Can’t shake the auld lang syne long enough to come up with resolutions for your business? We asked 10 experts in various fields to give us their number-one resolution for improving business in the new year.
HR: “Take action!” says Roberta Chinsky Matuson, a former HR careers expert for Monster.com. “Hold people accountable for their performance, no matter how difficult it may make life in the short run.”
Health/Fitness: “Commit to making one small change, and stick with it,” says Jeff Johnson, nutritionist for Kashi Co. “It doesn’t matter if it’s diet or exercise--the key is picking that one thing you can achieve and sticking with it.”
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Management Consulting: “Build a strong management team,” says Don Schmincke, author of The Code of the Executive. “Entrepreneurs get frustrated because they can get sucked into doing somebody else’s job.”
Innovation/Creativity: “Make a concerted effort to change your perspective for the next year,” says Kevin Carroll, a former Nike executive and founder of The Katalyst Consultancy. “Force yourself to identify and discover new things.”
Business Financing: “Always remember that cash is king,” says Tina Hedges, co-founder of Twist New.Brand.Venture LLC with Beth Ann Catalano. “Count your pennies and know where you’re spending your money.”
Organization/Efficiency: “Have well-documented and efficient systems and procedures for how things work [in the workplace],” says Laura Leist, an organizational and productivity consultant.
Information Technology: Be more flexible, says Jeff Bates, co-founder of tech news site Slashdot.org. “With open source systems, the old model of a command and control center has faded away. People can get a lot more done through collaborating” rather than buying enterprise software and using an IT de-partment as the be-all and end-all for tech solutions.
Tax/Accounting: “Consult with an accountant or attorney before you get into significant transactions,” says Nancy Geary, partner of CPA firm ECS Financial Services.
Marketing: “Find a way you can stick a flag in the sand and say ‘This is how we’re different,’” says John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing.
Sales: “Role-play first; sell second,” says Paul DiModica, author of Value Forward Selling. “Most people don’t practice with somebody in the office as buyer and seller.”