5 Things Your Business Needs to Do Before the New Year

The new year is right around the corner. Here’s what you should do now to ensure you can hit the ground running better than ever next year.

Draft and Review Your Contracts

If you’re not sure whether your documents are good, or if you have none at all, it’s worth sitting down with a business lawyer instead of going the DIY route. You want to make sure you’ve got the right policies and contracts in place to protect you and your business.

Update Your Website Disclosures

Remember back in May when companies kept sending us emails to let us know that their privacy policies had changed? That’s because the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) went into effect. It’s an international privacy law that affects almost everyone who has a website. You’ll want to make sure your website’s Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions are GDPR-compliant, and that they are clear as to what website visitors can expect when using your website (unless you’ve got an extra $22 million lying around to pay the fine for non-compliance).

Assess What Works and What Doesn’t

If it is broke(n), do fix it. If you’ve seen no ROI on the ads you’re publishing in the local paper, stop doing it. If no one’s clicking on your Facebook ads, figure out why and make your next ad better. If that intern keeps messing up, it’s time to fire him. Don’t keep putting up with things that aren’t working in your business.

Optimize Your Systems

Do a thorough audit of all the systems you use in your business. It could be the excel spreadsheet you use to keep track of your income and expenses, or the email system you use to send out newsletters to your customers. Whatever you’re using, they should be making it easier to run your business more smoothly. If there are some kinks in the processes, now’s the time to fix them. And if your systems are nonexistent, now’s the time to get them together.

Thank Your Clients

You wouldn’t be in business without your customers. T’is the season to show them some love. It can be as simple as sending them a kind note in a holiday card, or a small gift as a token of your appreciation.

Doing even one of these things will set you up for success in the new year.