Ten Ways to Start the Year with a Bang!

Cheers to 2020! This new year already has some exciting buzz surrounding it: it’s a leap year, and you may have seen the meme about how many of the holidays this year take place on or around the weekend. Clichés in January—here’s looking at you, “New Year, New You”—abound, but there is something to the resolution to do better when we’re facing a fresh calendar.

Here are ten ways to start the new year with a bang:

1.       Attend the Metro Chamber of Commerce’s Preview Las Vegas on January 17th. With a new event location at the Wynn, plus a dynamic speaker in the NFL’s Roger Goodell, it’s sure to have an energizing agenda!

2.       Get curious. A business coach once advised to find out the why behind just about any topic. And doing so in a way that draws from a place of curiosity creates space for real, transparent communication.

3.       Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. Whether it be a referral, an introduction, or for a client to share his or her experience, it never hurts to ask. If you bring value to those you serve, others will be happy to recommend you to others or refer their contacts who need what you offer.

4.       Make the most of your Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce membership. President and CEO Mary Beth Sewald advises to know what your benefits are and that many organizations can select the benefit options that make the most sense for their business goals. “Do you need to go to events and meet people,” she says. “Or are you interested in HR tools or learning about the latest rules and regulations?” Mary Beth also shares that the Chamber is creating a Member Success Team; watch for details soon.

5.       Share your knowledge. Are you an expert in a certain field or industry? If you are, sharing information that is pertinent to your prospective or existing clients can be a worthy initiative. This can be done in a continuing education presentation or via a whitepaper that you share with your audience. As you do, make sure it’s valuable to them and worth their time.

6.       Use LinkedIn as a business tool. Have you ever considered reaching out to your potential clients via LinkedIn? Or keeping up with past colleagues or industry experts on the professional social media site? A personalized note with your value proposition can be an interesting way to harvest new relationships.

7.       Get schooled. UNLV has a fairly comprehensive continuing education certificate program, as well as many other higher education institutions do. Why not take a course on either something you’ve always wanted to learn—or a topic that you consider a weakness?

8.       Develop relationships the “write” way. When you check your mail, don’t you gravitate toward anything that doesn’t look like a bill or advertisement? I schedule “Thank You Fridays” in my calendar, and it’s incredible how much people appreciate handwritten notes.

9.       Get into the community. Serve. Network. Learn. Find an organization that helps a cause that you value. Are you an animal lover? Consider volunteering at the Animal Foundation. Want to support kiddos? Think of Make-A-Wish or the Discovery Children’s Museum. Are you a financial whiz? Share your expertise with Junior Achievement.

10.   Grow your leadership skills. A Chamber affiliate, the Leadership Foundation of Greater Las Vegas has several phenomenal programs for people looking to develop professionally—and even personally. This author can personally recommend the Leadership Las Vegas program, a ten-month program for experienced professionals to learn together and make a big impact in the community.

Wishing you a successful start to this year and decade!

This post was originally written by Shan Bates-Bundick for The Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce’s January 2020 Business Voice magazine. Click here to view the original article.