The New Year is here and millions of people around the world are making resolutions, many of who have the best intentions to achieve their goals or make some kind of improvement. Statistics show that writing down your goals is vital to achieving success, and there is no better time to plan how you want your business to grow in the next 12 months. Written resolutions not only increase your focus on goal setting, but they also encourage you to look critically at your current state, and think outside of the box to drive yourself and your company forward.

Below are 10 New Year’s resolutions to help achieve success for your business this year:

Take a smart risk. Smart risk-taking can have a number of benefits for your business. Fear of failure can paralyze growth, while making mistakes and learning from them can bring big rewards. Define smart risks for your company and create a safe environment for your employees to be rewarded for smart failures.

Become a stronger leader. The success of a company rests upon the course that it’s leaders set. Whether you are a seasoned leader, or new to a leadership role, there are always ways to improve your leadership skill set. Don’t wait until mid-year to strengthen your leadership style, start with these 12 things that you can do today to be a better leader.

Attend a new industry event. Attending industry events is vital to keeping on top of the latest trends in your business. Often networking isn’t at the top of our priority list, but building business relationships is how you build your brand, your reputation, and your company. Start with these four expert tips on how to make the most of networking.

Give something back to your community. Giving back and engaging in corporate responsibility activities isn’t just good for your own well-being, it can have a direct impact on your bottom line. Corporate Social Responsibility can boost employee engagement, attract new talent to your company, enhance your brand and strengthen your reputation with your customers. Start by thinking about high-profile issues that connect with your company, and look for opportunities to send employee volunteers to help with the cause.

Engage your employees. Show your employees that you are committed to their growth by facilitating a resolution workshop. Ask your employees to write down a professional and personal resolution of their own and work as a group to talk about how you’ll achieve them. By focusing on both professional and personal goals you will demonstrate the importance of work/life balance, which is increasingly important to today’s workforce.

Stop what’s not working. While it’s important to focus on new opportunities and growth plans for your company, what’s equally as important is to stop what you’re not doing right. Whether it’s a culture of email overload, wasted time in meetings, or an inefficient work breakdown structure, look at what you can stop doing to be successful.

Market your business better. With new social media platforms on the rise, the need for mobile friendly websites, and the importance of SEO, many companies are falling behind on how they’re marketing their business. Start with conducting a communications audit and work with a trusted agency to ensure that your digital marketing is reaching today’s tech savvy customer.

Improve your workplace wellness. Companies that have workplace wellness programs often benefit from improved productivity, fewer sick days taken and longer retention of top talent. A report conducted by the University of Toronto showed a $7.00 savings for every $1.00 invested in health-related programs.

Boost your service mentality. Whether your company works directly with customers or your sales are B2B, creating a reputation that your company is great to do business with is key to financial success. Customer service is one of the few key strategic differentiators that businesses can use today to set themselves apart. Check out these six mindsets that create a foundation for delivering outstanding customer service.

Hire smarter. Top talent is your number one business asset and it’s your team that will help you achieve your goals. Take stock of the talent you have on your team and use the year ahead to be strategic in making your next hire. Working with a recruiter that is experienced in identifying top tier candidates is one of the best ways to stack your team for success.