As the first week of the new year rolls on, what resolutions have you made?  I was in a Bible study this morning and one friend said, “I don’t make them, because I get discouraged by my lack of follow-through by March.”  🙂

On a personal note, I assume it’s easier not to make resolutions for that very reason.  However, I’m not sure businesses can afford to take a passive approach to their business model, their efforts to increase sales, and how they are going to attract better (and more) customers.  So I found this article that might give you some resolutions for your business.  Shawn Parr is the CEO of Bulldog Drummond, a design and innovation consultancy headquartered in San Diego.  Shawn has worked with companies such as Starbucks, Jack in the Box, Adidas, MTV, Virgin, Disney, and Nike.  Here’s his resolutions:

Top 10 New Year’s Resolutions for Your Brand (2011)

REWIND TIME!

John Jantsch, marketing and digital technology coach, award winning social media publisher and author of Duct Tape Marketing and The Referral Engine, shared his predictions one year ago for trends affecting small business in 2010.  As I read this list, I’m wondering if John was ahead of the game.  These seem like they might be trends for 2011 as well (at least in the area where we work).

5 Trends That Will Shape Small Business in 2010 (2010)

Related to that, I wrote a piece a couple of years on AMEX OpenForum with some timeless resolutions you should be committed to in this new year.  Different than predictions, these are essential areas to focus on that will make you a better business this year.

7 Resolutions for Small Business (2009)

Have a great new year!

-Randy