We hereby resolve…

You could argue that some New Year’s resolutions (to lose 10 pounds, to stop leaving dirty dishes in the sink) are made to be broken. But business-related resolutions can take on the form of tactical and strategic changes, and as such are more strictly kept.

So Catalogue/e-business asked managers and directors at a number of multichannel commerce companies how they resolve to improve their business in 2009. Perhaps their resolutions will inspire you.

Adrian Nind is managing director of Spalding Plant & Bulb Co.

As a gardening mail order business, we would like to increase our contact with other mail order businesses, not only in the gardening sector but also in other areas. We feel this will enable us to work together with other companies for mutual benefit during these difficult economic times by developing business-to-business relationships and participating in swap and product-despatch opportunities. We will also be able to gain a broader view of the industry through the eyes of our fellow mail order colleagues and keep up to date on any new developments between companies.

Paul Cunningham is managing director of Aspace, a manufacturer/marketer of children’s furniture.

Keep one eye on the big picture, one eye on the dirty detail

Richard Longhurst and Neal Slateford are cofounders of LoveHoney, an online sex-toys emporium.

Analyse, analyse, analyse, test, test, test! We need to make sure we`re working smarter as well as harder.

Laura Fowler founded Monster Parties, a direct seller of party supplies.

1) To look hard for the 50 percent of our advertising budget that is wasted. In an upwardly moving market it is easy to forget to focus on the “real” effectiveness of your advertising, but in a flat market it is vital.

2) To keep our head whilst all those around us are losing theirs. It’s easy to panic in a flat market and start to cut too much and forget the quality of service that you still need to provide to your customers. Invest time in staff to keep them informed even when there are difficult decisions to be made.

3) Innovate, innovate, innovate. As far as our budget will allow we will be looking for different ways to present what we have to offer. We are revamping our website, we are introducing 200 new products in January, and we will be communicating this to all our customers.

Mark Ashley Miller founded cataloguer The Present Finder.

1) To purchase at least one of our competitors who may not want to or be able to weather the credit-crunch storm. If you read this, please let me know if you are for sale!

2) To find a new web developer who can offer me a front end that is ready for web 3.0 and an integrated back office that can offer me full stock management, warehousing, CRM, and RFM.

3) To increase the number of exclusive products we offer our customers.

Laura Tenison is managing director of JoJo Maman Bébé, a cataloguer/retailer of maternity and nursery products.

1) To sell as much in dollars and euros as we buy, ideally to take away worry about foreign currency fluctuation as well as everything else.

2) To cycle to Paddington and take the train to our head office in Newport instead of driving. It’s a much better use of time, less stressful and good for me.) To stop emailing those around me in the office—we are losing the art of communication!

Susan Johnson founded Bella di Notte, which sells Italian lingerie and outwear.

1) To make fantastic improvements to our website.

2) To improve our branding.

3) To move and refurb our office downstairs to make a better environment for our team.

4) To work on some even more fantastic new products and designs to excite our customers

5) When I`ve done all that, to take some more time off to relax with my family.

Tim Booth is cofounder and creative and brand director of I Want One of Those (IWOOT), a direct marketer of gadgets and gifts.

This year I really want to refocus on customer satisfaction, engagement, and for want of a better word, empowerment. Practically, that means implementing customer tools to make their shopping experience easier, faster, and more fun.

Although we are principally just a shop, IWOOT has always felt itself to be different, in so much that we have a real personality. We don`t just list a product; we engage with it, and have opinions about it, and we very much want to encourage our customers to join in and tell us what they think. We may be terribly excited about our latest product, but unless our customers are equally enthusiastic, then we`re wasting their time and ours.

This doesn`t sound like a New Year`s resolution, does it? I guess what I`m saying is that we want to get as close to our customers as we possibly can without actually moving in with them.

Rob Bostock is home shopping business manager of fashion cataloguer/retailer White Stuff.

1) To ensure our customers get the same experiences on our website as they do in our stores. This means they`ll come across nice surprises, great customer service, and a friendly, humorous approach to the overall shopping experience.

2) To increase our offering of products on the web. Historically we have offered only a small range online, but we plan to expand this in 2009 to offer more choice via the online channel.

3) To develop more web-based marketing initiatives, and we`ll inject even more fun elements for our customers to enjoy. This year we ran a competition asking customers to send in photos of themselves in their best circus outfit—we had an amazing response, and customers love expressing their playful side, plus they usually get the whole family involved.

