01/06/2016 | By Scott Siegal
Many people make New Year’s resolutions, and most fail to keep them. How about some resolutions for your business?
MAKE ANY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?
Resolutions are essentially goals, or promises to yourself. They’re a wish list with a time frame. The Long Island newspaper Newsday says the ten most common resolutions are to:
1. Lose weight/Exercise more
2. Quit smoking
3. Eat healthy
4. Learn something new
5. Spend less, save more
6. Drink less alcohol
7. Travel
8. Give back to the community
9. Spend more time with loved ones
10. Relax
WHAT ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS?
These are all useful on a personal level. But what about the resolutions you make for your business? Aren’t there things you’d like to do differently in 2016? Here’s what I suggest: look at your business, one department at a time, to see what needs changing:
Marketing Resolutions:
Start with your website and make sure your content is the best it can possibly be. So often we turn the SEO reins over to someone else and then fail to add or revamp the content. Does it engage the visitor? What’s the conversion rate of visitors to appointment requests? If it’s 2 percent, how about resolving to double it this year to 4 percent?
I’d also look at social media. Not enough contractors are using social media to generate leads. Of course, there’s always the danger that you can lose hours a day on Facebook. I would schedule 30 minutes a day, after first weighing the appropriateness and usefulness of the different platforms, including not just Facebook but Twitter, Periscope and others.
The third thing I would consider is my marketing matrix. You’ve got a halfdozen tried-and-true sources bringing in most of the leads. But lead sources come and go, and when they go, they sometimes go quickly. Adding a new one takes planning and work. Sit down with relevant staff (marketing person, sales manager, admin) and brainstorm a half-dozen new lead sources. Then test them
every month to see if they work.
Admin Resolutions:
One of the resolutions people frequently make, whether at the beginning of the year or not, is to use their time more efficiently. Why not commit to doing that, not just on behalf of yourself but everybody that works in your office? Get the admin staff involved in creating solutions to paperwork overflow, figuring out ways to digitize documents and store them electronically, so that there are fewer visible objects and more control. Organizing systems save everybody’s time and cut down on stress.
Another resolution you might make: Check financial statements regularly. Take 30 minutes a week to look at your financials and see where you’re at with important metrics such as profit and loss statements, cash flow, accounts receivable, accounts payable.
Here’s a third admin resolution: One of the most important functions of admin people in your office is to answer the phone, or make calls, set leads, handle customer complaints. Are these actions scripted? If they are, are the scripts being used? Find out. You could be losing customers at the point of engagement.
Sales Resolutions:
Whether you’re a sales person, or a sales manager, or an owner who manages sales set some goals, or re-examine the goals that are in place. What gets measured gets done. If you’re a sales manager, do you know all the metrics of everyone on your team? Have you set some goals for yourself? Do you know where you want your sales (or revenue) to be, in relation to last year? Take the
time to measure performance, drill down and find out what people are actually doing so that you can hold them accountable to their goals.
Here’s another goal: Run a few appointments with salespeople every month. That way you’ll get a clearer idea of what they’re facing, and you can see what’s happening in the field. Training and Education: It’s always a good feeling to know you’ve ramped up your skills, or become more knowledgeable; to know that you’re getting better. You do that by going to boot camps and conferences, taking a class at a local community college or just by reading a book. Encourage employees to do the same, i.e., learn. Take them to conferences or send them to boot camps. The success of a business depends on everybody’s intelligence. If you’re not expanding that, sooner or later you have a problem.
IT COMES DOWN TO YOU
Of course when it comes to resolutions, the most important thing is to take care of ourselves. If you’re not healthy, your business will suffer. Taking care of our health is all about eating right, exercising, getting enough rest. But it also means getting some time away from your business so that you can work on yourself. In surveys most people who make New Year’s resolutions admit they eventually fail to keep them. You can do better than that with the resolutions you make, by holding everybody in your business, including yourself, accountable for accomplishing the goals you set.
Share
About CCN
Read More Blogs Like This
Related Posts

4 Tips for Improving Construction Project Management
Construction projects include various individual steps and tasks, which can make it difficult to stay on track with your budget and timeline. From the initiation phase to close-out, construction projects are complex and lengthy. Here, the professionals at CCN walk through four tips to make project management simple. Have A Thorough Understanding of the Project …
Technology Tips for Contractors: Building Information Modeling (BIM) Gaining on CAD
Building Information Modeling technology (BIM) is a process that involves the creation of digital models including physical and functional aspects of home remodeling. BIM is facilitated by a variety of tools, technology, and agreements. It is continuing to make advances in everyday home construction and remodeling after being recognized as a key influence in substantial…

Top Roofing Materials for Severe Weather Conditions
Roofs are constructed to repel against heavy rain, thunderstorms, hurricanes, winds, snow, hail, and other major weather conditions. Although most roofs provide protection from these conditions, certain roofing materials have an advantage over others during severe weather conditions. Below, the home improvement professionals at Certified Contractors Network detail the benefits of some of the most…

Worker Safety in the Construction Industry
Construction sites are a naturally dangerous setting even when safety is a top priority. As an owner or manager in the contracting industry, it is essential that you take action to protect your company’s employees. Below, the experienced professionals at Certified Contractors Network discuss the importance of worker safety and what to do as an…

Lead Generation for Contractors: Top Seven Technologies to Consider
Trust plays an essential role in gaining customers and obtaining contracts, and a key driver in lead generation. Traditional lead generation strategies such as television commercials, billboard ads, and radio ads have been less successful with the advancement of technology. Lead generation companies allow contractors to generate exceptional leads. Below, the experienced contractors at Certified…

Operations of a Human Resources Manager in the Construction Industry
Human resources is a fundamental department in the construction industry. Without human resources, a construction project cannot be completed successfully. Below the experienced professionals at Certified Contractors Network discuss the functions and importance of human resources in the construction industry. Roles and Responsibilities of an HR Manager In Contracting Human resources management encompasses everything from…

Five Tips to Avoid Water Damage Insurance Claims for Roofers
Water damage to a homeowner’s property as a result of a leak or unanticipated thunderstorm is the leading cause of insurance claims in the roofing industry. Unfortunately, even if you and the homeowners do everything right, water damage can still occur and lead to expensive insurance claims. If these claims are not handled quickly and…

Rising Material Costs to Continue in 2021
The Producer Price Index for construction goods rose 5% over the three-year period ending in November 2020, per the Association of General Contractors. There are many factors causing the rising cost of materials. Tariffs and trade issues drive costs up, as do environmental regulation and changing demand. Many projects require lumber, steel, fuel and…

Technology Tips for Contractors: Frequently Asked Questions on QuickBooks for Contractors
Sloppy bookkeeping and billing practices is one of the most basic drivers of underperforming contracting companies. Maintaining good bookkeeping is essential to profitability for companies and peace of mind for owners. Intuit’s QuickBooks software has served as the industry standard for bookkeeping across nearly all industries for decades. Construction is no exception to this rule. …

HR Tips for Contractors: Employee Retention for Contractors Paramount Amidst Labor Shortage
The labor shortage for builders is well documented, with some research suggesting as much as 80% of construction companies reporting not being able to find enough skilled workers. While statistics like that tend to grab the headlines, the more important part of the story for contractors is how significant that makes employee retention and development…