Goodbye 2014 and hello 2015! Now that it is the beginning of a new year, many people have created resolutions for themselves. Some of the more common resolutions are to lose weight and get fit, eat healthy, quit smoking, travel to new places, and spend more time with family.
Resolutions are a way to improve in order to make our lives better. However, most people do not commit to their resolutions throughout the entire year. Some don’t even last a month or two. What are we doing wrong?
What about businesses? How often do you hear about businesses with resolutions? My guess is not very often. Businesses need something more serious than, “I want to lose weight this year.” There is a good reason why many businesses do not create resolutions. Resolutions do not typically follow a focused plan. For this reason, business owners set goals because it follows a specific plan. Goal setting helps you track your efforts. For those unfamiliar with the SMART acronym, it is a great starting point for defining clear and concise goals. SMART stands for:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timely
Want more information? See here for our blog about setting goals in the workplace.
As we begin the new year, there are many goals we can set for our business and as individuals. We have compiled a short list of advice from business experts for goal setting in 2015.
Advice from the Experts
Doug Sandler, Author and blogger at Mr Guy Nice
“Less thinking, more doing. Advice for the businesses stuck in analysis mode.”
Stephanie Clegg, VP at Convert with Content
“Own a business? I’ll make it easy for you. Your goal this year is to blog daily and be social.”
Bob House, General Manager at BizBuySell
“Even if your 2015 plans don’t include the sale of your business, take some time to review your exit strategy on an annual basis. By doing so you will be ready for any unexpected circumstances that might necessitate a sale, and you could also uncover some new ways to boost your business value.”
Rieva Lesonsky, CEO and author at Small Biz Daily
“Small business owners’ biggest priorities for 2015 reflect that optimism. They are focused on getting more customers; doing more marketing and advertising to increase sales; and boosting profits through better cash flow management.”
Michael Garrity, CEO at FinaceIt
“Most small businesses need to run lean, mean organizations. Fortunately, these days there are countless apps to help you run more efficiently with limited resources. As we start the New Year, think about some of the major pain points from 2014: Were you late to send invoices? Collect payments? Was it a struggle to schedule your staff? Then look for new tools to address this need.”
What goals will you set for your business in 2015? How will you measure and track your progress?