Shireen Cunliffe is marketing manager of Celtic Sheepskin Co, a cataloguer of fashion and soft furnishings.

1) To get fit. To lose the excess weight of bad filing and tone up with a more powerful catalogue of PR contacts. To come out looking amazing in the spring/summer and autumn/winter 2009 catalogues.

2) To spend more time with loved ones. Life is for living. By offering an online shopping service to our customers and employing local staff, Celtic is all about the family. For 2009, our womenswear, menswear, and children’s wear ranges are expanding again, and by continually improving our marketing and mail shots we can ensure that the right customers are hearing about the right products when they need to, saving their precious time.

Christian Robinson is managing director of Firebox.com, a cataloguer of gadgets and gifts.

1) Following the recent success of our gift-wrapping service, CrapWrap, in 2009 we would like to launch a service that is as innovative, as popular with our customers, and as exciting from a PR perspective.

2) We love working with offline brands—in 2008 we worked with Nestlé on Kit-Kash promotions, with Carling, and with Coke Zone. All of these partnerships proved extremely successful, and we are very keen to establish and build relationships with more like-minded brands next year.

3) The year 2008 marked the 10th anniversary of our first in-house product, the Shot Glass Chess Set. In 2009 we would love to come up with more of our own Firebox products that are designed and created in-house.

Nick Wheeler founded Charles Tyrwhitt, a cataloguer/retailer of tailored apparel.

1) Profit is vanity. Cash is sanity. Don`t spend it if you don`t have to.

2) Never cut quality. People will always buy great shirts.

Joel Rendle is head of ecommerce at garden centre retailer Dobbies.

At Dobbies.com, our number-one New Year`s resolution is to help home buyers and home sellers understand that in today`s market, improving their home can add huge value to it and help push through a sale. Recent research by Dobbies.com tells us that the kitchen, the bathroom, and the garden are the three best places to invest in to improve the value—and the look—of a house.

Our number-two New Year`s resolution is to pass on as many savings as possible to our customers, to help with what will be, by all accounts, a difficult year. Savings don`t just mean lowering the price (although we`ll do lots of that!) but also how to help people conserve energy, grow their own fruit and vegetables, and create wonderful herb gardens to make a home-cooked dinner look professional and taste delicious.

Wayne Lysaght-Mason is managing director of Ironmongery Direct, which sells door and window hardware to trade and nontrade users.

After a hugely successful 2008, with 35-percent company growth, Ironmongery Direct plans to achieve 50-percent growth by the end of 2009. We are committing to providing outstanding service to all of our clients, which will continue into the new year. Combine this with developing our in-house team, and we will be on track to meeting our 50-percent target. Customer satisfaction is core to Ironmongery Direct’s underlying ethos and is vital in the day-to-day running of the business. This year will see the team pulling out all the stops to go beyond their clients’ expectations. Ironmongery Direct plans to beat the competition in 2009 by providing a well-rounded service to all customers and ensuring that prices remain competitive at all times. All areas of the business will be refined and enhanced to ensure that Ironmongery Direct sustains an enviable reputable as a market leader within its industry.

After we have achieved all of the above, my resolution is to be on the golf course at least five days a week!

Geoff van Sonsbeeck is cofounder of Isabella Oliver, a cataloguer of maternity fashion.

My New Year`s Resolution for Isabella Oliver in 2009 is to spend money wisely, look after our team, and have a successful launch of our nonmaternity collection, Isabella Oliver 365.

Miriam Lahage is CEO of Koodos, an online seller of footwear and accessories.

To play more! Playing helps your mind to expand and to think creatively. I went to church on Sunday, and the theme was finding a way to have more fun in our lives. Since then I have carved out time each day to play—I have blown bubbles, played with balloons, and played games. I am getting my staff to have more fun too!

Dara O’Malley is managing director of home furnishings cataloguer House of Bath.

In the current tightening economic climate it will even more important to be even better at what we do. This will mean a higher level of detailed analysis on our activities, customer behaviour, and associated costs.

Our two key resolutions will be:

1) Keep to what we know works and reduce our exposure to risk, be it product or customers.

2) Ensure we give maximum value and service to our customers so that they keep coming back. Customer retention will be our key priority, and understanding what they really want is crucial to our ongoing success.

This is short and sweet, but so are the issues! We will try to continue to drive the top line whilst keeping tight control on the bottom line.