As an entrepreneur, it is easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks of running every aspect of a business that you unknowingly forget to think about some long-term goals. As it is the beginning of a new year, there is no better time to change that.

From social media strategy to shipping to Europe, read on for three New Year’s Resolutions for your small enterprise.

1. Engage with your social media followers.

Whether you love it or hate it, there is no denying that social media is an integral part of any firm's marketing strategy. For this reason, it is essential that you work to not only grow your social media following, but also to engage with the followers that you have already acquired.

In fact, instead of getting overwhelmed with the task of attempting to reach millions of likes, this year, focus on connecting with your current audience. Start by sharing your story and seek to learn from them, and hear about what they are dealing with, what they would like to see more of from your company, and which products or services they want you to offer moving forward.

Remember that social media communication is a two-way street, so you have to give as much as you take.

2. Invest in development programs.

There is nothing more important than setting your team up for success — no matter how big or small that team may be — as your workers are undoubtedly your company's most valuable asset. One of the best ways to do this is to invest in and offer development and learning programs to your employees. Not only do these types of programs increase their skills and knowledge, but they also work to keep everyone engaged and excited about the company and the industry.

This year, look for team development workshops that help to strengthen the skills that each employee requires to progress, as well as ones that seek to bring all employees to a higher level to ensure that they all have comparable abilities and understanding.

Furthermore, investing in development programs is also a massive benefit that can be utilized when trying to attract new, high-quality employees as it will surely be listed in the "pros" column of potential employees when considering a job with your company.

And, for you, investing in employee development means that you will have to keep thinking of the future and the kind of leadership you are trying to create, the needs you will derive from your employees, and the changes you are going to make in the industry.

3. Reduce your freight costs.

If your business makes or offers products, then there is a good chance that international shipping (and how to do it or make it more streamlined) is always on your mind. Not too long ago, it was almost impossible for small businesses to be able to make global transactions, but thankfully, that is no longer the case.

The globalized economy means that transactions with customers and transactions with suppliers may require long-distance deliveries. However, in order for all processes to run smoothly and efficiently, reliable and effective logistics are needed; otherwise, it isn't possible.

In order to maintain an efficient international shipping strategy, you need to continually consider your profit margins with a detailed outline that gets recalculated every few months.

Additionally, this year, look into working with an online shipping platform as it is undoubtedly the easiest way to organize your packages at each step of the course. Not only do the best online shipping platforms provide instant online freight quotes, but you can also schedule your shipment, pay for the service, and follow its status online.

If this is the year that you want to increase your global business, then working with an online shipping platform is crucial as it will assist your firm in moving past any obstacles that you are currently encountering in freighting.

What New Year's Resolutions do you have for your small enterprise this year? Let us know your thoughts and any current challenges you are facing in the comments below!

AUTHOR BIO
Toby Edwards is the CEO of Shipa Freight and is based in Dubai. Shipa Freight is a new online platform powered by Agility that makes it easy to get air and ocean freight quotes, book, pay and track shipments online. Shipa Freight empowers small and medium-size businesses, taking the complexity out of International Freight Forwarding, making it easy to manage legal, regulatory and compliance issues, and offering convenient ways to pay to move their goods.