Legal Meets Practical

Now that it is the new year, it is time for us to make resolutions and promptly abandon them. Oh ye of little will power, I understand.

There are, however, resolutions worth making and keeping. And I’m not talking about losing weight, as it is your right as an American to that second pint of Ben & Jerry’s. They are, after all, buy one, get one, and it is unfair to expect you to eat New York Cheesecake and pass on Americone Dream.

No, I’m talking about resolutions you can actually keep and build upon next year. I’m talking about the resolutions good for your business. As a small business owner myself, I have five resolutions it might be good for small business owners to consider:

1. Attend a conference. This serves many, many purposes when done right. For one, it gives you the chance to develop and hone your elevator speech about your business. When someone asks you what you do, can you rattle off something that sounds snazzy in a minute or less? Conferences also give you an opportunity to network – when I attend conferences, I often meet people I’ve heard of via blogs and LinkedIn, and I’m able to make an in-person connection. And conferences are wonderful ways to educate yourself – they offer learning sessions, and free advice from procurement officials and others who know the ropes. The National Veteran Small Business Coalition will host one in Norfolk this June, and the VA’s National Veterans Small Business Engagement (yes, the names really are that similar) will host its annual conference this summer (exact date and location pending).

2. Look at your website. Do you like it? If you stumbled on it during an Internet search, would you sign up for your blog or click on any of the webpages? I add webpages and resources to mine in order to enhance search engine optimization (such as my quarterly newsletter), and I get more traffic because of it.

If you don’t have a website, you can fairly easily and cheaply make one yourself, with the help of GoDaddy (for domain/hosting) and Elegant Themes (for a website template). (I provides these examples only because I use them – there are other options). Chances are, someone in your family/circle of friends can help you out if this task seems daunting. And if not, hiring a web developer won’t break the bank.

3. Shamelessly seek information. Don’t be afraid – ask a not-too-bright question on LinkedIn. Or at a networking event. How else are you going to find out the answer? Owning your own business comes with a huge learning curve, and people who have been in your position understand where you’re coming from. Just don’t take what you hear as gospel – not everyone who talks, should.

4. Sign up for publications. Part of being a successful business owner is staying in the know. Luckily, it’s easily to do that for free. There are many wonderful blogs that help you stay up to date on things that affect you. I am a regular contributor to VetLikeMe, a national publication that catches about everything that impacts veteran business owners, and you can sign up for free. Google using keywords, and you’ll find other publications as well.

5. Set a schedule. As your own boss, it can be hard to stop working at 6 pm or to not check emails on a Saturday. That’s fine every once in a while, and there are some people who simply have to check email, always (I’m one of them), but it’s important to delineate between working time, and your time.

There you have it! Five resolutions, and know that I’ll be keeping them this year too. Honestly, they’re things I should be doing anyway because they help my business. I tell myself they aren’t simply resolutions, but part of a business improvement plan.

Good luck on your business improvement plan, and enjoy that pint of Ben and Jerry’s.

*Did you find this article informative? If so, sign up for Sarah Schauerte’s weekly blog on timely veteran small business issues at: https://legalmeetspractical.com. Please remember to check the link sent to your email to activate your subscription!