Recently, we’ve seen signs that many businesses are reopening during the last quarter of 2020. Yet uncertainty remains. In some states, businesses have reopened in recent weeks only to be told to close or reduce their capacity for customers. It’s becoming increasingly challenging to plan for the future. Consequently, many business owners and leaders might wonder how they can develop a growth strategy for 2021.

What you need is a strategic direction to provide purpose for your business and help you set realistic goals to accomplish in the coming year.

Here are some ways to build your 2021 business strategy…

Client consultations are full of opportunity for your business. A thorough consultation can help you identify the right products and services for each client, build valuable client relationships, and even upsell services.

The perfect client consultation will do all of this well, but conducting a fantastic consultation can be a challenge. If consultations are a regular part of your business, it’s worth your time to focus on perfecting them.

Steps to the best client consultation experience

A great consultation isn’t as simple as it might seem. A lot of thought and preparation go into creating an effective consultation that converts a prospect into a customer or client.

1. Understand your goals

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The coronavirus pandemic has required many businesses, including hotels, to close temporarily. As states reopen, the hotel industry is preparing to welcome guests again.

But it can be challenging to manage staff and guest safety in a hotel, while preventing virus transmission. A detailed, carefully planned hotel reopening guide is key to your hotel’s success. Here are some important items to include.

Start with your local requirements

As states gradually reopen, they’re each releasing their own guidelines for different types of businesses. Most states are reopening in phases, so it’s important to determine which phase includes hotel reopenings in your state.

Check with your state…

The coronavirus pandemic has forced retail stores and businesses to shut down across the United States. With states gradually reopening, more and more of these stores can once again open their doors — with a few changes in place.

If you’re preparing for a store reopening, you’ll need to be ready for an experience that’s not at all like business as usual. However, with the proper precautions in place and some flexibility in your business model, you can successfully reopen your store and welcome customers back.

Check your local requirements

Before planning your store reopening, check with your state government. Many states are reopening…

It’s not uncommon for founders and early employees to think about their companies in deeply personal ways. Some of my friends talk about their work the way other friends discuss their children.

In some ways, this can be positive. A deep level of care for your business increases the effort you put in and the thoughtfulness of your choices. On the other hand, it can become unhealthy. For example, if you’ve put all of your resources and energies into your business, then if it comes crashing down, you’ll crash, too.

Furthermore, it can be difficult to give up control of…

Celebrating your team member’s birthday in 2021 looks a little different than in years past, but it is still an important way to cultivate team culture, boost morale and improve your business’s bottom line. Celebrating employee birthdays shows that you care and can serve as a great motivator for employees to do their best at work.

A 2019 study from talent advisory company Kincentric found that rewards and recognition were the strongest drivers of workplace engagement aside from pay and benefits. Recognition is also tied to lower turnover and higher performance at work. …

Is there “one weird trick” that will serve every entrepreneur well, no matter what their business model or industry might be? Yes, I think there is. But it’s decidedly un-sexy and even unpopular these days.

It’s regular meetings. Yes, really.

The ongoing crisis did nothing to help the cause of meetings. Corralling your employees onto Zoom calls might have made meetings a little more convenient, but most folks still think these events are a waste of time and money, and that they’re excruciating exercises in futility. And, there are even some who say meetings should be abolished altogether if possible.

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With millennials increasingly on the job search, and talented young graduates still hunting for jobs during the ongoing crisis, it is time to think about how to attract the best talent for the best price for your business. Millennials (and even younger professionals as well) are often beneficial additions to your team, as they tend to be creative, digitally savvy and willing to grow with a company. Hiring millennials for their intelligence, even if they don’t have experience, can help you save money and grow your business in the long run.

Survey results from career site Monster show that 45%…