People often make resolutions they seldom keep. When life gets busy, everything they hoped to accomplish is soon forgotten. However, businesses rely on a more concrete approach to solve problems and effect change. Forward-thinking store owners understand the importance of developing a game plan for the team to follow. It identifies what needs to happen to grow the business, motivates the team, and keeps customers shopping in physical stores and online.
Developing a Written Plan to Grow the Business
Owning a business requires vision and a commitment to the work necessary to operate profitably. It’s essential to focus on what you hope to accomplish within a specific time frame. Create a written plan that outlines your role and the staff’s roles. Everyone should understand the actions or goals needed to move the operation forward and stay competitive. Share a copy of your vision for the company with each employee to check periodically throughout the year.
Update manuals and policies
Are some of the guidelines in your employee handbook obsolete? Since staff use this material as a reference, the guide should be accurate. Perhaps you’ve added new benefits, changed the attendance policy, or allocated more vacation time. Looking at policies and procedures based on occurrences from the prior year is a good idea.
Refresh the Sales Floor
January is typically a slow month for retailers. It’s an ideal time to review inventory and dispose of what’s left after the holidays. You can mark items down for a clearance sale. Don’t hang onto merchandise that slows sales. Replace worn signage and dated displays. It’s also the time to deep-clean floors and shelves to remove dirt and dust.
Clean your Office and Files
It feels good to start the year with a clean office. Paper can pile up fast, and it’s easy to lose track of things that should be stored vs. trashed. Remember to use the cloud to store critical documents rather than maintain files on a computer.
Hold a Brainstorming Session
Rally the team during a party to kick off the Spring Season. Order lunch and talk about last year’s accomplishments. Ask employees for suggestions on how to meet the business’s goals. Or how to improve existing processes. Make the celebration lively yet informative so everyone feels like a valued team member.
Get Someone else’s Opinion.
Often, we are too close to our business to see it through someone else’s eyes. Invite someone who isn’t an employee to walk with you and evaluate your store. You’re looking for constructive observations that can motivate you to improve. The person should note what they like or dislike about your store.
Maintain a Positive Attitude
Constantly complaining about late shipments, employee shortcomings, and the state of the economy can prevent retailers from losing focus on the positive things they’ve accomplished. While many concerns are valid, some are beyond the control of one individual. When the problem concerns business operations, the best approach is to communicate and seek solutions that facilitate change. Remember to lead by example and motivate employees to support your vision for the business.
Learn Something New
Whether it’s listening to podcasts, reading a book, or going to a conference at market, take time to expand your knowledge about a topic of interest. Being a life-long learner stimulates the mind and keeps you in the loop about current events and world affairs.
Take a Break from Stress
High stress is a side effect of owning and operating a business. Yet it’s essential to give yourself a break sometimes. Five minutes of deep breathing exercises or quiet meditation can work wonders when you feel overwhelmed and need a quick refresh.
We will always encounter situations that are beyond our control. However, the things mentioned here are simple to accomplish and manageable. Store owners should also delegate when needed to train the next generation to lead. Taking care of the fundamentals right now will help you handle the roadblocks you may encounter in 2026.
