As we embrace the new year, a number of articles have come out identifying the resolutions, best practices, and new insights that business owners need to keep in mind if they want their companies to thrive. With all that information available, it can be difficult to identify what’s essential. Here’s our compilation of what every entrepreneur needs to know in 2017 to create success for your business moving forward.

What Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know in 2017

1) According to Entrepreneur, the new year is the perfect time to reconsider your business plan and processes, and iterate where necessary. See what’s been running efficiently or what’s lagging. Check your budget, evaluate your product, and look for ways to cut any unnecessary costs.

2) Forbes recommends using this January as a chance to switch up your habits.

Rather than thinking in the short term, reflect on your past year.  Think long-term moving forward, and physically plan your business goals on paper or digitally to keep your thoughts together.

Forbes also suggests finding a mentor or coach to help and guide you through your professional and personal ups and down. Having high-quality people in your life can be an amazing boon when the going gets rough.

3) Think you know everything about running your business? Not necessarily. Fortune lists 10 business books every entrepreneur can gain value from in the coming year. From productivity secrets to tell-all stories of hard work and determination, these books can help you learn from others’ past mistakes and find ways to innovate your business to meet industry advances.

4) If you’re more of a hands-on learner, Inc. identifies the top 30 conferences entrepreneurs should attend in 2017. You probably won’t be able to make them all, but this list can help you figure out which are the best for your company and industry.

5) Keep abreast of the top trends and forecasts for small businesses in 2017 from Business News Daily. See how everything from crowdfunding to augmented reality is predicted to affect startups and other growing companies.

6) Want to “upgrade” your business and personal lives? Entrepreneur says improving your relationships and attitude toward life can go a long way. Making small, incremental changes to everything from your exercise schedule to your finances will set you on a better path to maintain your work-life balance and overall health in 2017.

Here’s just a piece of the pie, but there’s a great deal more information out there on how you can make 2017 the best year for yourself and your company. If you’re looking to step up your game, think about making some of these key changes and staying up-to-date on new developments in the entrepreneurial world. To avoid getting overwhelmed, don’t try to implement every suggestion here at once. Instead, choose a few key personal and business priorities to focus on, and begin your process of improving your life now.

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