LET’S TAKE A TIME OUT...
Whether or not 2017 was your best year yet, give yourself a pat on the back for making it through with flying colors; another year in business is something to be seriously proud of (not everyone can do it)! We know the holidays are stressful but take a minute to reflect on your year in business. Celebrating the ups and reflecting on the downs is a really healthy habit (unlike all the holiday overeating we’re about to indulge in). While you’re mindlessly wrapping gifts, slowly pulling up to your in-laws, and happily sipping on some bubbly, take a mental break to look back on the good, the bad, and the ugly in order to look forward in January 2018.
It’s been a long year. Need a nudge to get the ball rolling on reflection?
Here are 7 questions
to help you look back & tips to interpret
your answers to look forward in 2018!
1.
LOOK BACK: Let’s dive right in, what was your biggest f*ck up of the year?
LOOK FORWARD: No one expects you to be perfect (except for yourself because you’re a type-A entrepreneur) but the important thing is learning from your mistakes. Could you have been better prepared for this one? Or perhaps it's time to accept that you can’t control everything. Either way, break this one down to see what you could have anticipated and how the aftermath could have been different.
2.
LOOK BACK: We can’t help but pick a favorite, who was your darling client this year?
LOOK FORWARD: You saw eye-to-eye, they let you flex your creative muscle, and you even enjoyed some laughs (and cocktails) along the way. What made you connect with this client so easily? Think back – where did you find each other, how can you recreate that client, what about them was so special? It’ll make your year fly by fantastically!
3.
LOOK BACK: For every favorite client, there’s a nightmare one that comes by too, who was yours this year?
LOOK FORWARD: Sometimes it’s just not in the cards – and you might have even known that before you begrudgingly agreed to work together. 😬 What went wrong with this rotten apple? Why was everything such a to-do with them? Maybe you need to listen to your gut more often or maybe you need to stop marketing to a-hole clients that are no longer a fit.
4.
LOOK BACK: We know you got social in 2017, what was your top performing post of the year?
LOOK FORWARD: Your social notifications blew up your phone, and that’s good, let’s aim for more of it in 2018! Figure out your top social channels and pinpoint your most engaging posts. Sometimes that means lots of likes and other times it means lots of comments. Find out which ones work for you and play around with them on social.
5.
LOOK BACK: We’re all balancing a bunch of different services at once, but which specific services/products of yours are selling the best?
LOOK FORWARD: There’s no point in beating a dead horse, reflect back on the services your brand offered this year. Figure out which ones booked most often, have the highest profit margins or are falling flat. Oh, and if there’s something you just don’t want to do anymore in 2018 send that horse off to pasture.
6.
LOOK BACK: It takes teamwork to make the dream work, who was the top performer on your team this year?
LOOK FORWARD: Getting the right people in the right places is crucial for making big moves in 2018. Thinking back on your team this past year, was there an all-star performer? What did they do that made business so great and how can you replicate it across the team? Putting in best practices with your staff can make a world of a difference!
7.
LOOK BACK: They like you, they really like you! What was the biggest compliment you received (from clients or otherwise) this year?
LOOK FORWARD: Cheers to you because we know clients and colleagues are raving about your brilliant work this year. Now that you’ve let those compliments sink in, which one(s) do you remember the most? Overthink them, break down what was said and flesh out how to can get your 2018 special sauce simmering to rack up those high fives!
Did your answers lead to more questions? Our 1C might be just what you need to help you look forward.