As 2018 drew to a close, 26 percent of Americans made New Year's resolutions, says Jaime Ballard, data journalist with YouGov. Unfortunately, Ballard says, only 31 percent of people that make a resolution stick to it. We all know what we should do to be healthy and happy, and our resolutions reflect that knowledge. But despite our best intentions, life gets messy, and we let our promises slide. Every broken promise is an opportunity. As a small business owner, you can turn the tide and help your customers stick to their New Year's resolutions. Your help could ensure that they stay with you as loyal customers, year in and year out. Here are some of the most common New Year's resolutions, along with a few ideas about how you can put them to work for your local business. Your Customers Want to Exercise More When people are asked how they'll change their lives in the new year, exercise almost always comes to mind. A resolution like this is good news to local businesses that offer gym memberships, exercise clothing and fitness training. Unfortunately, everyone knows this. As CityLab staff writer Linda Poon puts it: "This time of year is also when the fitness industry ramps up its advertising—playing up a sense of inadequacy—and reaps the benefits." Still, research suggests that increased advertising at the beginning of the year does boost business. Data journalist Kathryn Gessner reports that Planet Fitness, for example, saw a 79 percent jump in new memberships in January 2017, when compared to a typical month.  But exercise burnout is real, and many customers that start gym memberships in January walk away from that commitment by March. To help your customers really stick to a fitness plan, your marketing strategy should do more than just enroll them; it should persist. Encourage long-term commitment with the following tactics: A year-round price with perks. If you set your own pricing structure, look for ways to reward loyal customers. A discount at the six-month mark could help them keep coming back.Use social media to inspire. Share workout tips, fitness playlists and other inspirational content to keep your customers engaged.Remember to share. Encourage members to spread the word about your business: Working out with a friend or family member can help them stick to their resolution. Your Customers Want to Eat Better Customers who resolved to improve their diet and eat right could be music to your ears if you run a local restaurant, catering business or meal-planning service. You could even use this resolution to spark sales in kitchen supplies. Food powers everything we do, and in theory, almost every decision we make can be traced back to a desire to eat right. Pair your services with an ancillary business, and you could inspire your customers to change their entire lives. “Once consumers start thinking more carefully about their dietary decisions, they naturally start thinking about other ways they can enhance their health. One obvious way? Figuring out how to get [...]

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