Well, it’s official: 2015 is here!

For many of us, this is the time of year when we take a moment to reflect on the last 12 months. We look at the ups and downs, what we accomplished and what we failed to do, what could have been done better, and what we excelled at. What we missed out on, and what we embraced with all our hearts. 

And it’s with these reflections in mind, that we begin to plan out our futures. 

New Year’s resolutions are a long-held tradition by many that allow for us to set goals for the coming year, based off our experiences in the past one. They allow for us to take the time to really sit down and seriously map out where we want to be in one year, how we want to get there and what exactly we need to do in order to succeed. 

Be it a small goal, or something that could drastically change your entire life, coming up with a set of New Year’s resolution is a great way to become more focused, productive and motivated for the year to come.  

To get you thinking about your own New Year’s Resolutions, we’ve asked 25 of the world’s top marketers, bloggers and business owners what their New Year’s resolutions for 2015 are! Let’s take a look at what they’ve said, shall we?

I feel like the idea of transparency in business has become an empty buzz word in many circles.

For years we’ve claimed that we need to push for transparency in business. We’ve rallied around the idea, claiming that it’s the future of good business and that it helps to build trust with your customers. And for all the positive and inspiring dialogue around the idea, very few businesses have picked up on the call yet, or even know what it really means to be transparent in business.

And sooner or later, our lack of a full understanding of the concept of business transparency will mean that we may inadvertently place our businesses in a perilous position – A position that could tarnish its name, see investors pull out, and customers turn their backs on us.  

We want to wish the entire Spokal community a very Happy Holidays!

We sincerely hope that you’re spending the day wrapped up in tacky jumpers, eating and drinking with your loved ones, and playing awful (but hilarious) party games. 

In keeping with the merriment of the day, we wanted to share with you some very special Christmas content that made us laugh, cry (happy tears, we promise) and just generally gave us warm, fuzzy feelings.

Enjoy!

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2014 – #MontyThePenguin

I dare you not to cry.

I have a secret…

Well, it isn’t so much a secret, but it’s something you might not know about me. 

I’ve learnt everything I know about marketing in the last 6 months.

Yup.

It’s true. 

Before I started working at Spokal, my background was in Education, Gender studies and English literature. No marketing to be seen!

Now, don’t get me wrong, marketing always fascinated me – So I did have a semblance of basic understanding going into this job. I highly doubt that Chris would have hired me if it weren’t for the fact that I clearly understood the basic foundations of marketing.

But for the most part, I was starting out from scratch. I was reading, researching and working my… fingers… off every day until I could write posts like Why Google+ Is Better Than Facebook For Your Small Business, Which Social Media Platform Is Right For Your Business?, Puppy Power: The Power of Cuteness in Marketing and  5 Content Marketing Rules That You Should Definitely Break without feeling like a complete imposter.

When I found out that my job at Spokal would require me to work from home, I was a mixed bag of emotions.

At first, you’re thrilled! Working from home has all those typical perks you might think they do, such as working in your pyjamas (hey, don’t judge – you would too!) to saving money on fuel, but people kept asking me how I would keep myself motivated? How would I keep myself on a schedule? How would I stop myself from taking naps?

Well, for one: I don’t nap. And as for the other points… I wasn’t sure.

And so I started to get nervous. Was I going to become too distracted? Was I going to let my work suffer? Was I going to even get it done?

So in June I started to work for Spokal from home. I also have a co-working space in town, so if I start to get a little stir crazy, I can always go there.

And for the first few weeks, everything went swimmingly!

And after a few months, I was still working my aaaa… uhm… fingers off.

Photo courtesy of RLHyde(CC ShareALike)

December is finally here, and you know what that means! 

‘Tis the season! … To get sick, that is.

It seems inevitable for a lot of us, who no matter how well we take care of ourselves, wrapping up warm, taking our vitamins, eating well, still manage to conquer all obstacles and get sick anyways.

Being sick isn’t pleasant for anyone, but if you’re a part of a small business or a start-up, the chances that you have the luxury of getting sick are pretty slum.  

Things need to get done and you need to do them.

Simple.  

Unfortunately, you’re not much use to anyone with your sniffles, sneezing, coughing and general spreading of germs. Nor are you really getting that much work done since your brain is so drowsy and your eyes are struggling to stay open.

When you’re under the weather, you just have to face facts that things won’t be performing at 100% for the next day or two.

Ideally, you have a back-up plan ready to go, or a person who can cover you. But if you absolutely have to work, the best you can hope to do (before seriously setting yourself back a few days due to prolonged sickness) is about 2 – 3 hours of good work.

Stay productive when sick, here’s some tips: