It’s a new year. So, it’s as good a time as any to implement some new strategies for your small business. In our last blog, we suggested some wise New Year’s resolutions to help your retail shop enjoy greater success in 2025 than it ever has before. They included encouraging more social media engagement, making your customers your top priorities and investing in your team’s growth. What else can you do to take your business to new heights?
Here are four more New Year’s resolutions to help grow your small business:
1. I will invest in a gift card solution.
With the holidays now behind us, there are numerous consumers looking to return many of their gifts. It’s just a fact of the gift-giving world. Returns are inevitable. You can, however, minimize the number of returns to your store by promoting its gift cards all year-round. Gift cards are excellent ways to boost sales, attract new customers and encourage repeat visits. Best of all, they can never come in the wrong style or size so they won’t be returned!
What makes gift cards such effective marketing tools in 2025? According to Kate Banasik of Voucherify, “shoppers themselves reach for gift cards as they provide them with an ability to buy their own gifts of choice. Accordingly, gift cards give customers freedom and encourage them to shop, especially if given to customers by the brand itself as a form of reward.”
2. I will build more connections within my community.
Small businesses thrive on strong community relationships. In 2025, host special events, collaborate with local businesses and sponsor community initiatives. Doing so can significantly boost your visibility and brand loyalty. Don’t hesitate to reach out to community leaders. Get involved in their events or launch your own workshops or charity drives. It will help your brand to become highly regarded in neck of the woods.
“With the business world trending towards automation, what can a business owner do to gain an upper edge and remain relevant?” asks Ashley Grant of GoDaddy, “They need to learn how to build community. When you build a community, your business becomes bigger than you. As a society, we’re all feeling more lonely and disconnected, and we need something to make us feel less alone.”
3. I will ramp up my cybersecurity measures.
We can’t escape the need for digital payments and online sales in 2025. But with advancements in technology come many digital hackers who are ready to steal identities and commit online theft. As a result, cybersecurity is more critical than ever. A data breach can damage your reputation and result in financial losses. Ensure your payment systems and e-commerce platforms are secure. Regularly update software and train staff on cybersecurity best practices.
“One of the defining challenges of 2025 will be navigating the complex interplay between innovation and vulnerability,” writes Steve Lasky of Security Info Watch, “AI emerges as both a powerful tool and a potent weapon, enabling more adaptive defences and fuelling sophisticated phishing and malware attacks. Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of non-human identities underscores the critical need for advanced identity management and secure machine-to-machine communications.”
4. I will accept payments on-the-go.
With a Virtual Terminals solution from Unity Payments, you can transform your computer or smartphone into a full-fledged credit card terminal! To get started, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-800-661-3761 or email us at info@unitypayments.ca.
