2018 has been wrapped up and we hope it was a solid growth year for everyone. As the new year begins, it's great to list out your goals for 2019.

We create a list of 8 potential ideas you can use to craft your own list.

1. Raise Prices. As business owners, we undervalue what we offer. It's natural to think that someone won't pay our asking price so we undercut. As printers, we do this to get more business out of the gate. It's dangerous to the industry as a whole and doesn't accurately reflect the value provided.

Instead of a race to the bottom, let's race to the top. Shoot to increase your prices by 10-15%. If you provide enough value, you'll be surprised what people are willing to pay for your services.

2. Delegate. You started the business, but it's to be on top of the business. Focus on extracting yourself out of the business. If you take a week off, your training, systems, and processes should continue to work as if you were there. If they don't, it's time to dive back in and create better, repeatable systems.

3. Pay Yourself. To create a sustainable business, you need to take a fair salary. Shops of all sizes skip payroll to make ends meet especially during slow periods. This isn't a sustainable business. Get to a point where this doesn't have to happen. Read Profit First: (https://profitfirstbook.com/) by Mike Michalowicz to help you execute a plan do this.

4. Fire Non-Performers. If you have an employee that doesn't follow protocol, is absent or just a poor cultural fit, it's time to move on. Clean out the employees holding your company back and create a superstar team. Stop giving excuses. I guarantee you'll wish you did it sooner.

5. Operations Manager. Day to day operations is where many shop owners get swamped. Hiring an operations manager to take this off your plate will greatly help you to delegate. Imagine a day where the tasks you set to complete actually get done in an 8hr period. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

You may have to wait until you can reach $2-3M in revenue, profitably, and that's okay. Keep an eye out for a great fit early. This will be someone you can rely on when you're not at the shop.

6. Visit Your Customers. Take an hour every month to visit a customer of yours. Show up at their office with a small gift and ask them to show you around. They'll be unbelievably thankful you spent time with them and you build a great rapport.

Remember, each shirt, trophy, sign, and hat has a story behind it. Tapping into that story will help build a deeper relationship and increase sales.

7. Go to a Tradeshow. There are incredible tradeshows in our industry including ISS, NBM, SGIA, and DAX. Be sure to take the time to visit one. The network gained, relationships built and knowledge learned will be worth the time & money. Make this an annual event and bring your star players from the shop.

8. New Sales Channel. The world of marketing is changing. You're able to tap into customers worldwide in 15min and measure conversion rates. Setup your website funnel to handle inbound leads. It should look something like:

Website/Audience Specific Landing Page Submit Contact Form Sales Rep Phone Call

Drive sales through this funnel using AdRoll (retargeting), LinkedIn messaging, shop open-houses, community events, small business committees, and Facebook ads.

Pick one and grow it!

Best of luck in 2019 and let's all grow together!