Small Businesses Resolve to Grow Bigger, Get Faster in 2014

While individuals may resolve to slim down in the new year, many small business owners say they are all about getting bigger in 2014.

New data from Constant Contact suggests just over half of U.S. small business owners set company resolutions each year, and the top goal is unsurprisingly to grow annual revenue. The second most popular resolution, according to 18% of respondents, is striving to run the business more efficiently.

The good news? Keeping business resolutions may be easier than getting to the gym five times a week. Fifty-three percent of business owners surveyed say keeping their professional resolutions is easier than sticking to personal goals, with only 27% saying business resolutions are more challenging.

“Business resolutions can be easier to measure, as can the rewards if you stick to them, so I think staying focused on them can feel a bit easier,” said Constant Contact senior VP Christopher M. Litster in a statement released Monday.

Resolutions That Lead to Success

However, while growing revenue and becoming more efficient are worthy goals, business owners seem to find even greater success with more specific, targeted resolutions.

When asked what resolutions they kept in the past that actually helped their business, survey respondents said resolutions like “Blog more frequently,” “Create a marketing plan,” and “Ask for more help” led to actual improvements. As a result, setting smaller resolutions that are more easily achievable may help business owners reach more overarching goals like growing revenue.

Constant Contact surveyed 1,305 small business owners in Nov. 2013. All of the survey respondents were customers of Constant Contact, an online marketing company targeted to small businesses.