Be a Better Entrepreneur in 2014 with New Year's Resolutions

Since we're only a few weeks into 2014, it's a good time for entrepreneurs to wipe the slate clean and look at the year ahead with fresh eyes. Seasoned entrepreneur Alex F Bouri offers some words of advice for taking advantage of the new year and the opportunity to make New Year's resolutions.

Start with an Evaluation…

What seemed to work last year and what didn't work? Being honest with yourself is the only way to truly evaluate your business plan and start with a clean slate.

Tackle Challenges Head On

It can sometimes be difficult to admit to yourself that you have weaknesses, but it's extremely beneficial to do so. Once you identify what's challenging you most, you can figure out how to tackle it. As a New Year's resolution, stop thinking up all the excuses for why you can't do something, and start focusing on the reasons why you should.

Incorporate More Technology

Nowadays, there's an app for almost anything. Why aren't you taking advantage of this? Apps are huge time savers, can help you stay organized, and are extremely easy to get accustomed to. It's simply a matter of researching the ones that you'd find most helpful. This can help you to incorporate other goals, like keeping all your employees more informed and checking items off a to-do list every day.

Connect with Clients

If you're a small business, you probably know a lot of your clients by name. Take advantage of this by sending out holiday cards or sending personalized e-mails with deals they might find useful. If your clients feel as though they know you on a personal level, they'll be more likely to stick with you in the long-term.

Set More Incentives

For many people, the goal is improving KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). It's hard to do that without the help of your employees, and it's hard to get them to do that without incentives. Hold contests to see who can sign on the most new customers, make the most phone calls in a day, or make the biggest upsell. Every little bit counts!