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With the new year just around the corner, now is the time to start setting business goals for the New Year. Most business owners will get caught up in the holiday rush but you can be ahead of the game and ready for the New Year by starting to set business goals now.
Whether you have a large company with many employees or a small company, your business success depends on your ability to set and achieve goals. A smart business owner understands the value of goal setting in order to continue to make their business grow in the right direction.
Not sure what types of goals to set for the new year? We’ve compiled a list of ideas and areas that many entrepreneurs and business owners might not think of when setting new goals. Use these ideas to help you brainstorm and determine your goals for the next year:
Social Media: With social media being such a major part of many businesses’ marketing plans, it’s going to be hard to ignore in the coming years. If your business doesn’t have a presence on Facebook or Twitter, make sure to make that a goal as those are the most popular social media platforms. Also consider making company pages on other new and popular social media platforms such as Periscope, Snap Chat, Tumblr and Pinterest. To decide what platforms are best for your business, look at where your target audience spends the most time when they are online.
If you already have an active social media presence, take time to develop a plan for your social media campaigns. Using tools like Hootsuite to schedule your posts ahead of time are good for planning your social media strategy. Instead of writing posts on the spot, you can plan what day and time the messages goes out and have time to write an effective message with a clear call to action.
Join an organization or networking group: You may already be a part of a professional business organization or networking group but you should explore joining new organizations or groups to get your business name out there. To find new groups, look at what groups your competitors are part of, look for networking opportunities on sites like MeetUp.com or Eventbrite or just do a simple google search to find organizations related to your industry. Joining a business organization or networking group gives you the opportunity to introduce your business to new people and to make connections with people in specific industries.
Go mobile: Chances are that most of your clients have a smartphone or tablet that they use daily. Is your website responsive for these different types of devices? If not, make it a goal for the new year to make your website mobile and tablet friendly that way you don’t lose out on potential new business.
If your website is already responsive, consider developing a mobile app that can enhance your customer’s experience. Development of mobile applications is no longer just for large businesses. Your small business can develop an app that can provide a valuable service to customers and clients. Seek guidance from experts if you need help to begin developing a mobile app.
Get involved with your local community: Make it a goal to get your business involved in the local community during the next year. Getting your business name out in the community is important because it shows that you and your business care about the local community and is also a great way to increase employee morale.
Find an organization that matters to you, and do what you can to help them. You could donate a percentage of your quarterly earnings to a local charity, have your company participate in a 5k that raises money for charity or donate food to local shelters. The ideas are endless!
Those are just a few ideas that you can consider as you plan out your goals for the next year. Whatever goals that you set, keep these points in mind:
- Specific – Great goals are well-defined and focused. Objectives need to be concrete and highly detailed.
- Measurable – Numbers are an essential part of a business. Put a figure or value, such as a dollar amount or percentage, to the objective.
- Attainable – Far too often, small businesses can set goals beyond reach. Get a handle on realistic growth in your industry to set smart goals.
- Relevant – Achievable business goals are based on the current conditions and realities of the business climate. You may need to update based on the realities of the market.
- Time-Based – Business goals and objectives just don’t get done when there’s no time frame tied to the goal-setting process. Set a deadline to keep things on track.
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