4 small business tips for 2025

Where has the year gone? 

We don’t know about you but 2024 seems to have raced by, leaving in its wake the crumbling remains of those over-ambitious New Year resolutions. 

For us, 2024 marked the launch of our new Website Builder product, which we’re all really thrilled about. Looking back, that’s probably the accomplishment we’re most proud of this year. 

What about you? Did you achieve everything you hoped for? Has your business been the success you wanted it to be? If so, then give yourself a big pat on the back. But if you didn’t then don’t worry, as 2025 could well be the year you’ve been waiting for! 

With that in mind, here are our top tips on how to make your business the best it can be in 2025. 

Tip 1: Review your 2024 wins and losses

In order to properly plan for the year ahead, it’s important to take a brief look back at the past year. Take the time to celebrate the wins, but also to learn from the losses. If something worked particularly well, have a think about how you can take that to the next stage in 2025. For example, perhaps it’s a specific product that sold quite well last year. Since you know the demand is there, could you up your marketing game and start advertising it to a wider audience? 

Don’t overlook the less successful projects though. There could be some valuable learning to be gained from them. Was it the right product aimed at the wrong target market? Was it too expensive, or was there a major competitor attracting all the business? If you can work out why it wasn’t the success you’d hoped for, you can think about how to avoid that pitfall in the future. 

Tip 2: Set a realistic budget for 2025 

2024 was a tough trading year for Ireland but there is cause for hope, as the European Commission is expecting it to rebound with 4% growth in 2025. 

(Image source: European Commission’s Autumn 2024 Economic Forecast) 

Tot up your monthly costs, such as your energy bills and the rent for your premises, so that you can create a list of business costs. Don’t forget to have a think about whether you’ll need to fork out any one-off costs next year. Is there a piece of equipment your business uses which is likely to need replacing or upgrading? If so, then make sure to include that expense in your projected list of outgoings. 

Once you’ve calculated your business spending for 2025, you can then try and predict your income. Use this year’s sale figures as a guide, looking at what your busy periods were so you can anticipate the points of highest consumer demand. The European Commission’s forecast gives scope for optimism, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution. 

Tip 3: Know your customers 

In order to maximise on your potential earnings, it’s important to get your product seen by the right people. Take some time to research who is actually buying from you. Are they primarily from certain trades or walks of life? Is it one particular age group, or people from specific parts of the country? 

By homing in on a select audience like this, you can start to carve out an exclusive niche in the market for yourself. Your marketing could then be much more powerful, as you can specifically target the audience that you know are interested in what you have to offer.  

For added effectiveness, try and also understand the wants and needs of these customers. What problem are they having that your specific product can help with? Armed with this knowledge, you can then appeal directly to them using relevant and relatable messaging. 

Tip 4: Understand your competitors 

Unless you’re very lucky (or exceptionally talented!), you won’t be the only small business offering what you do. You’ll likely have some competition that is chipping away at your pool of potential customers.  

Create a list of these competitors and spend time on their websites or browsing online reviews of them. What do they tend to do well and, conversely, is there a consistent trend that is always mentioned in poor reviews? By understanding what sets them apart, or what their weak areas are, you can start to shape your own service offering so that you stand out from them. 

Do you offer a specific service that they don’t? Make a point of prominently mentioning it on your website and promotional material, as it may well be the clincher that seals the deal. 

Make 2025 your year 

We hope that you find these small business tips for 2025 useful. To wrap up, here’s a quick summary of our suggestions for optimising the success of your online business: 

1. Identify what sets you apart from your competitors
2. Understand your target audience
3. Highlight seasonal peaks and troughs
4. Set a realistic budget 

But before we finish, there’s just time for the most important tip of all: enjoy the festive break, spend some time with loved ones and recharge your batteries ready for the New Year. 

Here’s to a successful 2025!