One of the best things about 2020 was this - and it will help you
It most likely comes as no surprise that I'm someone who's into the whole "new year" novelty; setting goals, buying the nice diaries, making a vision board, choosing the one word, planning out my revenue streams and marketing to reach those etc etc.
Where do you sit on the whole new-year-new-opportunity spectrum?
· Cynic?
· Believer?
· Somewhere in the middle?
I'm a Believer but, while I did my annual ritual of making a vision board with my eldest son and I've invested in my usual Mi Goals Goal Digger Planner (a past client #Transparency #IGetNoKickBacks), I have to say that this year, 2021, all of that comes with a disclaimer of sorts, a shadow hanging over it all; a message similar to this one that I saw on at least 10 friends' social media accounts this past week:
Nobody claim 2021 as "your year".
We're all going to walk in real slow.
Be good. Be quiet.
Don't. Touch. Anything.
(Anon)
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Humour aside, after the year we have all endured, perhaps setting goals or spending any time planning seems a little redundant. Sure, we can't control the events and challenges that will continue to unfold as a result of the pandemic, but we can make small steps towards creating stronger businesses for 2021 and beyond.
One of the best things I did last year (gosh, it feels nice to be able to say that now about 2020!) was to create the Good Business Group on Facebook. Not only has it been a place for almost 900 small business owners to come together and share ideas, ask questions and relay challenges, it has also enabled some of the top experts in everything from Collaborations and Leadership, through to PR and Small Business Law to share their knowledge with others through video trainings and Q+As with myself. (If you're not already in the group, you can join free here to be able to watch these).
These include trainings (usually 30mins to1 hour) on:
· Nailing Collaborations with Jess Ruhfus, founder of Collabosaurus
· Storytelling for non-storytellers with Jo Walker (former editor at Frankie, Smith Journal etc)
· The dos and don'ts of PR with Chriss Mannix, founder Soda Communications
· Leadership with Kylie Lewis, founder of Of Kin
· Systems & Processes with me
· What to consider when making video content with Bianca Fusca, founder Bianca Fusca Films
· Q+A with small business lawyer Nicholas Burch, founder Burch + Co
· How to truly listen to ourselves with Dusk Liney, founder The Listening Squad
· How to master IG Reels with Kryshla Salaris, founder Shall We Social
· How to use Canva for your small business with Ally Moates, founder SwitchFox VA
· How to improve sleep during uncertain times with psychologist, Dr Damon Ashworth
· Tips for feeling more confident on camera with Claire Falkiner and Jac Tonks, founders Clothesline Content
· and so many more, which you can find in the group under media > videos
Any one of these trainings will be enough to give you insights into an area of business that perhaps you would like to get better at or focus on, during 2021.
Small steps, like investing even 30 mins into learning can have a big impact on how you run your small business. Vision boards, word of the year, goal setting and planning ARE awesome, but education - and execution of that learning! - is even better.