7 Things Your Organization Should Do Before January 1st

Work on your goals now so you can hit the ground running after the holidays. Here are seven steps to help you wrap up this year and prepare for a successful next year.

Tis the season to reflect on the past and plan for the future! It’s a natural time for businesses to review, refine, and reshape their goals. Ask the big questions: Did we reach the goals for this year? How can we do better? What dessert(s) will I want for Christmas dinner?

1: Send end-of-Year reports.

Show off your work! Whether you’re a small business, non-profit organization, or large corporation, now is the time to shine. Communicate with your board members, supporters, and customers in a way that gets them excited about your accomplishments. For non-profit organizations, everything ramps up with requests for donations on Giving Tuesday and right into the chaos of tax-compliant, end-of-year donation receipt letters.

2: Refine your target audience.

Now is the perfect time to review your client database. Who were the successful clients? What are the similar characteristics of those clients that can be used to refine your target audience? Do you need to branch out into other demographics, or do you need to zero in on a specific type of recurring customer? Developing a fine-tuned target audience allows a business to be more efficient and effective with communication, marketing, and sales goals.

3: Refine what you offer.

You can’t do everything. Were there any products or services that you really need to spotlight? Are there any products or services that are no longer offered, or shouldn’t be because of the cost, process, or pure frustration caused by their existence? Trim what needs to be trimmed, and nurture what can grow.

4: Develop the marketing budget.

Review the goals that were set for this year. Make notes of what was or wasn’t accomplished. Develop a marketing strategy for next year with the refined target audience and products in mind. Set goals that are specific, measurable, realistic, and achievable with your available resources. Start the process of gathering estimates on direct mail campaigns, brochures, digital advertisements, or other pieces of your marketing strategy.

5: Update materials with current information.

Make sure customers know all of that carefully researched and refined information! Update printed collateral such as business cards, product guides, calendars, and brochures. If you or your team is working remotely, make sure contact information and procedures are clear. Now is also good time to refresh the website; outdated announcements or product availability will make it seem like you’re not open for business. Update the pinned tweet and Facebook post, along with product displays and signage in the front window.

6: Review Accessibility.

While you’re refreshing the organization’s online presence, consider a free accessibility audit to ensure your website is ADA compliant. An accessible website opens your business to customers with limited movement, vision impairment, or hearing impairment.

7: Send a card!

It’s never a bad idea to reconnect with the people who made your business successful this year. Say thanks, wish them a happy holiday season, show off what’s possible… It might be worthwhile to include a reminder of how you can help them reach their own goals in the coming year.

Is now a good time to point out that Coughlin makes custom cards, calendars, and everything else needed to reach out to your highly-targeted, freshly-curated audience?

Let’s work together!

Be bold with your plans. Be strategic in how you make things happen. We’re here to help reach those goals. Cheers!

Life is busy. Let Coughlin take care of designing and printing your marketing materials, mailings, and more so you can focus on other details. Schedule a free consultation so we can help you succeed in the new year.