As you make your New Year’s resolutions — about eating right and getting more exercise — jot down a few for your business, too.

Your daily schedule probably doesn’t leave a lot of time to think about your business goals, says Sandra Bekhor, president of Bekhor Management in Toronto. To build a successful and focused business, you need to set aside time to review your whole practice.

Follow Bekhor’s advice to make sure your business is ready for 2011:

> Realign your goals and business standards
Consider where and how your business has grown this past year. Ask yourself: Am I working with the clients I want? Am I growing at the proper pace? Am I providing service the way I planned?

“Sometimes advisors go along with the flow and they forget what they [originally] really wanted,” says Bekhor. “So, remind yourself.”

> Create a formal marketing plan
Write out a marketing plan for the coming year.

Many advisors have an informal plan but nothing in writing, says Bekhor. Make the New Year your time to formally prepare a marketing plan and define exactly the marketing goals you want to accomplish this year.

As with a financial plan, a written marketing plan helps you to stay on track and helps ensure you will execute the strategies you have chosen.

> Check all your communications
Re-evaluate all your client communication pieces, such as brochures and business cards, to make sure they reflect your brand. Look through everything from your newsletter (if you have one) to your email sign-off.

“If you’re delivering high-end advice the [communication] tools that promote those services should reflect that professionalism,” Bekhor says. “The simplest little things that go out from your office need to reflect the same professionalism.”

> Accentuate the positive
Most people focus on their weaknesses when evaluating themselves. This year, Bekhor suggests, go the other way for a change.

Think about what you did really well this past year, whether it’s working with new clients or public speaking, and build on those for the New Year.

> Try something new
Don’t be afraid to change some aspect of your business or try something new in the coming year.

For example, if you don’t have any type of online presence, maybe it’s time to consider a website.

“Push yourself outside your comfort zone,” says Bekhor. “Things won’t change unless you change something.”

IE