Running a business is by no means an easy career path. From managing resources to keeping staff happy and delivering a consistently high-quality product or service, it’s a constant effort that breeds many highs and lows.

No matter how well you finish one year and start the next, it’s vitally important to examine your business performance over the past 12 months. By celebrating the wins and critically assessing the shortcomings, you can develop a robust plan not just to survive but thrive.

Make a list of what is and isn’t working

Taking a good, hard look at your business strategy and deciphering what is and isn’t working is the best way to eliminate the unnecessary and make way for the bigger and better. There will always be ups and downs, but how you manage them is what makes the difference.

Reviewing your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from the previous year, including financial, operational, sales, marketing and customer service goals, is a great way to identify your strengths and weaknesses and learn from them.

Data is key during this analysis process. Seeing where there is room for improvement is the surest way to learn from mistakes and set your business up to grow from them in the year ahead.

Set big, audacious goals

Setting a business goal that might seem almost impossible is a huge motivator for business leaders and staff alike. A big, audacious goal is the kind of goal that is brave, bold, and compelling enough to empower your team to strive toward achieving it.

This could be to hit one million followers on your social media platform, increase revenue by 50%, become the number one product in your industry market or reach capacity on client intake.

A big, audacious goal looks different for every business, so there is no one set of rules for how it should exist or manifest throughout the year. The best way to create your ideal goal is to know what is realistic for your business, but still scary enough to push you and your people to make it a reality.

Talk to your team members

Without your staff, your business won’t survive. Checking in with your team members is a great way to gain insight into their working experience, build mutually beneficial relationships, improve workplace culture and nurture the well-being of the business as a whole.

Unhappy employees create poor business outcomes. Any good leader knows that taking care of your staff, listening to their needs and understanding their expectations plays a big role in a business’s success.

Whether through one-on-one reviews, company-wide surveys, workshops, or anonymous feedback, allowing your team to have their voice heard is crucial to fostering a healthy workplace environment.

Setting goals for your business is one thing, but recognizing that employees have their own goals and creating a space for that to happen is a game-changer. The bottom line is this: if you look after your staff, they will look after your business.

Fill up your calendar

Getting through the working year can be tedious and stressful, especially if you feel as though you’re just trying to manage each day as it comes. Putting things on your calendar is a practical way to break up the year, have things to look forward to, and stay on track to achieving your goals.

Marking the dates on your calendar isn’t just about reminding yourself when the next meeting is. It’s about creating a plan that excites you and your team and inspires a desire to make the most of every day.

From staff get-togethers to networking events, company milestones and industry conferences, there is a whole year to pack everything into, so why not make your schedule count? It goes without saying that adding a bit of fun to the mix is a must.

Redirect your company to success

With a little bit of planning, a lot of analysis and some honest conversations, you can right the wrongs of the previous year or make your company an even bigger success. How you will feel in 12 months’ time is entirely dependent on how willing you are to embrace change and put in the work to reap the rewards.