes and your “golden” strategy will have to too. So get creative. Experiment. Get outside of your comfort zone and try new things. You don’t know what will actually work until you try it, and give it your all.

 

Like I said in #7, 2018 is a year for incredible things to happen in your life and in your business. There are just a few ways that you can make that commitment to taking that step closer to your business reaching its fullest potential. There will always be growth opportunities, and the need for reviews and changes and new directions, but being able to adapt and grow is part of the fun. And you’ll always show up 100% if you keep that big vision in mind.

 

All the best in 2018, and I can’t wait to see what you do with it. If you’ve been feeling called lately to really step up your business’ game, get in touch to see if we can help you make 2018 amazing.