8 Realistic NY Resolutions for Female Entrepreneurs
“Read more books, cook more, lose 10 lbs, cut out sugar, work out five times a week, stop binge-watching reality shows on Bravo”…
Let’s be honest: our personal new year’s resolutions tend to get abandoned by about March. This can be especially true for female entrepreneurs as we get into the year and become consumed with the busy routine of daily life. Between building businesses, being present with family, and maintaining sanity, those lofty ideas we had in December suddenly seem impossible.
So, now we are a few days into January – we’ve decided to focus on setting some realistic business and marketing resolutions for female entrepreneurs because THIS is the type of intention-setting that’ll actually get done.
You might not be ready to give up the Real Housewives (hey, escapism is important too), but we have a hunch you’re definitely ready to grow your business and put your brand in the spotlight in 2021.
Here are some achievable resolutions you can put into play this new year to boost your business:
1. Create a marketing/growth strategy
While we need to stay fluid and reactive in an ever-changing world, without a framework, we’re floating in the wind. Set 5 key goals and work backward to figure out what it will take to implement them. Don’t cram them all in an unrealistic window; there are 12 months in a year! Spread them out and give yourself achievable time frames. We have a great PR Plan template in our Publicity Starter Kit that will help you map out your PR goals and have your business name in lights in 2021.
2. Pandemic/disaster-proof your business
While a vaccine is imminent, we don’t really know how long things will take to get back to normal. Plus, the pandemic has changed (and will continue to change) how consumers, well, consume. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that businesses have to be ready to – SORRY, we have to say it one last time – PIVOT (groan) and adapt to a changing world.
What elements of your business can you digitize that you haven’t gotten around to yet? What value is your business adding in the current and projected future climate – it may need to be different from the value proposition you offered to the world we lived in pre-Covid. Spend some time in January thinking about this and honing in on your direction.
3. Get a little more shameless with self-promotion
Update that Linkedin profile and ask some colleagues and friends to leave you a glowing reference singing your praises. Update your profile pics with some shiny new professional (or well-lit-taken-by-a-friend-with-a-great-eye) shots.
Consider branding your personal social media to reflect the boss you are. Do some guest blogging where you have a chance to demonstrate your expertise on a topic relevant to your business. Throw your hat in more public speaking rings, like online panels or seminars.
Think like our male counterparts have been doing for years, and embrace the not-so-humble brag. You’re awesome! Isn’t it time more people knew about the amazing leader/talent behind your brand? It will only lend your business and your bottom line more substance and credibility.
For a deeper dive here, check out this blog by our head honcho, Lynn, for three ways to stop downplaying your greatness.
4. Try Diy Publicity
Take the power of PR into your own hands. Are marketing and PR totally out of your wheelhouse? Don’t worry. Remember: there’s nothing you can’t do – there’s just stuff you haven’t learned yet.
At The Launch, we offer small and medium businesses, start-ups, and entrepreneurs the opportunity to go from unknown to mass awareness in as little as 30 days with our DIY packages, digital learning, coaching, hourly consults, and flexible PR done-for-you contracts. Big agency retainers are cost-prohibitive to so many businesses – but that shouldn’t mean that PR is out of your reach!
5. Get on top of your email list
Social media is crucial but don’t underestimate the power and impact of a strong email list and e-communications strategy. It can be your bread and butter, especially when e-commerce is involved. Look for any opportunity to add to your list and keep it updated.
Free or reasonably priced email programs can be found on MailChimp, Hootsuite, and Wix. They have ready-to-use templates that take all the guesswork out. You don’t have to be a digital marketing whiz or a coding expert to generate a visually pleasing, simple, and effective email campaign that gets conversions. Most good email programs offer great analytics, so you can track who’s opening, who’s clicking, what’s working and what’s not, and adjust your strategy accordingly.
6. Elevate your social aesthetic
Social growth is what every brand wants, but let’s start with a strong social aesthetic, identity, and value proposition first – so that people actually want to follow you! Create a monthly plan to construct your grid or post calendar ahead of time (you can use the Preview app for IG), making sure you’re factoring in calendar events and business milestones.
If you’re time-poor, you can upload it into Hootsuite, Later, or Loomly, and they will post it for you. Just make sure you check to ensure everything has been posted the way you want it to look and links have remained live.
Utilize a brand style guide: make a palette of colors and fonts that you use on your social platforms. This will help identify your brand and keep it looking cohesive and professional. Figure out what value you can add on social media (is it inspiration, free tips, insider info, etc.) and come up with 4 to 5 key content categories that you post consistently that communicate that value to help you stay on track and on-brand. As concepts, these can be used across static posts, IGTVs, reels, Tik Toks, zoom webinars; just tweaked and manifested to suit the format.
An example set of categories could look like this: 1. New in store 2. Press Clippings 3. Staff Profiles 4. Expert style tips 5. Style icons from history
7. Secure some strategic brand partnerships
Check out our last blog for our top 5 tips for B2B Networking, Cross Promotions, and Brand Partnerships. If this is an area of marketing you haven’t explored before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the impact it has on your business.
Firstly, it will help significantly with resolutions #4 and #5 on this list! Extra points for targeting other women-owned businesses to collab with; empowered women empower women, and we are stronger together!
8. Schedule time to rest and recharge
As high-performance trainer Jennifer Cohen says:
“Mental fatigue is a real thing! Every Yin needs a Yang to perform at your highest level mentally and physically. Rest and recharge are as important to the overall plan as the go-go-go attitude.”
Schedule your rest and recharge moments like you schedule your zoom calls. Make them a non-negotiable part of your week – all the other areas of your life will be better for it.
“Alexa, order a bottle of rose from Wholefoods and add Real Housewives to the calendar for 8 pm on Tuesday.”