January is perhaps the most inspiring month of the year. The idea of a fresh new year brings hope and new goals for the next 12 months. How do you want to develop your business processes in 2023? In the year's first article, entrepreneurs share the best resolutions to improve efficiency and scale their businesses in 2023.
From normalizing more open-ended feedback to leaning on automation for customer service, here are 16 answers to the question, “What are the best new year resolutions you plan to achieve to improve processes in your business in 2023?
Standardize Open-Ended Feedback
We want to double down on collecting feedback and improving employees' experience. To combat our blind spots while maximizing productivity, we want to empower our employees to share their experiences, pain points, and ideas for improvement.
Data goes a long way in helping us achieve better efficiency and clarity. Usually, we focus on external data from stakeholders, consumers, and other groups, but the internal data we collect is just as invaluable in improving our overall performance and employee retention.
Next year, we want to standardize this feedback as an ongoing open-ended process to give employees a stronger voice, but also to stay accountable as a business for cultivating balanced, satisfying experiences.
Guna Kakulapati, Co-Founder & CEO, CureSkin
Reevaluate the Business Strategy
I believe there is no better time than the start of a new year to take stock of your progress and reevaluate your goals as your business grows and changes. You should probably update your business plan to account for the war in Ukraine, rising interest rates, and soaring energy costs in 2022, as these may not have been anticipated when you originally wrote it.
When revising your plan, keep realism in mind and make adjustments based on the data you have collected regarding the state of your business and the economy.
And don't be shy about showing your company plan to your bank, accountant, or financial advisor. They will tell you the truth about how realistic your plans are and point you in the right direction professionally.
Edward Mellett, Co-Founder, Wikijob
Include Cross-Department Training
One aspect of cross-department development I want to focus on in 2023 is certainly how we, as an organization, can leverage separate teams for cross-department training. We have found from trials that training in this approach not only reinforces the knowledge of the teams doing the training but can also bring forth any knowledge gaps which can be addressed either via other teams or from outside training where we see fit.
Tracey Beveridge, HR Director, Personnel Checks
Systemize Myself Out of the Business
In 2023, my personal New Year's resolution would be to work myself out of my business. In simple terms, we often feel that we're in the weeds, but in 2023, I will look forward to putting automation and delegation in place so that a person's involvement can be replaceable and fulfilled if they are not present.
After the pandemic, one secret that I've learned to maximize the sustainability of a business is to never get your business dependent on a single entity. You'll need to find and develop a procedure around your business that makes it predictable and easy for a subordinate to complete those tasks, or automated by AI (a better option).
This mindset of systemization is really imperative to your growth because, in the long-term, the team leader, managers, or top-level executives doing the nitty-gritty of tasks won't get the business to maximum heights.
Alex Mastin, CEO & Founder, Home Grounds
Get Our Customer Data Organized and Working for Us
Data is huge for us, as it's exactly what we provide for our customers. But while we have well-organized data that customers desire boxed off, our own internal data on the customers we have and the products they request from us is lacking.
So, our sales process at the moment is a little "spray and pray"—something we're really keen on changing. With what seems to be a recession looming, we know we can't continue with our randomized and ill-thought-out sales process, and instead, we need a more strategic and focused approach.
So for us, our biggest resolution this year is to make sure our customer data has in-depth information that can feed into our CRM software appropriately and aid our sales processes in becoming much more productive.
Danny Collins, Technical Director, Reg Car Check
Make the Workplace a Haven for Creativity
Refreshing the collaboration process to place more emphasis on "to hear and be heard" is a top-notch New Year's resolution that I plan to follow as an office manager to enhance my organization's processes.
Since the trajectory and definition of success are continually changing, one can never firmly adhere to the standards set forth by their early forebears. Therefore, adopting creative marketing, delegation, execution, and even outsourcing strategies is the greatest thing to do to make one's presence felt in the industry. The ideal way to do this, according to me, is by deciding to allow staff members more freedom to express their opinions without worrying about being ridiculed for thinking "out of the box."
Therefore, it is time to resolve to make the workplace a haven for creativity, which I believe will help me and my colleagues see the dawn of collaborative success in our profession.
Michael Woods, Office Manager, Uniwide Formations
Explore Automation More
Business process automation will make the workflow smoother, decrease the work burden on employees, and motivate and rejuvenate them. BPA will also enhance employee and customer satisfaction, allowing customers to get consistent and improved services.
There are many areas in business where one can use automation, such as invoice processing, customer support, and hiring. There are steps like checking, routing, and coding in invoice processing, and automating these steps will bring fast and efficient results. Bots in customer support will boost operational excellence, and the issues of customers can get addressed quickly. Automation will also help in the easy onboarding of new employees.
