Have you sat down and reflected on the year that was and strategised for the year ahead? If not, this is the perfect time of year to do so, as you’ve hopefully had some much needed down time with your loved ones and you’re relaxed and refreshed and ready to tackle 2019 with gusto!
A fresh outlook and a renewed feeling within yourself as a business owner/manager is the perfect time to be able to think clearly and creatively away from the tiredness that overcomes us all in the lead up to Christmas.
I spend this time of the year planning and strategising with all of my clients as everyone is in the right head space to do so.
If you want to achieve results with your marketing and public relations efforts, you can’t go into any New Year without a carefully developed plan and strategy to guide your way forward. You know the old adage – fail to plan, plan to fail!
It’s important to realise too that every year is different in business and market forces change, so the plan needs to change each year. You may notice that you have some new competitors in the marketplace, or that some have closed their doors. You may also have an increased demand for one product/service over another all of a sudden – so what does that mean for your projected revenue streams?
It’s time to consider the opportunities and threats for your business in 2019.
The economy has well and truly kicked it up a notch with many new large-scale projects already underway with more on the horizon – you can breathe the optimism in as you walk the streets and it’s so great to see after such tough economic times in recent years. So how can you maximise the opportunities surrounding you? While your business might not receive direct work from these major projects, that doesn’t mean you won’t experience the flow on effects. These projects mean confidence in the market is rising, which will mean more investment in our region and more money flowing through our city. That type of upswing has a positive impact on everyone – more people gain employment, more businesses purchase products and services to keep up with demand and that in turn means more families spending money. This positive impact will take effect right down to the local green grocer and baker.
So it’s time to maximise your marketing and public relations efforts and ride the wave coming in and start getting creative and making your business stand out from the pack so you are the one that’s ‘top of mind’ when people are making their purchasing decisions.
Danae Jones is Principal of PR & Marketing firm Danae Jones Consulting