As each year comes to a close I like to reflect a bit on both my personal life and my business, then start planning for the next year.
On a personal level, this year brought a lot of changes. Our youngest left home and moved to Florida. My wife and I are now officially empty nesters.
I’ll miss golfing every week with my son, so much so that I set up a golf simulator in my garage where we can continue our matches online.
(Our Bernedoodle Ziggy seems to like the hitting mat.)
Incidentally, if you’re a golfer who likes technology, I highly recommend Garmin’s new low-cost R10 launch monitor. It works with lots of golf simulators and it’s simple and accurate. (If you need any setup tips, drop me an email.)
But I digress. This blog post is about planning out your business for 2023, so let’s get right into it…
(If you stick around until the end of today’s post, I’ll give you a nice year-end gift to track your affiliate promotions.)
Planning out your small business tasks online for an entire year can seem like a daunting task, but it is an important step to ensure the success and growth of your business.
By setting clear goals and creating a detailed plan, you can stay on track and make the most of your time and resources.
Here are some tips to help you plan for online business success in the new year:
- Set clear goals: The first step in planning out your tasks is to identify your goals for the next year. What do you want to achieve with your business? Do you want to increase sales, expand your customer base, or introduce a new product or service? By setting clear goals, you can focus your efforts and make sure that everything you do is aligned with your long-term vision for your business.
- Break down your goals into smaller tasks: Once you have identified your goals for the year, break them down into smaller, more manageable tasks. For example, if your goal is to increase sales by 25%, you might break that down into tasks such as researching new marketing strategies, developing a social media plan, or creating new sales materials.
- Prioritize your tasks: With a list of tasks in hand, it’s important to prioritize them based on their importance and urgency. Some tasks may be time-sensitive and need to be completed right away, while others may be less pressing and can be pushed back a bit. By prioritizing your tasks, you can focus on the most important ones first and make sure that you are making progress towards your goals.
- Create a schedule: Once you have your list of tasks and have prioritized them, it’s time to create a schedule. Determine how much time you can realistically allocate to each task and when you will complete it. Consider using tools like a calendar, a project management app, or a to-do list to keep track of your tasks and stay organized.
- Stay flexible: While it’s important to have a plan and stick to it, it’s also important to be flexible and adjust your schedule as needed. Things may come up that require you to shift your focus or change your priorities, so it’s important to be able to adapt and make changes as necessary.
By following these tips, you can plan out your small business tasks online for the next year and stay on track to achieve your goals. With a clear plan and a well-organized schedule, you can make the most of your time and resources and keep your business moving forward.
How to Make Money Helping Others Plan
Everyone needs a plan. So why not help them get theirs in place. You can do this by offering planner style printables. Printable planners have become a popular way for people to stay organized and on top of their tasks and appointments.
If you have a creative eye and a knack for design, creating and selling planner style printables can be a fun and lucrative side hustle or even a full-time business.
Here are some steps you can follow to start making money with planner printables:
- Identify your target market: The first step to making money with planner printables is to identify who your target market is. Are you creating printables for busy professionals, students, pet-lovers or homemakers? Knowing your target market will help you create printables that meet their needs and interests.
- Choose a niche: Within the broader market of planner style printables, you’ll want to choose a niche. This could be anything from budgeting printables to meal planning sheets to daily to-do lists. Choose a niche that you’re passionate about and that you have some knowledge or experience in. This will help you create printables that are authentic and useful to your customers.
- Create your printables: Once you’ve identified your target market and chosen a niche, it’s time to start creating your printables. You can use a variety of software programs to design your printables, including Adobe Illustrator, Canva, or even Microsoft Word. Make sure to create a variety of different printables to offer your customers a range of options. If you want to shortcut this step, consider these pre-made printable templates – they will save you days of work.
- Set up a website or online shop: To sell your printables, you’ll need a website or online shop where you can showcase and sell your products. There are several options for setting up an online shop, including Etsy, eBay, and Shopify. These platforms allow you to create an online store where you can list your products and accept payments from customers.
- Promote your printables: Once you have your website or online shop set up, it’s time to start promoting your planner style printables. You can do this through social media, blog posts, or by partnering with other businesses or influencers. Consider offering special deals or promotions to help drive sales and attract new customers.
- Be consistent: To succeed in the world of planner printables, it’s important to be consistent in your branding and in the quality of your products. Make sure to use the same professional style throughout your printables to create a cohesive brand. Additionally, strive to create high-quality printables that are well-designed and useful to your customers.
- Keep learning and improving: Finally, to truly succeed in the world of printables, it’s important to keep learning and improving. This could mean taking design courses or workshops to improve your skills, staying up-to-date on the latest trends in the industry, or seeking feedback from customers to learn what they like and dislike about your products.
By following these steps, you can get started making money with planner and other style printables. With a little bit of creativity and hard work, you can turn your love of design and organization into a successful business.
And here’s that nice year-end gift to track your affiliate promotions. It was made by Mel Wigdahl, the creator of the pre-made printable templates pictured above. You can access it here, and feel free to save and download it so you can print it out enjoy!
