 | "Goal setting for you & your business is an essential tool for success. Always be SMART about this!" With a goal, you know exactly where your going! So to help start you on your right path, start with making SMART goals & putting steps in place to follow. |
Plan to start making "SMART" Goals
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the 5 steps of setting goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based). It is a very simple process & used by many businesses to go beyond & kick-start you into an action plan for results.
SMART Goals
S - Specific: Have a clear defined approach. Great goals are well-defined and focused. The moment you focus on a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies, the more power you generate."
M - Measurable: A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re on track. A goal white board posted in your office can help as a daily reminder to keep yourself and your employee focused on the targeted results you want to attain.
A - Attainable: Your goal must be realistic & manageable. Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. No one has ever built a billion dollar business overnight. Venture capitalists and angel investors discard countless business plans of companies with outlandish goals. Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Check with your industry association to get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.
R - Relevant: Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate. You may desire to have your best year in business or increase revenue by 50%, but if a recession is looming and 3 new competitors opened in your market, then your goals aren’t relevant to the realities of the market.
T - Time-Based: Identified a specific period of time for the goal. Business goals just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-setting process.
A lot of new business starters may start by set up goals based on making their "Business Plan". It's a sure way to finally start working on that business plan that you always wanted to get started... or if your a starter with a direct marketing company, it's a great time to start building your own home business.
5 SMART Steps to follow
Step 1. Start by writing each Goal
You don't need a dozen goals, too many goals will eventually leave you exhausted from jumping from one action plan to another. Start with 3-5 goals & you can always start adding new goals as you get the hang of mastering your new skill. You will soon see that that you may end up adding, changing or removing some goals and this can be a good thing when it comes to measuring how much you have grown.
Step 2. Write down your Tasks
With each goal you have written, you must now write down task(s) that need to be done to achieve each one of your goals. Start with your first goal and ask yourself, "What has to be done to reach this goal" ... and always remember to think "SMART"
Step 3. Write your Activity Plan
Your activity plan is based on the tasks written above. You know what task(s) that have to be done, now you want to write what kind of activity you need to do to get those tasks done.
4. Set End Dates
All your activities must have end dates.
5. Track Your Progress:
Stay on top of your goals! It is very important since you got this far to always be reviewing your goals, tasks & action plans frequently. Keep it handy in your daily planner or a binder on your desk. Always check your progress weekly & check activities when done. Start doing Monthly Reports & do an assessment what needs to be done for the next month and if you found something that is really works for you, you can mark it as daily, weekly or monthly activity.
NOTE: By the time you get this far with all your goals documented & all your steps are in place, it should be very easy for you to move to another important step, putting a Time Management Plan in place.
If you need assistance with getting this in place, contact me! Let's start setting some goals for you to be working toward for you!
S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for the 5 steps of setting goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-based). It is a very simple process & used by many businesses to go beyond & kick-start you into an action plan for results.
SMART Goals
S - Specific: Have a clear defined approach. Great goals are well-defined and focused. The moment you focus on a goal, your goal becomes a magnet, pulling you and your resources toward it. The more focused your energies, the more power you generate."
M - Measurable: A goal without a measurable outcome is like a sports competition without a scoreboard or scorekeeper. Numbers are an essential part of business. Put concrete numbers in your goals to know if you’re on track. A goal white board posted in your office can help as a daily reminder to keep yourself and your employee focused on the targeted results you want to attain.
A - Attainable: Your goal must be realistic & manageable. Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. No one has ever built a billion dollar business overnight. Venture capitalists and angel investors discard countless business plans of companies with outlandish goals. Dream big and aim for the stars but keep one foot firmly based in reality. Check with your industry association to get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.
R - Relevant: Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate. You may desire to have your best year in business or increase revenue by 50%, but if a recession is looming and 3 new competitors opened in your market, then your goals aren’t relevant to the realities of the market.
T - Time-Based: Identified a specific period of time for the goal. Business goals just don’t get done when there's no time frame tied to the goal-setting process.
A lot of new business starters may start by set up goals based on making their "Business Plan". It's a sure way to finally start working on that business plan that you always wanted to get started... or if your a starter with a direct marketing company, it's a great time to start building your own home business.
5 SMART Steps to follow
Step 1. Start by writing each Goal
You don't need a dozen goals, too many goals will eventually leave you exhausted from jumping from one action plan to another. Start with 3-5 goals & you can always start adding new goals as you get the hang of mastering your new skill. You will soon see that that you may end up adding, changing or removing some goals and this can be a good thing when it comes to measuring how much you have grown.
Step 2. Write down your Tasks
With each goal you have written, you must now write down task(s) that need to be done to achieve each one of your goals. Start with your first goal and ask yourself, "What has to be done to reach this goal" ... and always remember to think "SMART"
Step 3. Write your Activity Plan
Your activity plan is based on the tasks written above. You know what task(s) that have to be done, now you want to write what kind of activity you need to do to get those tasks done.
4. Set End Dates
All your activities must have end dates.
5. Track Your Progress:
Stay on top of your goals! It is very important since you got this far to always be reviewing your goals, tasks & action plans frequently. Keep it handy in your daily planner or a binder on your desk. Always check your progress weekly & check activities when done. Start doing Monthly Reports & do an assessment what needs to be done for the next month and if you found something that is really works for you, you can mark it as daily, weekly or monthly activity.
NOTE: By the time you get this far with all your goals documented & all your steps are in place, it should be very easy for you to move to another important step, putting a Time Management Plan in place.
If you need assistance with getting this in place, contact me! Let's start setting some goals for you to be working toward for you!
RSS Feed
