2020 Vision – 4 Tips to Boost Your Yorkshire Business Next Year

In the midst of uncertain political times, most Yorkshire entrepreneurs are taking a canny approach to business plans and projections for the next year.

So unless you’re in the middle of a purple patch, now probably isn’t the time to splash out on doubling your staff numbers and booking that all expenses-paid team-building trip to the Rio de Janeiro Carnival.

Whether you’re selling home improvement services in Huddersfield, shipping sandwiches in Sheffield or promoting a leisure centre in Leeds, this is possibly a time for commercial evolution rather than evolution.

That said, there are still plenty of champion ways to connect with customers that are relatively inexpensive but can reap considerable rewards.

With that mind, these four simple business-boosting tips might help shape your vision for 2020 and beyond.

1. Grab Your Google My Business Listing

If you don’t yet have a website and can’t budget for basic digital marketing at the moment, all is not lost, because grabbing a free Google My Business listing means you’ll get a foothold in the search engine giant’s digital real estate gratis.

Your profile can include a photo, phone number, brief description of your business offering and customer reviews and ratings – what’s not to love?

2. Join LinkedIn

If you’re a B2B business, joining LinkedIn is a no-brainer.

With 575 million users, it’s the world’s biggest business networking site and the popularity of content formats like video is making it more lively and accessible.
Plus, being able to segment potential customers according to business sector, job title and geographical area offers an amazing opportunity to target and persuade decision makers who might be in the market for your services.

Head to LinkedIn.com and create your profile in a few minutes flat – you won’t regret it.

3. Join a Chamber of Commerce

While LinkedIn has its place, don’t discount the benefits of traditional in-person networking events – offering a firm handshake while looking someone in the eye creates a positive first impression for any no-nonsense Yorkshire businessperson.

So joining an organisation like the Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce has many benefits because you can test the water with new business ideas, socialise with potential collaborators and share commercial and community news via their website.

Before you know it, you’ll be joining in enjoyable activities like barbecues and golf outings – building up the contacts in your little black book along the way.

4. Consider a rebrand

If your business has been established for a while but has diversified in many ways, you might have outgrown your original branding. In which case, 2020 might be the year to refresh your image for existing customers and attract a new crowd with a rebrand – and it’s also a way to make staff feel energised for the challenges ahead.

You don’t need to scrap all of your existing brand personality but it’s important to consider staff views from the start – if they buy into the process, they’ll convey this positive energy to customers.

And once you’ve remixed your logo, company colours and taglines, you can apply them to everything from customised Kleen-Tex entrance mats to branded t-shirts from Calder Screenprint Ltd.

That’s our four business-boosting tips! But what do you think? Share your own plans for 2020 in the comments section – we can’t wait to hear from you.