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Small Business Strategies: 3-Month Checklist for 2023 Success

Small Business Strategies:

3-Month Checklist for 2023 Success

By Fran Kruse, Website & Blog Writer
Sidekick Creative Copywriting Services
https://www.sidekickcreative.ca/

 

The hectic holidays are over, and a fresh new year is here. It’s time to revamp and reorganize your business for 2023.

You may feel overwhelmed and stressed just thinking about where to begin. But when you break down the tasks and focus on the first three calendar months, you can make significant operational improvements and leverage new business opportunities.

We’ve put together a strategy checklist for January, February and March to set you up on the road to a successful year.

January Review & Revamp

January is all about reviewing and cleaning up operations, so you start the year strong.

  1. Review last year’s performance: What worked and what didn’t? Break down each step of your processes to see what you can eliminate, change, improve or add.
  2. Assess your target market: Are you marketing to the right audience? Who are the people who will most likely buy your products and services? What problems are they turning to you to help solve?
  3. Check your message: Is your communication resonating with prospective customers? What keywords would attract potential buyers? What online and print messaging needs an overhaul for clarity and to engage customers better?
  4. Refresh systems & platforms: Update your business and contact information on all platforms and directories. Refresh your website and images. Update your CRM, change your passwords, double-check your cybersecurity, and back up data and files.
  5. Manage your goals: Pick one or two big projects for the year and chunk them into quarters, milestones and manageable actions.

February Plan of Action

February is all about financial organizing and preparing for tax season.

  1. Reassess fixed expenses: Look at monthly and yearly costs like insurance, cell & utility bills, and bank and credit card fees. See if you can reduce expenses or switch providers.
  2. Review supplier & vendor list: Assess if they’re reliable and offer competitively priced products or if you need to renegotiate contracts and find other supply sources.
  3. Separate business expenses: Ensure your business transactions on your bank and credit card accounts are separated from your personal expenses so you can easily claim legitimate business deductions.
  4. Gather & organize: Assemble financial records (profit and loss and balance sheets), bank statements, home office details, out-of-pocket receipts, medical receipts, charitable donation receipts, last year’s tax return & notice of assessment.
  5. Get professional advice & help: Contact your bookkeeper and accountant well in advance to discuss tax plans and avoid missed deadlines and penalties.

March Refresh & Promotion

March is all about the end of winter and planning for spring marketing.

  1. Plan promotions: List and prepare for holidays and seasonal promotions like St. Patrick’s Day, the first day of spring and Easter.
  2. Review inventory: Put discontinued or old products on sale. Play up the spring renewal theme for new products and services.
  3. Spring clean social media: Update your images and business descriptions with keywords. Hire a social media manager to help create a content calendar and manage your platforms.
  4. Organize events, workshops & contests: Brainstorm ideas to bring people out of winter hibernation and promote engagement. Remember to use spring hashtags like #springvibes or #spring2023 and others that are relevant.
  5. Create an email campaign: Get ahead of competitors and start marketing early with VIP incentives. Remember to share spring trends and provide teasers for upcoming promotions.

Final Thoughts:

Running and growing your business is about staying organized and planning ahead. Making small monthly changes and improvements will compound into big results.

Using our practical first-quarter checklist, you’ll avoid procrastination and last-minute stress and set yourself up for 2023 success.  

To know more about what we do and how we can help entrepreneurs like yourself increase customers and sales, visit our website https://yourconnectionscanada.ca/ or contact Debby of Your Connections Canada at info@yourconnectionscanada.ca.
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