The top New Year's resolutions for small business owners

For many people, a new year marks a time for self-reflection, looking to the future and change. Small business owners are no exception, and many share the same New Year's resolutions when it comes to the well-being of their ventures.

One of the top New Year's resolutions for small business owners is to expand marketing efforts, according to the Small Business Survey, conducted by Intuit. In fact, 57 percent of entrepreneurs interviewed said that marketing was their top priority in 2012 as they look to attract more customers. Sixty-seven percent of business owners surveyed believe that this resolution will lead to business growth in the coming year.

Second on the list of small business owners' resolutions for the new year is business growth, cited by 35 percent of survey respondents.

According to Rieva Lesonsky of The Huffington Post, resolutions are a great way for business owners to avoid becoming stagnant and settled in their ways.

"You've got to keep growing and making big plans, even in tough times," she writes. "In 2012, don't just hope to hold on -- plan to expand. Get out your old business plan, dust it off and figure out new ways to move your business forward. What would you do if you had all the resources you need? Dream big, then figure out how to achieve at least some of those goals, no matter what."