Guest commentary: How tri-county small business owners can kick off 2025 with confidence
By Melissa Macias and Brenda Cervantes
Every new year brings an opportunity for entrepreneurs to evaluate the state of their business and adjust their strategies to prepare for success in the year ahead.
Here in the tri-county region, Ventura County’s 2025 GDP is estimated to be markedly higher than in previous years according to a recent California Economic Forecast, and a new study from SmartAsset ranked Santa Barbara County as the highest in business growth rate for all of California. Also, tech, tourism and real estate are expected to buoy the Central Coast economy in 2025.
With an ever-evolving landscape, it’s more important than ever for business owners to establish a plan while staying flexible and adapting as needed.
Here are a few steps business leaders can take to start the new year strong.
CONDUCT A SWOT ANALYSIS
Regularly reviewing your business’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) is important no matter what time of year, but especially as you’re realigning on goals at the start of the year.
Identifying what works well, what needs improvement, and any possible external challenges will allow you to adjust your business plan to ensure you can capitalize on advantages and address pain points.
For example, if you notice customer retention is a struggle for your business, consider adjusting your budget to allocate funds to marketing and customer investment strategies.
Or, if inflation is a concern for your business in the year ahead, you may need to adjust your pricing accordingly.
You wouldn’t be alone, as 57% of business owners say they are raising prices due to the impacts of inflation, according to Bank of America’s recent 2024 Women & Minority Business Owner Spotlight.
CONSIDER EXPANSION STRATEGIES
After conducting your SWOT analysis and updating your business plan accordingly, you may be looking to expand.
Our report found that 63% of business owners are planning to do just that in the year ahead.
When looking at how best to grow your business, make sure to consider what expansion strategies make the most sense.
Should you grow your online presence or open a new storefront?
Narrowing down and investing in the strategies that will best serve your business will help you see the biggest return on investment, rather than stretching yourself — and your budget — too thin.
ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT
A business cannot run without its employees so it’s crucial to evaluate your hiring processes and investments for retention.
Bank of America’s recent report found that many business owners are investing in educational resources for employees such as on-site training programs to further their career growth.
Forging stronger relationship with employees will not only help increase retention but offer you more support to avoid working longer hours.
SUPPLEMENT WITH TECHNOLOGY
The entrepreneurial spirit can often encourage you to manage all tasks and workflows yourself, but utilizing technology that can simplify your day-to-day is only going to help increase efficiency and productivity.
In fact, 71% of small business owners said they digitally optimized their business over the past 12 months, according to the 2024 Business Owner Spotlight.
Technology can help with a variety of challenges — AI and automation tools can source and screen potential candidates, project management tools can strengthen team collaboration, and customer relationship management systems can provide useful information about customer behaviors to ensure your strategies are efficient.
Small businesses must embrace and invest in the right technology to optimize operations and stay competitive.
SOURCE THE NECESSARY CAPITAL
To make any of this happen, you need the proper capital.
Across the Central Coast, Bank of America extended $565 million to local businesses in 2024, reflecting confidence and growth in the region.
Despite the need, many entrepreneurs do face challenges accessing capital. Consider all options to determine the choice best for your business.
Traditional bank loans are useful and are likely the default option, but there are many other resources such as business grants that do not need to be paid back and may make more sense for your needs.
If you’re looking for somewhere to start, ask your banker or visit Bank of America’s Access to Capital Directory, which offers a variety of free and low-cost capital resources to consider.
As the nation’s top small business lender, Bank of America knows that local businesses create jobs and anchor our communities.
As we enter a new year, these steps will help put your business on the path to a strong and successful 2025.
Melissa Macias and Brenda Cervantes are small business bankers and specialists at Bank of America branches in Ventura and Santa Barbara, respectively.
