The end of the year marks a great time to reflect on and review your small business’s successes. While it can be easy to get bogged down in what didn’t go right, it is important to take time to recognize all the amazing accomplishments this past year.

Take a few moments to think over some of your small business’s greatest successes in 2022. Maybe it was a new project you launched or an issue with an employee that you were able to resolve. Perhaps it was something small, like achieving your monthly sales goal for December. Whatever it is, take a moment to recognize and celebrate it.

As small business owners, we often underestimate the impact of our successes. To make sure we don’t forget them, try writing down each one in a small notebook or note-taking app. That way, when the next year rolls around, you can look back and be proud of all you’ve accomplished! Taking time to appreciate your small business accomplishments helps boost morale and encourages energy going into the new year. It also serves as great motivation to continue reaching. Name one or two primary goals you set out for yourself at the beginning of the year that was accomplished. Perhaps you launched a new product line, implemented a successful marketing strategy, or increased overall customer engagement. Whatever small business success you can point to, make sure to express appreciation for the journey it took to arrive there.

Also, don’t forget to take time to recognize your small business team and the individuals who helped make it all happen. Reflect on the successes achieved as a collective team, and celebrate the unique contributions each individual made. It’s essential to recognize that small business owners don’t do it alone—it takes a village!

CAN YOU THINK OF A MISTAKE, PROBLEM, OR FLOP THAT OCCURRED IN YOUR BUSINESS THIS PAST YEAR? 

At the same time, it’s also important to acknowledge any mistakes or problems during the year. Whether you faced a customer service issue, made an investment that didn’t pan out, or took on too much work and had to roll back on some projects, take stock of what went wrong—and why. Analyze what you could have done differently, and use this to create a plan of action for the coming year. It’s also important to take time to process any negative emotions that come up so you can move forward with a positive mindset.

At the end of the day, small business owners should take time to reflect on both the good and bad that happened in the past year. Doing so will help you gain valuable insight on how to move forward with greater success for small businesses in 2023!

WHAT SPECIFIC SKILLS DID YOU LEARN THAT APPLY TO YOUR BUSINESS? DID YOU USE THEM OR DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO PUT THEM INTO PRACTICE FOR NEXT YEAR?

As small business owners, you may have picked up on numerous skills applicable to your small business this past year. Maybe it was a different sales technique that worked for your team, or an innovative marketing strategy you implemented in order to reach more customers. It could also be something small like learning how to use a specific software program with greater efficiency.

Take some time to reflect on the various small business skills you’ve acquired throughout the year—and which ones can be applied during 2023. Did you get better at delegating tasks? Did you learn how to successfully manage customer service disputes? Were there any new tools or systems you adopted that made running your small business easier?

If so, make sure to apply those small business skills going forward. If not, take some time to research and learn other small business skills that can help you succeed in the coming year. Make a list of small business goals and track your progress as you obtain these new small business abilities.

Remember, small businesses don’t stay small forever—so it’s important to grow with them! Taking stock of what worked and didn’t work helps small businesses evolve and become more successful in the years ahead. So make sure to include small business skill-building into your year-end review routine!

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR?

As you bid farewell to 2022, now is a great time to set new small business goals for the coming year. It’s essential to have a plan of action for small business growth in 2023—be it expanding your product lines, increasing customer engagement, or even hiring new team members!

Before you can begin to achieve small business success in the coming year, it’s important to identify specific small business objectives. Create a list of small business goals that are attainable yet challenging enough to keep you motivated. Make sure to break these small business goals down into short-term and long-term as well so you can track small business progress throughout the year.

Putting together a comprehensive small business plan is essential, too—this will help give structure and guidance toward achieving small businesses’ successes in 2022.

Overall, small business owners should be proud of all they achieved in 2022.

As you reflect on this past year’s small business success, use the momentum to drive into next year. Celebrate each small victory, and keep pushing forward!

Happy small business review! Wishing everyone great success in 2023.

Finish your small business review off in style by writing down one or two of your top goals for 2023 that you plan to accomplish.

I will add two people to my team in January. An appointment setter and a project manager. Share your goals in the comments.

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