Matt Bullock is always busy at his role as chief executive of eWay.com.au, but his resolution for 2013 isn’t to slow down at all. In fact, he wants to “build products faster”.
“Build new infrastructure faster, build staff capability faster, build customer base faster, build revenue faster, build strong partnerships faster, build better leads faster, etc.”
“We think we built a lot of great stuff for customers last year and we did it pretty quickly compared to other companies but we are not happy with that.”
Bullock’s speed is impressive, and daunting, but it’s a good reminder for SMEs – never fall behind on your plans. Don’t let a good idea slip past you.
John Winning, the head of Appliances Online, is in for a strong year of growth. His resolution is all about taking that growth and running with it.
“My New Year’s resolutions are to grow our distribution network, maintain our exceptional level of customer service and continue to innovate. We are looking forward to our biggest year yet.”
While Winning’s plan may sound like something all businesses want to do, Appliances Online has experienced a strong year – to do so again will require extensive planning. Keeping customer service intact during growth is a hard task for any business.
Winning’s comments are a reminder that no matter how big you get, your customer service levels cannot drop. You’re nothing without your customer base, so taking care of them is paramount, even as you grow.
The founder of online department store DealsDirect and now head of a new industry body representing online retailers, Paul Greenberg has spent much of the past few years building his business into a digital powerhouse.
Given he’s stepped down from managing the business day-to-day, Greenberg has a number of plans ahead of him – and says part of that involves thinking creatively about what’s to come.
“I’m not sure who said that ‘emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively’.”
Greenberg’s resolution is to come up with some new ideas. Much like Kate Morris’ resolution to step away from the day-to-day operations, Greenberg’s promise is a crucial one for entrepreneurs. You always need some time to come up with new projects, or you’ll always be stuck in the rut of keeping the business afloat. Take some time to think about the future of your business.
The head of Red Balloon, Naomi Simson, admits she rarely makes New Year’s resolutions, but says her theme for 2013 is all about achieving happiness.
“I have a team of wonderful people and together we are running a serious business, but at its very core, the product we deliver is fun. So in 2013 I am absolutely focused and passionate about giving more people more good times,” says Naomi Simson.
It may seem difficult to come up with ways to make your workplace seem “fun”, but take Red Balloon’s example. You should make your business a place where people want to come every day, where people can both do serious work and have a lot of fun at the same time.
If you’re running an online business, then you’d know how hard it is to maintain visitors. But Finder.com.au founder Fred Schebesta says his resolution is simple – “to double traffic”.
“We believe that Australians need more information about the decisions they are making with their finances. In 2012 we built a lot more comparisons and now we need to get more people to use them!”
Building traffic requires a huge amount of effort, including building links to your site organically and working on social media. Too many businesses in Australia are failing to build a satisfying web presence. Break the trend in 2013 and start working on how to get your business kicking goals online.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
