By Joe Smith
Special to the Record
Spring cleaning in business goes way beyond getting rid of office or workspace clutter.
Think of it as making a fresh start by reassessing strategies, goals and an opportunity to clean up inefficiencies that can reveal barriers to future growth and success.
Spring for many is a time of renewal. In terms of your business now would be a good time to reflect on your vision and goals. Is what you are doing today still relevant to the current business climate? Taking an in-depth look at these fundamental aspects of your business can help you re-evaluate your goals and lead to new opportunities.
I noticed recently that one major advertiser has resurrected an old marketing campaign. This got me thinking that in the spirit of spring cleaning take a hard look at your current messaging, tactics and media usage. Ask yourself if they are still on target and resonating with your target audience or do they need to be refreshed to take your communications to the next level?
Many people use spring cleaning as a time to declutter. With the plethora of new media available and the need to keep up with the latest trends perhaps it is time to declutter your strategies. Assuming you are tracking the responses you get from the various platforms you may be using, take a look at the ones that are doing well and those that may be underperforming. You may need to cut some and boost others to get better returns.
When it comes to your overall business, doing a comprehensive business audit can help identify areas that need some polishing or repairs. This deep cleaning can help you focus on improving efficiencies and give you a clearer understanding of how you can improve productivity, streamline reporting procedures or enhance customer engagement.
While you are cleaning out the proverbial cobwebs, review your branding strategies. From your imaging to the words you use and the content of your messages, are they still on point and consistent? Sometimes when we get swept up in the day-to-day, we can forget where we are supposed to be heading. Messages get garbled, images get distorted so take the time to reflect on whether everything you do is moving in the same direction.
While spring cleaning may be one chore that does not fall at the top of the list of things we like to do, doing it right can have a tremendous effect on improving your ability to be more in tune with your business. In addition it can improve your mental health, creativity and give you a better sense of control over your goals and aspirations.
Joe Smith is a communications consultant and an accomplished fine artist. He can be reached via email at joesmith@shaw.ca