Are you New Year Ready?

Every December I get excited when I realize that my favorite goal setting time of the year is coming closer. I love making New Year's resolutions, even though it seems pointless sometimes. Goal setting is important for me personally and professionally. That is how I get myself focused and hold myself accountable.

We have three more days to evaluate our 2013 goals and to create our goals for the upcoming year. I found a great article published by Huffington Post with five suggested New Year's resolutions. Read the original article here.

1. File all of that legal paperwork. Take advantage of the fresh start that comes with the New Year to make your way through that stack of paperwork and finish what you've started.
2. Re-Analyze your ROI. Every year or so, it is important to go over the major operations of your business and figure out what can be updated to provide the best possible return on investment for your business.
3. Get your estimated tax payment in. Anyone that runs a small business is likely to pay a quarterly estimated tax since waiting until April to pay your taxes is a quick way to find yourself in serious debt to the IRS.
4. Explore social media. And I don't just mean just by creating a Facebook account. Remember that it takes time to build a social following, so don't give up if you aren't overnight Tumblr famous!
5. Update your site. In a consumer survey sponsored by GE Capital Retail Bank, 81 percent of respondents said that they researched companies online before making any major purchase. That means that a majority of your potential customers have looked your business up online before buying anything. Take a look at your website -- does it present an image of your business that you want 81 percent of your potential market to see?