2019 has been a great year for us, here at the Entrepreneurs Blog. We’ve had a blast talking about the most relevant topics for online course entrepreneurs, no matter where they are in their journey.
New Year’s resolutions get an unfair bad rap, as we think it’s a good time to take advantage of the New Year momentum to improve your online course business and yourself as an entrepreneur. There’s just something magical and fresh about turning a new page, planning for the future, and celebrating the achievements of the past year.
And what better way to celebrate than making some resolutions of your own? Here are some ideas to get started:
1. Start something new
There’s nothing better than that feeling of starting a new project. Whether it’s designing a new course or launching a new website, the new year gives you that extra motivation boost to get your creative juices flowing. It can be as simple as starting to brainstorm ideas for your podcast or even outlining a brand new series of posts for your blog!
2. Take a break
Burnout among entrepreneurs is on the rise. Whether it’s a vacation from social media, a staycation or a trip abroad, it’s good to take breaks in which your main “task” is to enjoy yourself and rest. Since it feels as if there’s always something more to do, the “I’ll take a break once I do this major task” can turn into “I’ll take a break after the second major task” and so on. Schedule your days off into your calendar from the beginning of the year and make sure you follow through!
3. Learn a new skill
So this may come as a no brainer. We can always get better at what we do, whether it’s about creating courses or selling them. Plus, as an online course entrepreneur, you know firsthand how to access great e-learning. Delaying learning can really hurt your profits and even your enjoyment of what you do in the long run. So figure out what you want to learn and get cracking!
4. Make upgrades to existing content
So as much as we love the idea of starting new projects, old ones also need some love from time to time. Think about that course you haven’t updated in a while. Or, maybe you’ve wanted to rebrand for a while and couldn’t find the time to do so until now.
5. Work smarter in the coming year
Time management, resource management, energy management, however you want to call it, it’s a never ending quest to “do it all”. However, prioritizing, setting a schedule, choosing the best time management tools, these are the essentials for being productive and frankly, for keeping your sanity intact. Working smarter is sometimes about saying “yes” to opportunities, and many times about saying “no” as well. In the end, you’ll figure out intuitively what works best for you.
6. Try new tech tools
Do you 100% love the tools that you’re currently using? Sure? If not, can you make some improvements or switch to something else? Whether it’s your website or any other tool, nowadays there are so many options out there that you have no excuse in staying with something that doesn’t work for you.
7. Connect more with people
The other day a friend mentioned that she works with many people online, but they’ve never met in person. My next question was: why don’t you meet up for coffee? Connecting with people makes us feel better, happier and more productive if we’re talking about building work relationships. It’s also a great idea to connect more with your learners, no matter where they are.
8. Spend more time on what really matters
Finally, getting rid of activities that don’t bring you much in terms of satisfaction and money can be hard sometimes. For example, I still check my email constantly, even though I’m not waiting for an email. Or, you might be spending a lot of time on promoting your courses on one social media channel with lackluster results. Maybe it’s time to focus your energy on another channel!
9. Have fun
Opening a small online business with the intent to offer knowledge to others takes time and dedication. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have fun with it though! Don’t be afraid to take some risks, be bold and creative, whether it’s about messing around with new content formats or throwing a big online party for your learners.
And a Happy New Year!
This is the time for reflection, for making new plans and changes where we feel like we need change. Most of all, this is a time for celebrating! Happy New Year’s everyone!
