The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect and look ahead to what the next year might bring. If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that 2020 has given us a lot to think about – both personally and professionally. A year dominated by uncertainty, instability, and struggle, there’s only way to go from here. And that’s up.

But while 2021 is certainly looking more positive – with promising vaccine results – it’s still offering no guarantees. This makes it all the more important to plan early. To make resolutions for your business that will enable you to enter this new year stronger, more resilient, and adaptable to whatever may be thrown your way.

We’ve put together three core resolutions your business can make to kick off the new year as efficiently as possible. As with any plan or resolution, the more specific, realistic, and measurable you can make it, the easier they will be for you to stick to. So try taking these basic prompts and tailoring them to your specific business and industry.

Boost productivity to make up for lost time

The forced downtime put on to businesses this year has been unprecedented. And for businesses across all industries, 2021 is going to be a year dedicated to making up for lost time. Ask yourself how you can boost your productivity when January hits to maximise profits and lessen the damage of 2020.

Take the time to figure out exactly what helped and hindered you this past year. And use these to guide your future strategies. If this next year was to be a carbon copy of 2020, what can you do to make the very best of it? Think about the easy wins, the low-hanging fruit that will make a difference straight away and keep benefiting you going forward. Think incremental gains.

You can also consider some of the trends in productivity. For example:

• Employee engagement can boost profits by 21%.
• 41% of stressed employees say their stress negatively impacts productivity.
• 89% of employees believe gamification boosts workplace productivity.

How can you factor in research like this to create strategies and plans that will get your business back on track quicker and make 2021 as profitable and successful as possible?

It’s also important to consider how you’ll communicate all these plans with employees across your entire company. You need to ensure every one of your employees is aware and on-board with all that’s expected of them.

Maximise your online presence

For any business hit especially hard by this year’s lockdowns and resulting lack of in-person custom, 2021 might be a year to explore your online options. If it’s something you’ve previously only dabbled in, look into maximising your online presence when the new year hits.

Get creative about ways to open new profit streams that will be less impacted by any future lockdowns – such as online orders for bars and restaurants. Digital services have proven far more resilient during COVID-19, and any way you can incorporate them into your business will prove beneficial.

Or simply use your existing online channels to spread the word about your business and encourage more of your audience to visit you in person in 2021. With less footfall, and people being far more tactical with their time spent outside of the home, online marketing can be integral to maintaining awareness of your business. But this comes with a caveat: don’t spread yourself too thin. You can only do so much. You want to go an inch wide but a mile deep if you want to see progress.

Be more adaptable

There’s still a massive question mark over 2021. We have no idea how quickly we’ll return to some sense of normal, or if we even will in the next year. Any changes you can make to your business now to be more flexible and adaptable, the better you’ll be able to ride the wave of next year.

Streamline and solidify your communication channels – both internal and external to your business. Make plans for weekly check-ins across all your teams to ensure everyone’s always on the same page and any changing guidelines next year can be adapted to quickly.

Put processes and systems in place that make all training, health and safety, onboarding, and audits as seamless as possible. The easier you can make all the non-negotiables of daily business operations, the more time and effort you can put into boosting profits and navigating any curve balls sent your way.

No matter what your business’s specific resolutions might look like, it’s essential to get the ball rolling sooner rather than later. These final few weeks of December make for the perfect time to get ahead, plan, and start making positive changes.

The Inform People platform puts all the tools needed to maximise your business right at your fingertips. If you want to explore how you can become a more organised, efficient, and profitable business in 2021, get in touch with us via email.