Tired of people asking about your New Year’s Resolution? Many agency owners make resolutions involving the word “more.” Whether it’s more sales, more leads, or more profits, some tend to get too preoccupied with going vertically. Of course, it’s important to grow your business, but at the same time it’s also necessary to become “better” as well. Agency success is dependent on strong, central leadership, so here are three tips to consider to improve yourself and your agency across the New Year:

•    Work on your business, not in it: This stresses the importance of focusing on your agency’s future plan and how you are going to continue to move forward and grow. Assuming you’re the leader and brains behind the operation, it’s important that you focus on expanding your company. It’s easy to fall into the day-to-day operations of your agency, but you should also have the big picture in mind as well.

•    Find a mentor: Many agency owners tend to shy away from becoming reliant on others’ advice. However, by finding the right person to sometimes guide you through a difficult period, this can pay dividends down the line. No matter how long you’ve been in the business or how much expertise you’ve acquired, everyone can benefit from someone coaching them or giving advice. Keep in mind that even Tiger Woods has a coach.

•    Honesty and integrity: These two are probably the most important qualities a business owner can have. Sometimes, things may happen that may result in you either going back on your word with an employee or not delivering an expected result to a customer. In the event of this happening, be upfront and do not shy away. This will legitimize your character and will reflect positively on your agency. Honestly is always the best policy, aside from the policies you sell!

There are a variety of ways to improve your agency this year, but we hope you take these three simple things into consideration in addition to any other improvements you hope to make. Cheers to a successful and productive 2013!