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5 tips that will help your small business

Is there any time of year more important for a small business than right now? The business you do in these months will go a long way toward not only determining your day-to-day success, but the very outlook for the rest of 2016. So how do you make sure your small business is up to the task and makes the most of the here and now?

Small businesses everywhere are asking these same questions, and to help, Susan Solovic, The Small Business Expert, offers these helpful tips.

• Keep in touch — Connecting with someone is a good idea any time of year, so why not pick up the phone and see if you can schedule a coffee or lunch meeting for the New Year, especially if it’s an old colleague or a customer who has fallen off your radar. You may also consider sending cards and greetings to everyone on your list. Selah Media Group offers specialized designs for cards for your business with the right message for your clients. We also can help you with marketing materials that you can print at a local printer or take to Staples.

• Tie up loose ends. Get out your “to-do” list, find the projects you never had time for, and jump on them when the New Year arrives. Mark them off your list and start 2016 with some momentum.

• Review successes and failures. What worked well for you this past year? What didn’t work? What do you think you can do better? The New Year represents the chance for a clean slate. Fill that slate with the things that work!

• Read and learn. You’ll probably have some extra down time when the New Year rolls in. Spend a few minutes searching the web for lists of “must-read” business books. Find a couple that look like they’d be a good fit for your business and commit to reading them in the first part of of the year. In the same manner, learn a new skill. Experiment with social media or learn how to manage an online marketing campaign. Perhaps your website needs a fresh look.

• Start tax preparation. Review your bookkeeping system and make sure everything is up to date. Start organizing your files in anticipation of tax season. If you get organized now, the process will be much easier come tax time.

The New Year is the perfect time to say goodbye to a successful 2015 and prepare for the year ahead. Apply the tips from Solovic and you’ll be ready to make 2016 your business’s best year yet. To learn more about finding the right tech solutions for your small business needs, visit Staples.com.

(BPT)