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New Year, New Me

As the new year is upon us, it is important to review 2018 and set yourself some realistic business goals and resolutions.

So to help, we have come up with a few new year’s promises that may help you to succeed in 2019!

Whether it be the beginning of the month or the beginning of the year, it is important to give yourself targets to reach to get the best from your business.

 

green smootihie health fruit smoothie juice blender blended fruit and veg

 

 

Revisit your business plan

When you first started your freelance career, you would have created a business plan - how often do you revisit it to make sure that you are on the right track?

By looking back at your initial business plan and reviewing previous objectives, you will be able to see how far you have come and create some new objectives for the new year (remember to make them SMART).

With new technologies and trends coming into play, there will be new opportunities for your business. So make those revisions to your plan and take 2019 by storm!

 

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Expand your business through your existing networks

Increasing your scope of work does not need to be a long-winded task, and you should use your existing clients to find new business.

By planting the initial seed and asking probing questions regarding upcoming tasks - you can be ahead of the game for their new projects. Being proactive and being visible at the right time will help you to retain your clients.
 

Consider changing your pricing

Have you been doing this for a while? Don’t be afraid of boosting your prices. Every now and then you should review your pricing and consider if you should up your fees or lower them slightly.

If your brand has become stronger and your sales have boomed, you may be able to bump your fees up without losing sales.

On the contrary it may be beneficial to lower your rates too, should competitors’ prices be cheaper than yours, bringing your fees down a notch could welcome many more customers.

If this sounds daunting to you, carrying out a competitor review will be beneficial to see what services and prices they are charging in order to mould a pricing structure that works for you.

 

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mango green orange fruit

 

 

Improve your marketing plan

We have touched on the importance of your business plan but let’s talk about your marketing plan for a moment.

Every year, there are new marketing trends that you should consider. Take the time to research into the trends for different marketing channels to see if there are any new opportunities for your business exposure.

Take a moment to see which of your current marketing tactics are working that you wish to carry over with you in to the new year.  Then look at your analytics to see which campaigns are working well to set realistic goals to achieve in 2019.

Another thing to consider when addressing your marketing plan, is to find and source recognition from your previous work. It might be a good time to look into things like guest posting or paying for sponsored content; the beginning of a new year is the perfect time to be confident and adventurous with your plan!

 

Keep an eye out for ‘Brief Creeps’!

It’s easy to get sucked into the trap of people pleasing when working with a client, but it is very important that you set your work boundaries in the agreed brief.

Referring to the contract that has been set will lay down the foundations for your work and be your key reference point should you face any minor disputes.

Be sure to keep check on this, as this is what has been used to set your rates for your work; if you are being asked to do more than this, you will only undervalue your work - so, charge your clients accordingly!

 

banana yellow green ripe fruit

 

 

By picking out a few of our suggested resolutions or even just taking some inspiration from them, we hope you'll be well on your way to a prosperous 2019. Setting yourself at least three measurable targets for the year will help to track your progress.

Keep your business healthy and growing in 2019 by making your own resolution smoothie with some of our fruity suggestions.

Meet the author

Author 100x100 Faye.png
Faye Newman

Account Manager