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5 New Year's Resolutions to Make for Your Small Business
Get organized.
There is probably a hefty stack of half-filled paperwork such as LLC formation certificates, EIN applications, trademark registrations forms, past financials, and marketing lying on your desk. Now is the time to shuffle through those documents and find a place for them. Completing unfinished paperwork may be daunting at first, but once you're in the groove, the task will dwindle and become a valuable accomplishment. So sort, file, and fill out until all that paperwork has a home and you may feel your desk is not the only thing a bit lighter for the upcoming year.
Re-Evaluate your ROI.
Every year or so, it is important to go over the major operations of your business and figure out what can be updated to provide the best possible return on investment for your business. Are you spending a lot of money on radio marketing and not seeing much of a return? Try focusing more resources on social marketing, and analyze where your customers are spending most of their free time. Is IT spending weeks repairing failing computers? Maybe it's time to look into buying a new system. While these changes can have a hefty initial investment, they will pay out more in the long run than if you just kept to the old ways.
Get your estimated tax payment in.
Anyone that runs a small business is likely to pay a quarterly estimated tax since waiting until April to pay your taxes is a quick way to find yourself in serious debt to the IRS. This quarter's EST payment is due on January 15, so you only have about two weeks after the New Year begins to get through December's receipts and send in what you owe to the government. However, if, for example, you run a store and have a pile of Christmas-related shopping receipts to get through, the IRS does have an extension in place so you have until January 31 to pay what you owe.
Explore Social Media.
And I don't just mean just by creating a Facebook account. Facebook is an important part of any solid social marketing campaign, but it isn't the only site out there. In fact, they recently changed their news feed algorithm, so it has become really difficult to market on Facebook without buying promoted posts. Studies are predicting a 44 percent decrease in organic reach from branded news feed posts, so now is the time to start looking at other social media sites. Play around with Google+, give Tumblr a shot, and see if you can crack into Pinterest. This is a great time to turn to your Chamber Benefits and see what we can do for you in 2014!
Update your site.
Take a look at your website - - does it present an image of your business that you want 80 percent of your potential market to see? Is it modern, organized, and well designed, and up to date? If it is starting to look a bit obsolete, consider giving your site a face-lift. And, while you are at it, make sure you have a mobile version of your site available. Also, check out your landing page on gadsdenchamber.com: included in your annual membership is the ability to post your hours, directions, a list of representatives and a description of your business for public view. If you are unsure of how to log in through the member portal, please contact your Chamber staff today!
2014 is poised to be a great year for small business. The economic recovery is expected to continue and, all in all, the world is looking a bit brighter. And while, come February, you may find yourself unable to crawl out of bed for another early morning trek to the gym, these five business resolutions are easy to follow and can really help your company stay up-to-date and ready to go in
2014.
Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you're not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were. - David Rockefeller
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Ribbon Cuttings
Categories: Festivals & Celebrations, Community, Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Festivals & Celebrations, Community, Chamber Of Commerce
Events
Wednesday Jan 1, 2014 - Friday Jan 31, 2014
Categories: Arts & Culture
Categories: Continuing Education
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce, Continuing Education
Categories: Continuing Education
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Continuing Education
Categories: Continuing Education
Categories: Community, Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Continuing Education
Take membership to the next step by exploring how to get even more out of your online benefits! Prerequisite: Chamber 101. ... read more
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Friday Feb 7, 2014 - Sunday Feb 9, 2014
Categories: Community, Clubs/Organizations
Categories: Arts & Culture
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce, Continuing Education
Categories: Festivals & Celebrations, Community, Chamber Of Commerce
Categories: Arts & Culture
Categories: Arts & Culture
Categories: Community, Continuing Education
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Take membership to the next step by exploring how to get even more out of your online benefits! Prerequisite: Chamber 101. ... read more
Categories: Chamber Of Commerce
Member Job Postings
1001 George Wallace Drive
Gadsden, AL 35902-0227
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES INITIATIVE COUNSELOR (TEMPORARY)
Category: Education
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
INITIATIVE COUNSELOR (TEMPORARY)
THIS IS AN AT-WILL POSITION FOR WHICH THE ATTAINMENT OF NON-PROBATIONARY
STATUS (TENURE) IS NOT AVAILABLE.
[Continued employment contingent upon funding]
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in guidance and counseling, higher education, or related field required; Master's degree preferred
- Previous experience working with ...read more
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