12 Things to Consider for Your Business in the Second Half of 2014

Is 2014 going to be the year that your business moves on to the next level and starts to achieve all of the dreams you have for it? It could very well be if you make the right moves in what is left of the year.

1. Improve Your Website

Is your company’s website as slick and professional as it should be? It can be easy to forget to keep on improving your site when there is so much else to take care of on a daily basis. These days we all want to find a site that is welcoming and easy to use. Have a check of a few competitor sites to see if they have moved ahead of you and to see how you can catch up with them. An outdated website could be putting off potential clients before they even see what you have to offer.

2. Add a Blog

If you don’t yet have a blog linked to your website then 2014 could be the perfect time to add it. We all like to enter a site and find some friendly, useful posts or something funny or interesting to read. Your corporate site might have all of the technical info on it but it is on your blog that visitors will feel relaxed and get to know you better.

3. Get a Mobile App

It’s clear that the world has gone mobile mad. If there is something that you can add to your customer’s experience through a mobile app then it is time to do something about it.  This isn’t as expensive or difficult a task to complete as you may fear.

4. Give Your Staff More Incentives

Your staff are the people who have the biggest impact on your chances of success. Are they being well enough rewarded for bringing in new business or for retaining the business you already have? A good rewards system can keep your employees happier as well as move the business forward.

5. Teach Your Staff More

Even if you have a good, experienced team of staff you shouldn’t ever neglect their training needs. They will probably feel better about themselves and be more productive if you give them more of the right kind of training.

6. Let More People Know About You

Most businesses thrive when they find enough new customers to drive it forward and create more profit. If you need to attract more clients in order to grow then letting more people know about you is the best start. One smart way to do this is to print off some professional leaflets or brochures that show the world what you are all about. If you want to reach out to a whole new group of customers then you could click here to find out how best to go about it.

7. Be Creative

By spending some time being creative and thinking about your business you might come up with the ideal way to make some improvements. There is room for more creativity in any business and it can also be a hugely satisfying way to make the business better.

8. Have More Control

It is amazing how little control many business owners have when it comes to the numbers they should be aware of. By having more control of the latest figures you will be able to work out what is working well and what isn’t. Sometimes all it takes is a 10 minute meeting with some key staff every couple of days.

9. Go Green

With so many of us becoming more environmentally friendly at home it is also a great idea to do the same at work. This can be done in a number of simple ways. For instance, you could cut down on the amount of paper you use, reduce your electricity usage or be more careful about recycling your waste materials.

10. Set a Goal

Might the setting of a goal sharpen the focus of everyone involved in the business? If you are going to set a goal then you need to ensure that it is challenging but achievable. If other people are going to play a part in achieving it then they need to have a chance to give you their input before agreeing to the target.

11. Outsource Work

Outsourcing work can be as simple as finding an internet freelancer who can do certain jobs for you whenever needed. If there is no point paying a full time salary for a job that only needs done sometimes then outsourcing can be the best idea.

12. Survey Your Customers

Do you really know what your customers think about you?  If you aren’t sure then it could be time to ask them. A customer survey doesn’t have to be a hugely time consuming or costly affair. You just need to find a way to ask them the questions that most matter to them and to you. Give them an incentive to answer and you’ll need a better response rate.