Get Ahead VA Blog

New decade, new business plan

It’s a new year and a new decade, so what better time to refresh your business plan?

A business plan is a strategic document that describes your business, where it fits within a particular industry, and your goals for the future. A business plan helps you to think clearly about your business and where it is going, and so it’s very important that you update yours regularly.

Of course, strategy can easily fall by the wayside when you’re dealing with the day-to-day running of your business, but the mental reset of a new year is a great excuse to dig out your business plan and make sure it’s up to date. Not sure where to start? Here are three key ways you can refresh your business plan for the year ahead.

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4 New Year’s resolutions you can actually keep

New Year’s resolutions are tricky things: we all know that most don’t last beyond January, and the enthusiasm we feel for them at the start of the year can quickly fade when the day-to-day realities of life set in. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set them – especially if you’re a business owner.

All good businesses operate on clear goals. Unlike resolutions, we don’t limit ourselves to setting these goals just once a year, and if we fall behind with them we usually extend the deadline rather than abandoning them forever. This is a good approach to take to New Year’s resolutions too, so with that in mind, here are four resolutions to set for your business in 2020 that you can actually keep. They’re achievable, specific and you can keep working on them throughout the year!

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Start the year right with business coaching

You might think that business coaching is the preserve of big companies – but did you know that it can be really useful for small businesses too? No matter the size of your business, you could benefit from the advice a professional coach can give, so this year why not invest in some business coaching and take your business to the next level?

To help you get started, here’s our guide to business coaching – what it is, why you need it and how you can find the right coach for you.

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Kickstart your career in 2020

If you’ve found yourself reflecting on your career over the Christmas break and thought about making a change, you’re not alone. ‘Find a new job’ is one the most popular New Year’s resolutions around, and January is an ideal time to do it, both because the job market kicks back into gear after the holiday lull, and because of the psychological push that comes from a new year and a fresh start.

But how exactly do you go about making a big career change? We’ve listed some of the most important steps you can take on your path to a new career, to get you off to a good start. Here are 4 ways you can kickstart your career in 2020!

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Top tips for using social media over Christmas

Have your business’ social media accounts got a bit neglected in the lead-up to Christmas? Don’t worry, there’s still time to get things back on track – and you certainly should, because social media has an important influence on sales, both online and in store, over the festive season.

According to research published by Curalate, shoppers in the UK are now 79% more likely to find products on social media compared to just two years ago.* The most influential platform is Instagram, and more than 33% of consumers will browse a company’s social media to research the brand and its products before they buy.

So if you want to give your business’ social media a final push before Christmas, here are our top tips to make it fun, festive and engaging for your followers!

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How to run a franchise during December

December can be a tricky month for business owners – Christmas and New Year are fast approaching, but there’s still plenty to do and it can be difficult to stay on top of everything. If you’re struggling to get organised during December, don’t worry. We asked the Get Ahead VA Regional Directors how they run their franchises during the winter months, and put together this list of their top tips!

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Part 2: The small business countdown to New Year

The end of the year is approaching, and we’ve already brought you our small business countdown to Christmas , but what should you do once the festive season is over and January begins to loom? The new year is a crucial time for any business, and especially so this year as we’re entering a new decade, so to help you get off to a flying start in 2020, here is our small business countdown to New Year!

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Part 1: The small business countdown to Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner (less than a month to go!) and your business’s festive marketing should already be underway – but that doesn’t mean you can rest on your laurels. These final weeks before Christmas can make or break a small business’s seasonal profits so, with that in mind, here’s a handy countdown of what you should be doing in the last three weeks before the big day!

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Meet the client: Moira Fuller

Here at Get Ahead VA, we are privileged to work with a wide variety of clients who recognise the value of outsourcing the tasks that either they lack skills for or that take up their valuable time. Here’s 60 seconds with one of our clients, Moira Fuller, Productivity & Strategy Coach for small businesses and founder of the craft subscription box Craftiosity.

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How to find clients – with Fiona

Get Ahead VA is very proud to have branches across the country, and we’re always on the lookout for ambitious, business-minded people who are interested in opening a new branch in their local area. Our Regional Directors are brimming with good advice about being your own boss. Today, Fiona, Regional Director of our Leeds office, is here to share her advice about finding clients.

There are three main ways that I go about finding clients for my branch of Get Ahead VA: through networking, online platforms and via my existing connections. If you’re a business owner looking for new sources of work, here are my tips for finding clients in these three main areas.

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