​10 strategies to boost your business in 2024

As 2023 ends, it's important to look back and set new goals for a successful new year. Follow these 10 strategies to get your company ready for the coming year.

4 mins read
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about 1 year ago

Whether your business is new or old, it is crucial to evaluate the performance of the previous year. Additionally, it is important to establish goals for the upcoming year.

A thorough checklist can act as a guide to steer through the thrilling challenges and prospects that a new beginning offers.

By formulating an annual plan, you can position your business for growth and sustainability. A good plan will improve your business's efficiency and readiness for various market conditions. It will help you overcome challenges and seize opportunities.

Preparing for the upcoming year requires commitment and togetherness from your team. This is because you are all working towards a shared goal and vision. It helps you monitor your plan's progress, evaluate performance, make informed decisions, and identify areas for improvement.

It also cultivates excitement within your team about the future and the enterprise you're building together.

Use the checklist below to assess your current status and guarantee the success of the forthcoming year:

Evaluate the previous year

Before projecting into the New Year, ensure to conduct a thorough review of your performance throughout the past 12 months.

This involves examining sales and revenue data, scrutinizing customer feedback, and revisiting any other significant metrics.

Review your objectives from the beginning of the year, and determine which tactics were successful and which ones were not. This evaluation is essential for learning and assists you in making knowledgeable choices in the future.

Define precise objectives

It's important to set clear goals for the next year. SMART objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely) can help with this.

Instead of vaguely stating 'boost sales,' set a SMART goal with a clear target like, 'enhance sales by 10% in the first quarter'.

Using these goals to guide your company's actions and decisions will lead to better results. It will also help manage how we use time, money, and resources for the best returns.

Formulate a plan

Once you clearly establish your objectives, you can start to devise the necessary steps to reach them. This might include introducing new products or services, venturing into new markets, or enhancing your customer service. Your plan should serve as a guide to accomplishing your objectives.

Organize your finances

Managing money is important for businesses. Managing money is crucial for businesses. It involves reviewing the income and expenses from the previous year and creating a budget for the upcoming year. Many people consider this task necessary and often include it in a new year checklist.

It's crucial to consider all possible expenses, such as salaries, marketing costs, and operational expenses.

Perform market research

Understanding your clients and competitors is crucial for your marketing and sales plan. It gives you valuable knowledge to shape your company's strategy.

Analyzing the market helps you make smart decisions, setting your business up for success in the future.

Evaluating risks

Every enterprise encounters risks, be it financial, operational, or market-related. By pinpointing these, your firm can devise strategies to lessen their impact.

By taking a proactive approach, you can tackle obstacles and maintain business operations.

Invest in team development

Investing in training and development for your workforce improves skills, morale, and productivity.

This is crucial in you business plan for 2024 as many companies are grappling with skills deficits. Improve your team's skills to fill gaps and help your staff learn new skills for career growth.

Enhancing Customer Interaction

Looking forward, it's crucial to implement strategies that not only engage your customers but also enhance their experience.

This could involve refining your customer service, initiating loyalty schemes, or boosting your digital visibility. Starting a dialogue with customers and seeking their input is an excellent first step.

Evaluate and Revise Business Procedures

Effective business processes can boost efficiency and cut expenses. The onset of the new year is an ideal opportunity to assess current procedures and identify potential enhancements.

By embracing new technologies or simplifying workflows, you could revolutionize how your business functions. Go to our website's resources and guides section for helpful advice, tools, and guidance to assist with this.

Prepare for unforeseen circumstances

Unexpected events can disrupt your business. Having a contingency can help your organization overcome obstacles. It can also keep operations running smoothly.

This might include establishing a emergency fund or formulating a crisis management plan.

Keep in mind, an effective plan is versatile and adjustable. Regularly assess and adjust your plan to ensure your business stays on track for success in the coming year.

If you need a skilled professional for your team or want a new career, contact our expert consultants now.

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Scientific CV Template
3 mins read
  1. Article

Scientific CV Template

​If you are looking for your next position in the science industry, it is important to optimise and tailor your CV to give yourself the best possible chance of securing your dream role.

Build the perfect scientific CV with our free template below:

[Full Name]
[Home Address]
[Contact Number] • [Email Address]

Personal Statement

This section is your chance to summarise the rest of the CV, and convince the recruiter to get in touch. It is important to keep it brief, between 50-200 words and outline; who you are, any specific skills you have to offer (including ‘soft skills’) and your career aim.

Depending on the role, the key ‘soft skills’ employers are likely to look for include: communication, decision making, leadership skills, problem solving and being a team player. Be sure to reference your ability in these areas wherever possible in your CV.

I have gained valuable experience in [area of expertise] at [organisation name] and have a particular wealth of experience and skills in [specific area]. I graduated in [year] from [university name] with a [degree class] degree in [subject], and am now an [industry] professional.

My important achievements include working alongside the [team name] team at [organisation], and contributing to projects such as [project name]. I was responsible for/organised [task] and increased/decreased [profit/other metric] by [£X/X%].

I am looking for my next opportunity within an [business type/industry] organisation, where I can bring real value and develop my [scientific/research] skills further.


Education

This is your chance to talk about your qualifications, academic and vocational. This is a particularly important section for those with no relevant work experience. You should give detail about what you studied, where and when, and list them in chronological order. If you have many of one qualification, such as GCSEs you might find it useful to group them together.

  • [University Name]

  • [Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

Degree subject and class achieved (list Masters/PhD first)

  • Modules studied

  • Skills used

  • Dissertation brief

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

A-levels:

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

  • [Subject] – [Grade]

[College/School Name]
[Date M/Y– Date M/Y]

GCSEs:

  • [Number] GCSEs, grades [range], including Maths and English

Skills

This section is useful to clearly outline the laboratory/scientific skills you’ve gained at university or in industry. Include even minor relevant skills to increase your chances of being discovered in a CV database search.

