GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A HEAD START

How to prepare and set your 2018 business goals

We all have visions for our businesses big and small but without actionable goals, they're just dreams! As 2018 draws closer, I know my big starters are preparing their businesses for new goals and milestones that will be achieved next year. Here are a few tips to have in mind before setting those goals

1. START GOAL PREP EARLY

Don't wait till the 11th hour to start setting your goals. I start planning and setting my goals for the following year in September. This gives me time to prepare for what lies ahead, finish off my current year goals and make room for the next set of goals.

2. SET S.M.A.R.T GOALS

I’m sure we are all well aware of the qualities of a good goal but let me iterate. Your goals need to be Smart, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time bound.

3. COMMIT TO ACHIEVING YOUR GOALS

Once you set your business goals, you need to be focused and committed to achieving them. The easy part os setting the goals, the real work is in its execution.

4. GOAL STATUS CHECK

Depending on the time factor attached to your goal, check on progress frequently. We sometime write goals and leave them to sort themselves out magically but that never gets the job done. We need to come back check and record progress and key next steps.

5. LONG, MEDIUM & SHORT TERM GOALS

Your long term goals are 3-5 years, medium 1 - 3 years and short term goals are anywhere between 0 - 12 months. You will then break them further into quarterly, monthly weekly and then daily goals

6. GOAL SETTING THEMES

Break your goals into different buckets or categories, for example Human resources goals, financial goals, marketing goals, growth and expansion goals etc. This will shed light on individual ares of your business that have goals associated with them. It will help you zero in on exactly what resources and capabilities required to achieve them.

7. CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESSES

When you have goals, we get so focused on achieving the end result that we forget to celebrate all the other little milestones it takes to get out there. Never has there been a more fulfilling feeling that ticking tasks off a goal list! Do a dance, have a drink, anything to celebrate achieving your milestones.

Want to get the awesome Big Startup goal setting template? Send an email to hello@bigstartup.co requesting a copy and we'll send it directly to your inbox! So lets get started BIG STARTERS, set and SMASH those goals!!