Beautiful people, if you own a small business, it's time to rethink the business trends that are no longer working for us as we approach the end of the year.

In today's episode, I'm going to talk about three business trends that died in 2022. Kick them out the door -- they are GONE.

Business Trend 1. Hustling: This idea that if you haven't burnt yourself out, you're not working hard enough is now gone. The digital wave and 2020 when most of us realized we could work from anywhere has come together to kill the idea that you must hustle in order to succeed.

Business Trend 2. Automated Customer Service: Customer service needs to be empathetic, and it needs to be personalized. I'm starting to see this in some of the larger industries of the world, but obviously also inside small businesses. So, if in your business you do not have an answer for excellent customer service, please make that goal before the end of 2022 and maybe the beginning of 2023, and consider how you want your customers to feel.

Business Trend 3. SMART goals: This one is near and dear to my heart. If you've ever heard me talk about my Sprints, you know I love me some goals. The trend that died in 2022 around goals is the idea that SMART goals are enough.

You must be emotionally connected to your goals; setting them isn't enough to succeed. It's really important that you know why you're setting that goal. It's going to take some work from you, and it's going to take time for you to become emotionally invested. But that's what will keep you centered and grounded when the work is coming in and you need to attend to your goals instead of getting distracted by a shiny object.

So as we close out 2022, let's keep ourselves healthy, let's take really excellent care of our customers, and let's understand why we are setting the goals we're setting.

===== Next Steps =====

Best ways to THINK About Your Small Business: https://youtu.be/XHetnBTyw1U

2 Reasons You Can't Focus and the No. 1 Question to Ask Yourself: https://youtu.be/peX4a_MfjEQ

Coffee With Coach: I Wanna Quit! : https://youtu.be/V1gDnqWsxnY

And if you're thinking you want a coach's support, come join me in a Sprint — all the details are here: https://sarahwalton.com/sprint/

===== Connect with Sarah =====

More Sarah Uncut: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_...

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Instagram: https://instagram.com/thesarahwalton

Most business owners don't know how much money they actually need to make to feel free. It's time to break that trend. Download my free Freedom Calculator and figure out the perfect number for you: https://sarahwalton.com/freedom