A 2022 Spring Clean for Your Small Business
Spring is here! Put a bounce in your step with these inspirational business tips for the end of 2022
As a small business lawyer, I have a few tips to share for the new season.
Do you still spring clean your home? I do, and to be honest, I kinda love it.
I love it so much that I don't stop there. I also spring clean my office, my 5 year plan, and my business. Yes! You read that right: I spring clean my business.
I love the start of anything new, and every year, the new season of spring brings an especially optimistic outlook for me. It’s the perfect time to freshen things up and inject some new life into our day to day.
So, you ask, how does someone spring clean their business? Here are four elements of my annual business spring clean that you can try for yourself:
Know Your Money
You’ll be checking your finances on a weekly and/or monthly basis, but by spring, you’ll be able to see the big picture version of your budget.
After the renewed budget that was set at the beginning of the new financial year, now is the time to take stock of what’s going where, what’s working, and what isn’t.
It’s easy for costs to slip through the cracks. Have you forgotten to cancel subscriptions you no longer need, or services that aren’t adding value to your business? Is there somewhere else this money could be better spent? It’s also a good time to review your service agreements for cancellation penalties and price hikes.
At this point, you can tweak the budget if needed, to set the business up for a smooth and abundant path forward.
Team Reviews
The arrival of spring is a brilliant time to invite your team to open up and share reflections and fresh new ideas for the new season of the business.
But don’t get it twisted! For me, when it’s team review time, I provide feedback and share ideas with my team, but I also ask them for feedback and ideas. When it goes both ways, we’re better positioned to ensure we’re all on the same page moving forward.
You may also like to evaluate your staffing needs and automations. When you review your goals together, you may find areas that can be automated, and team members who would like to upskill or learn something new.
You can also declutter your work culture: address any tensions or pain points that could be slowing you and your team down.
Read more: Check out my blog Small Business Consulting from A Lawyer’s Perspective, where I explore how working with consultants can help you create a winning team.
Revisit Your Winning Week Formula
If you don’t already have a winning week formula, I highly recommend it—this is an excellent way to make sure you get the most out of your week, without compromising your wellbeing along the way.
If you do already have one, though, spring is a great time to review it and make some changes.
For me, this often means a slightly different formula for managing my energy and my time. For example, with this particular change of season, I like to change my ‘movement’ schedule, since it’s much easier to get out earlier in the mornings now.
I also plan some down-time to set both me and the business up for a productive path to the end of the year. This is the first thing that goes into the plan, because it’s the best way to make sure I (hopefully) reach the end of the year without exhaustion and burn out!
Services & Client Review
The services and client review is basically an alignment check rolled into a practical process.
Start by ensuring that your offering remains consistent with your values and vision, and that your clients or customers are being served in a way that’s consistent with your values.
You may want to take a look at my blog What Defines You Is What You Say No To, which explores leaning into your business values when defining your business boundaries.
Take stock of business activities that no longer add value to your business or customers, and check for offerings and processes that have outlived demand or are no longer relevant.
For my business, this is the time to revise and refresh my services and business offers, and to ensure my clients are being best served by the business. If they’re not, then steps can be taken to position those clients with other providers who can better serve their needs.
I find this a valuable opportunity to ensure we are optimising our service offerings to move forward in an aligned and empowered way.
Enjoy the fresh feeling!
There’s nothing better than a freshly cleaned business! Make sure you take time to appreciate the feeling of newness and accomplishment—just like you do after you’ve spring cleaned your home.
For further resources take a look at Building Your Small Business, The Beginners Handbook.
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