I always love the start of a new year. It’s when I start a new calendar, clean out my files and desk, and take a hard look at the direction of my work. It’s the perfect time for deciding whether to change direction or firmly stay the course.

With that in mind, here are five easy new year’s resolutions for every business in 2015.

1. Plan ahead more. If you spent the past year flying by the seat of your pants, make the effort this year to plan meetings, events, promotions, emails, social media posts, and more further in advance. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much time you save in the long run, and how organized life feels.

2. Join a networking group. There’s nothing like being surrounded by other business people to spark new ideas, and every community has something such as a chamber of commerce or other similar group. Enjoy the time spent bouncing ideas off of other like-minded individuals, and eventually you may even partner up for a new promotional idea.

3. Give more. It feels good to give back to your community, and customers enjoy supporting businesses that they see are doing their part. Check into donating surplus food to nearby shelters, running canned food drives, donating a portion of proceeds for the night/week/month to a charity you hold in high regard. Involve everyone in the effort to make the most impact.

4. Support local businesses. It can be hard to get everything you need from local suppliers, but if customers see that you’re making the effort to purchase fruits and vegetables from a nearby farm, or getting your milk and butter from the dairy in the next town, it will reinforce your love for the local community.

5. Do more delegating. I’m guilty of this one myself. So many times I think that things will get done faster if I just do them myself, but no one person can do everything. Imagine how much your business could achieve if you just handed off a few of your daily/weekly tasks to someone else? Life won’t end if something isn’t perfect the first time around. Correct the mistake if it happens, and move on. The free time you’ll gain to work on other tasks is priceless.

What are your business resolutions for 2015? Tell me about them in the comments section below!

–Liz