Work experience
This should be brief and, as a general rule of thumb, focus on the last five years of your career, or last three roles, in chronological order with most recent at the top.

If you are a recent graduate then work experience should be listed before your degree details - if the work undertaken was relevant. If it was not relevant to your industry then list detailed degree/dissertation information first.

You should highlight your key achievements and use bullet points rather than lengthy descriptions.

[Job Title], [Company Name] [Location]
[Date M/Y- Date M/Y]

Achievements and responsibilities:

  • Brief role overview

  • Worked alongside [team] to produce [project]

  • Implemented [change] which resulted in [benefit]

  • Received an [award name] for [reason]


Hobbies and Interests

This section is not essential to include, but you may wish to depending on the role you are applying for. It can be a useful chance to show a little more of your personality. However, be warned this can be very subjective, ensure anything listed here reinforces your application and the idea that you’ll be the right fit for the role. If you don’t have any real relatable hobbies, it is probably best to omit this section.

I organise a weekly [sport] game, manage bookings, transport and help to coach the team.

Undertook a [course] in order to improve my [skill].


References

References are available upon request.

Download our full scientific CV template.

Coaching for intersectional inclusion
9 mins read
  1. Article

Coaching for intersectional inclusion

​Everyone has multiple layers to their identity, and no one is one label. There are other aspects of their identities to consider, and no one should be put in a box. Many businesses, which celebrate Pride Month, for example, are perceived as not doing enough for people who are underrepresented in more than one way.

Recent research by Culture Amp in ‘The Workplace Diversity and Inclusion Report 2024’ found disabled women and black women are more doubtful of their employers’ equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging (EDI&B) efforts than any other group.

This is likely because women might feel their entire identity and additional barriers aren’t being considered, if they are part of more than one underrepresented group. Some employers’ initiatives provide a base-level overview of inclusion for women, but they might only explore the perspectives of white women, for example, or women in general, with no specific solutions explored for LGBTQ+, disabled or black women, for instance. Each may have very different experiences of what it means to be a woman.

Coaching people within your organisation can help leaders and employees gain a deeper understanding of intersectionality and why it’s important. We interviewed Mary-Clare Race, CEO of Talking Talent, for her insight and best-practice tips on all things coaching and inclusion.

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Q: What's the difference between coaching, mentoring, and other types of training, especially when it comes to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging?

A: These terms are often used interchangeably in the world of talent development, but we see a clear distinction between them that is especially important when it comes to EDI&B.

In a training situation, the primary goal is typically to transfer knowledge from the facilitator to the participant, to raise their awareness and understanding of a particular topic or skill and provide them with practical tips on how to put that skill into action for themselves.

In a mentoring situation, there is also an element of knowledge transfer, but in a more personalised, relationship based, one-to-one situation where the mentee is paired up with a more experienced mentor who is there to provide them with support, advice and guidance.

Coaching takes the relationship-based approach one step further and focuses on supporting and facilitating the coachee to actively step in and facilitate their own outcomes. It is not about giving them the answer but rather supporting them to find their own answer, their own way forward.

At Talking Talent, we favour a coaching-led approach because it enables a deeper level of behavioural change. The coachee must be actively engaged and motivated to do the inner work on themselves and the coach is there to hold them to account. However, there is a role for all three approaches when it comes to solving EDI&B challenges and real power in combining all three.

Q: How can coaching help businesses become more inclusive and diverse?

A: If you look at what it takes to really move an organisation forward with their EDI&B strategy, we believe you've got to take a systemic approach and build inclusion into your culture and in how people behave every day.

There are several ways coaching can help with this:

Leadership behaviours: by working with a coach, leaders become more aware of their own biases, preferences and how their own identity shapes how they show up as a leader. The coach can help them develop the skills needed to foster a culture of inclusion and hold themselves and others accountable.

Developing talent: in many organisations there are pockets of talent who have been overlooked because of some aspect of their identity. Coaching-led programmes can support under-represented talent to thrive and overcome what may be holding them back so they can fulfil their true potential. And by offering coaching-led programmes that address the unique needs of underrepresented individuals, organisations demonstrate their commitment to supporting the needs of all their employees - thus driving retention and engagement levels up.

Improving culture: at the heart of culture change is the need to move behaviours forward at an organisational level. We believe coaching is the most powerful way to do this for an organisation - by helping individuals and groups develop the self-awareness, emotional intelligence and relational competency to work effectively in diverse teams and build inclusion into the culture.

Q: In your experience, why are diversity and inclusion initiatives so important to organisations and their talent attraction and retention?

A: In our industry, there's been significant backlash against EDI&B efforts, particularly in North America, and this sentiment seems to be growing globally. The issue often lies in viewing EDI&B initiatives as separate from core organisational culture. For me, EDI&B is about creating an environment where every individual, regardless of identity, can thrive and contribute fully. This isn't just about ticking boxes – it's critical for attracting and retaining talent, and crucial for overall business performance.

Ultimately, EDI&B isn't merely an add-on; it's integral to effective leadership and to building success at all levels of your organisation. It's about fostering authenticity, encouraging diverse perspectives, and empowering individuals to contribute their best work. These principles are essential for any business striving to maximise performance and leverage a diverse talent pool, regardless of their specific commitments or strategies. It's about creating a workplace culture where everyone can succeed and where the organisation benefits from the full potential of its people.

Q: Who should be coached in inclusion and diversity within an or