Ryan Knoll, Owner, Tidy Casa
More Transparency Among the Workforce
Communication is undeniably a large part of efficient processes, and at our company, the 2023 resolution is to make interpersonal communication more frequent and transparent.
When managers and employees have an open conversation about day-to-day tasks, individual goals, obstacles, performance-enhancing tactics, the interests of each employee, and more, the processes are bound to become much smoother and more efficient. When a workplace prioritizes transparency, it gives employees more of a say in the processes, and this serves to improve it.
Asma Hafejee, Sr. Marketing Executive, CMR Surgical
Focus on Employee Wellness
You should not underestimate the potential damage that "Quiet Quitting" and "The Great Resignation" could do to your company.
Improving workers' happiness can help avert such problems. Implementing hybrid and flexible work patterns, giving a manageable workload, career development possibilities, good feedback, and routine social activities are all brilliant methods to keep employees happy and engaged at work.
Establishing goals for the coming year can help your company take advantage of the renewed enthusiasm and optimism that permeates the workplace at this time of year and pave the way for greater success in the coming year.
Frederic Linfjärd, Director of Growth Marketing, Planday
Reinvest in the Community
We reward givers. This guiding principle inspired me to make a New Year's resolution to give back to the community by using compassionate business practices.
Everyone in our organization will take part in a group effort and brainstorming session to identify a cause we support and can use our enterprise to raise awareness of, provide financial support for, and dedicate resources to. It will both start giving back to the community to which we belong and achieve our destiny of becoming "good human beings."
People's sympathy and acknowledgment will be our rewards, and this is just what we hope to achieve by making the commitment to "put in more effort to give back to the community" for the new year.
Sean Harris, Managing Editor, Family Destinations Guide
Create Better Online Communication Protocols
My New Year's resolution for improving remote HR processes is to focus on creating better communication protocols. This includes setting up regular check-ins with remote employees, providing clear expectations and guidelines for remote work, and creating a system for tracking progress and providing feedback.
I will work to ensure that remote employees feel connected to their teams and colleagues and that we value them as members of the organization.
Grace He, People & Culture Director, Teambuilding.Com
Outsource More So We Can Focus
Giving responsibilities to a third party can be tricky, but my experiences in outsourcing have taught me that there are many benefits. Hence, I want to focus on it more.
Outsourcing will improve my business processes. For instance, I plan to have an outsourcing team for the technical aspects of my business. They will manage the inflow and outflow of data, ensuring there won't be any data leaks from our company.
Our company will have a robust cybersecurity system, and they will also help in the automation of our tasks. As a result, our in-house team can focus more on other vital aspects of our brand.
Cynthia Hamilton, Marketing Director, OGLF
Try Out the Six Sigma Method
Every business might benefit from some streamlining at the start of a new year. Six Sigma, an innovative method for streamlining, improving, and optimizing business processes, is one effective strategy.
Although its original purpose was to enhance production methods, many sectors now benefit from its implementation, which dates back to 1986.
Consult with Six Sigma experts for guidance and training as you implement the technique in your organization. This has the potential to significantly improve your productivity and bring about even greater achievements for you in 2023 and beyond.
Timothy Allen, Sr. Corporate Investigator, Corporate Investigation Consulting
Delegate More Work
One of my New Year's resolutions for 2023 is to delegate and automate more of my work. I have huge plans for my business, but I realize I can only execute them by delegating more.
Rather than investing my time in work, my goal is to train others to complete that work for me. I plan to set up automation systems with people and tools like Zapier, so I can avoid getting as involved in day-to-day work. Doing this will allow me to focus on the tasks I love most, such as link-building, writing content, and high-level strategy.
Axel DeAngelis, Founder, Jumpcoast
Implement a More Efficient Project Management System
One New Year's resolution I plan to achieve to improve processes in my business in 2023 is to implement a more efficient project management system. Currently, we rely heavily on email and spreadsheets to track tasks and deadlines, which can lead to miscommunications and missed deadlines.
By implementing project management software, we will assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and track progress in a more organized and efficient manner. This will not only improve the efficiency of our team but also allow us to take on more projects without sacrificing quality. We will also better track our progress and identify areas for improvement, leading to increased productivity and profitability.
Automate Customer Service Billing
One of my New Year's resolutions for 2023 is to improve processes in my business by investing in automation. Automation has the potential to make operations more efficient, reduce costs, and help save time.
It can also reduce manual labor and mistakes that may arise from human error. For example, I plan to implement automated systems for data collection and analysis, as well as automated processes for customer service, billing, and inventory management.
Mark McShane, Marketing Director, Birmingham First Aid Courses