As we close in on the final lap for the year, there are a few things we shouldn’t forget when it comes to the up-coming New Year. The chaos of the holiday season generally tends to take up a lot of our time as small business owners and we tend to forget that the New Year also requires some intensive planning so that your brand doesn’t get forgotten when January rolls in. Ideally you want to prepare for an even better year. Here are a few things you should start planning for now so that you don’t get left behind when the holiday rush is over:

1. Reserve some time to plan your 2015 marketing activities so that you are well prepared for the year ahead. Creating a calendar to see how better to engage your brand with key dates for your consumers. For example hairdressers should have heavy activity around the time teenagers attend their school balls. Planning ahead could make a world of difference for your future business success.

2. Update and revitalize your social media and other digital platforms. Try and create a fresh new look with your designs while still keeping the essential components of your brand such as your logo and colour palate intact. A dynamic new design will help keep your brand top of your customer’s minds as the New Year begins.

3. Upping your overall service in terms of how your product reaches the buyer or how you accept payments can make a world of difference to your bottom line. Being a small business, the barriers to entry such as the high cost to implement online payment gateways and payment terminals is no more. New credit card systems for small businesses such as CyberCom Pay enable you to accept online payments and convert your smartphone or tablet into a credit card at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.

While focusing on ending the year with a large bump in sales, don’t forget to look at how you can kick off 2015 with a bang. Create higher engagement opportunities, offer superior service and make this New Year your best yet!