Ask an Expert: 3 keys to grow your business

• To improve your business, improve yourself
• Develop your leadership skills
• Be creative, and don't lose sight of the big picture

Q: I would like my business to grow 20% next year. The question is – how do I get there? I have a plan, but I have had a lot of plans. Some of them work and others don't. I can't seem to figure out what I am doing right, or wrong. — Cameron

A: Not long ago, I was at an event and heard a great keynote speaker. His main point was that our businesses are a reflection of ourselves. If you are disorganized, your business is likely disorganized. If you are creative, that is probably true of your business as well. His takeaway was that, if you want to improve your business, you need to begin with yourself.

This is the time of year when people sit back, reflect, and think about plans for next year. While typically, I might write a column about how this is a good time to make some business resolutions followed by concrete goals and then even more specific plans, the keynoter did what all great speakers try to do – he gave me a fresh perspective. So maybe the better question is this:

Ask not what your business can do for you, ask what can you do for your business.

What sort of person do you need to be if you are going to run an exceptional business – a business that makes a difference in your life and the lives of others? What sort of resolutions might you make that will make you a better person and, if the keynoter is right, therefore a better entrepreneur? Let me suggest a few:

Resolve to be a better leader: When people start a business, they give scant attention to whether or not they will be a good leader. Startup entrepreneurs worry instead about whether they have a good idea, if they can get the money they need and where will they get customers?

But down the road, being an effective leader becomes critical. Running a business requires that you get other people invested in your dream. It means managing people and getting the most out of them. It means wooing clients and customers and being someone with whom people want to do business. All of this requires leadership.

Resolve to be creative: When you have done anything for a while, whether running a business or working for the man, it is easy to get stuck in a rut. That is the nature being human. The problem is, by doing the same thing time and again, your saw not only gets dull, but you may be missing new opportunities.

So a good resolution for anyone in business is to be creative and try out some new ideas in the new year. Remember when you started your business? You were probably willing to try almost anything to get people in the door. That is the spirit. Trying new ideas can lead to unexpected benefits for both you and your business.

Resolve to think big: We all know how easy it is to get caught up in the day-to-day minutiae of running a business. As a result, it is easy to lose focus. But great leaders – whether they are great prophets or great entrepreneurs – keep an eye on the bigger picture. They are visionaries who Think Big. That is important to remember.

And I would be failing to think big myself if I didn't remember to say thank you for your continued support and readership. Happy Holidays all!

Ask an Expert appears Mondays. E-mail Steven D. Strauss at: sstrauss@mrallbiz.com.An archived index of his columns is here. Strauss is a lawyer, writer and speaker specializing in small business and entrepreneurship. The latest of his 17 books is The Small Business Bible , now in its third edition, and he does a weekly podcast, "Small Business Success Powered by Greatland." Website: TheSelfEmployed.com; also on Facebook. Follow him:Twitter@stevestrauss.