10 tips to get your business in check for the New Year

As 2018 draws to an end, most of us will have turned our attention to the New Year already. And, with 12 months’ worth of learnings, successes and failures behind us, 2019 brings a fresh slate to open lots of new doors.

So, to help put your business on the front foot for January 1, we’ve got 10 tips to ensure any loose ends are tied up and any opportunities are ready to be seized.

1. Get training ticked off

When there are deadlines to meet, targets to hit, and ever-growing to-do lists to check off, training can fall onto the back-burner, but it’s important employees are up-to-date with them.

For most businesses, December is a quieter period, so use it as a chance to remind employees to complete any outstanding courses before the year ends.

2. Send out a survey

This is another that often gets neglected because of business goals, but if you’re guilty of forgetting to ask for feedback, send out a company-wide survey. Within it, ask for input on things like your culture, communication, management and engagement, and build the insights you receive into 2019’s strategy.

3. Get smarter

Take some time to sit back and reflect on the last year. Has lateness and sickness been a sticking point for you? And has it been costing you more than it should? If so, commit to improving your processes for the following year. And if you need a hand with the ‘how’, remember, we can help.

4. Evaluate your perks

What employee perks do you currently offer? How much are they costing you? And do they actually serve their purpose? Your survey or small focus groups could be used to uncover the latter.

Getting to the bottom of this will help you a) save money if your current perks are costing you an arm and a leg, and b) ensure your perks are having the desired effect.

5. Holiday entitlements

If your holiday year runs from January 1 to January 1, make sure everyone’s entitlements are accurate for the New Year – because let’s be honest, you want to be ready to hit the ground running when you come back, not battling incorrect annual leave queries.

6. Be more efficient

From training and document distribution to online back-up and keeping up-to-date with legislation, there are endless ways businesses can be more efficient, and save invaluable time and money.

If you’re a client, make sure you’re making the most of Atlas. And if you’re not yet part of the Citation team, see how our online management platform can help you here.

7. Help the environment – and save money

What if we told you, you could impress your customers, save your business money and lessen the likelihood of being faced with fines and prosecutions, all the while reducing your environmental footprint? Well, with ISO 14001 you can!

8. Raise your retention rate

Would you say your retention rates have been good, average or poor over the last year? Having a high employee turnover can cost your business big time, so, if you’ve acknowledged yours isn’t great, put some actions in place to tackle it.

Career progression, flexibility, perks, management, pay and culture are all areas you can look into to address your retention rate. If you don’t already, make the most of exit interviews to really understand the ‘why’ behind employees’ departure.

9. Get your Glassdoor in check

Glassdoor is a biggie nowadays, so make sure you’re making the most of it. Hopefully yours will be glowing with positive comments, but don’t bury your head in the sand if there are any negative reviews floating about – they can damage your recruitment efforts.

Make sure you monitor and respond to any negative posts and put your side of the story across. For example, if you’ve got a negative review saying “I was worked into the ground and the stress was unbearable”, you could turn it into a positive by saying something like “we’re a fast paced company and we’re constantly pushing the boundaries to get the best out of our team and for our customers”.

10. Focus on your culture

Never underestimate the power of a positive company culture. From recruitment and retention to productivity and your bottom line, it impacts every single area of your business.

Whether it’s putting on a charity fundraiser, making more of an effort to actively support employees’ wellbeing or refreshing managers on your business’ values, set yourself a target to try one new culture-improving idea a quarter in 2019.

So, there are our 10 tips to help set your business up for a prosperous 2019. All that’s left to say is, we wish you and your business all the very best for the New Year!

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