2019 Business Goals
Business goals to help you on your way to success this 2019!
Whenever we hear the phrase "New Year's Resolutions," usually it is about travelling more to far off places, losing weight, quitting smoking and vowing to enjoy life to the fullest, etc, etc… Here's the thing, those are not un-achievable but they are all very common personal New Year's resolutions. For the small and medium size business owners, resolutions are not confined to our personal lives.
Eve Writes | 22 January 2019
Business & Entrepreneurship : Feature
If you're an entrepreneur, the early stages of you business IS your life. A resolution, after all, is a decision to do something different to bring positive changes. And if you're ready to make some powerful changes in your business, those personal ones will just fall into place.
Now that 2019 "trial month" for most of us is almost over, let's take a look at what goals you can set for your business so you can take it to greater heights.
I Will Get More Focused and Become More Productive
This is a great goal for those of us who often or tend to waste time on personal social media or find ourselves succumbing to other distractions that get us off-track, then end up wondering where the day went because we still have a handful things left to complete.
These ways below might sound simple, but these are effective ways for you to be more productive:
-
Be efficient - Yes, everyone says that, but it takes a lot of practice and discipline to be efficient in your business. Structure your routine and schedule day by day so you can manage things and your time better.
-
Reduce distractions - As mentioned earlier, we tend to waste our time on social media. It is a huge productivity killer, so while it's not easy for many of us to totally be off social media, practice a strict schedule on when you can check your social media.
-
Set your environment right - Atmosphere and workplace conditions play a big role in effecting your productivity level. A well-lit area and comfortable temperature along with suitable furniture for you to do your work all have impact on how productive you can be.
I Will Take Steps to Improve My Digital Presence
No one can deny the importance of digital presence. You need to dedicate time in planning and strategizing your online presence to ensure you have visibility for your brand and company. In the age of the Internet, online communication seems to be the main determinant by many as to your credibility. From constantly updating your website, responding to emails and communications in a timely manner, to posting on your business social media, you need to make sure you're doing as much as you can to build your presence and also be visible online.
(Hint: About Eve will talk more on SEO in our next feature!)
I Will Get Social in My Small Business
Have you been putting off to focus on your business social media? You may already have several social media accounts for your business and perhaps the hassle of having to manage and handle several accounts can cause you to delay or put off the management until you have the "time" to concentrate on it.
Why not consider something that's new and relevant where you can manage all your social media needs in one platform? Whether you're looking to post photos and videos or create blog for your business or sell your products right on your social media without having your customers contact you via multiple channels, there's something you can find on the new social commerce platform, eSimon. It's not just another social media platform, it's perhaps the only one you need because instead of managing several accounts, answering messages on different channels, and routing your customers to another channel to make a purchase, you can get it all done on eSimon. Because as they say it, it pays to be social!
We need to accept that we won't always make the right decisions, that we'll screw up royally sometimes - understand that failure is not the opposite of success,
it's part of success.
I Will Build My Team by Learning to Delegate Some Responsibilities
They say if you want to get something done, do it yourself.
For many business owners, this saying can sometimes hurt us more than we know. We tend to want to do a lot of things ourselves - not because we want to get it done, but because we believe we should do things the way we know it and how we want to see it done. From our experience, this is one part many start-up founders have trouble with. We find it difficult to let go of some job-scope lest the person we entrusted the task to did not meet our expectations.
However, as your business grows and you take in more responsibilities and tasks, it can be next to impossible to do everything yourself, no matter how much you know the way to get them done. Remember, if you end up doing everything, you won't have enough time and focus to grow your business. In order to expand your business (and also grow as a businessperson), it's vital for you to loosen the reign and stop wearing all hats. As much as your business IS your life, you will need to strike a work-life balance somewhere.
If you find yourself constantly overworked and short on time to get things done, then it's about time for you to bring others in and delegate the tasks to others to pick up the slack. This point brings us to the next one:
I Will Become a Better Communicator
A good entrepreneur knows how to communicate her business value, but a smart entrepreneur knows how to listen well in order to convey their business values more effectively.
Frequent issues with misunderstandings among partners, co-workers and/or your employees, lack of employee morale, consistently wasting time over repeatedly shared information are all some of the signs of ineffective communication. You may be able to speak well and express your opinions expertly, but if you can't articulate your expectations and instructions to your team effectively, your team will not be able to gel and work together.
It's not only important for you to be a good communicator, you need to also encourage your team members to communicate as effectively as you do. While not everyone is comfortable speaking up their opinion in front of others, you need to ensure everyone understands that they're able to whenever they want to. Practice open communication via transparent channels such as 1-2-1 sessions or suggestion box. And make sure you take steps to address and manage the issues or information raised by your team.
I Must Start Charging What I'm Worth
As a start-up founder and owner, how many times have you felt that you're underpaid or undervalued? To some, it can be both challenging and daunting to charge what you feel is right. This year, why not take that bold step and make it your goal to ensure you're getting paid what you're worth. Revise your business plan and revamp your strategy to raise your rates to accommodate the value you bring to the table. Here's a good quick read on how not to be afraid to charge what you're worth.
And last but not least,
I Will Learn How to Manage My Cash Flow More Effectively
This is a great goal for small business owners who have drastic ebbs and flows in their cash flow. If you find yourself unable to create enough capital to invest back into the business or you don't truly yet understand the day-to-day finances of business, you can make this step one of the things you want to achieve in 2019.
There are many workshops and seminars offered, both offline and online, for new business owners to learn about managing their business finances better. Keep yourself hungry and constantly look for classes and information to learn about the ways for money management. Whether you have a background in business studies or not, whether you've had some experience in managing finances before or not, managing your own business finances can be challenging for almost everyone.
So are you ready now to take these next step in your business?
It's time to take your dreams and create a plan for putting them into action. Make your goals stick by transforming them into manageable bite-size chunks and make 2019 the year you finally bring your success to fruition!
Good luck!
