It goes without saying that small businesses will face innumerable challenges in 2022, especially as companies worldwide continue to deal with the after-effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, this does not mean that success is impossible – and there are plenty of steps you can take to put your business on the map moving forward.
With that in mind, here are some top tips that you can use to catapult your business to success in 2022.
Make remote work a breeze.
Over the past few years, more and more people have began to work remotely. While this was initially something of a headache for business owners, there are actually many benefits to remote working from an employer perspective. For example, remote works often report higher workplace satisfaction and productivity levels. It can also save you a great deal of money, as you no longer have to purchase or rent office space or can at least downscale accordingly. However, if you plan on working remotely for the foreseeable future, you must invest in making this as easy as possible for your employees.
For example, you should ensure that every employee has access to the appropriate equipment and software required to do their job to a high standard. You should also focus on improving your communication skills, especially as meetings can be a little harder to conduct from behind a screen.
Update your website.
To succeed in the world of business, you must have some kind of online presence. This is due to the fact that customers will often research brands online before making a purchase. As a result, the start of the year is the perfect time to update your company’s website. Not only will this give you a chance to freshen up the design of your site, but you can also fix any technical faults and ensure that the software you use is up to date. This way, customers will find it easy to navigate through your site.
When updating your website, you can also employ new techniques that will help you to increase website traffic and increase your sales. For example, you can begin to include SEO (search engine optimization) tactics in your web copy – which will help your website appear more frequently in online searches on platforms such as Google and Bing.
Focus on cybersecurity.
No matter what industry you work within, it’s important that you take cybersecurity seriously – especially as remote working allows your workforce to make more cybersecurity mistakes than ever before. For example, they may not have the appropriate security software installed on their computers, which could make your company information vulnerable to hackers. As a result, you should create a cybersecurity risk assesment that details the steps that all employees should take moving forward.
For example, you may wish to purchase cybersecurity software for your whole team, alongside taking more general precautions such as changing passwords regularly. Whenever you welcome a new employee onto your team, you should ensure they receive thorough training on all aspects of work-life – including cybersecurity. This way, you’ll be able to ensure that all private information remains private. This is particularly important when you consider that companies can be charged by the government when these kinds of breaches occur, which could send your company into financial ruin.
Take care of your employees.
While nobody is happy 100% of the time at work, recent studies show that positive employee experiences are more important than ever. This is due to the fact that employees are now much more likely to seek out new employment if unhappy. As a result, it is important that you know how to look after your employees effectively. For example, a 2020 study found that helping employees to cultivate an appropriate work-life balance is vital, with Six In 10 employees currently ‘neglecting physical health due to work life’. Fortunately, there are various ways in which you can achieve this goal. For example, you should ensure that your employees have fair work schedules and tasks assigned to them each week without being overburdened. You should also make it clear that you are available should they run into problems.
Work on your business plan.
Your business plan is, in many ways, the backbone of your business – and research suggests that companies without a strong business plan are more likely to fail. This is due to the fact that without a business plan, you don’t really have any kind of ‘plan’ whatsoever for your business, and this can cost you greatly moving forward. As a result, you should ensure that you update your business plan at least once a year or whenever you are planning to implement some changes into your company.
Focus on the environment.
Regardless as to whether you run a clothing company or ecommerce site, it’s important that you are attuned to the needs and desires of your customers – and, with a push towards becoming more environmentally friendly, you can achieve this goal by becoming greener. In fact, many studies indicate that customers are more likely to purchase products or services from a brand with a strong and demonstrable environmental policy in place. As a result, the new year is the perfect time to make your business more environmentally friendly. Again, there are various ways in which you can achieve this goal – such as becoming paperless and storing all important documents digitally.
Alternatively, if you have a physical store or warehouse, you could switch to a renewable energy source. Not only does this mean you are then playing your part in protecting the environment, but you are also saving yourself a great deal of money in the long run as renewable energy is much more efficient. Finally, you can set up a workplace recycling scheme, which helps you responsibly dispose of any waste produced at your facility. No matter which steps you take, ensure that you discuss your environmental policies on your website so that customers are able to know exactly where you stand.
