Setting goals can often be pushed to the bottom of a long list of things we need to do BUT goal setting and making real plans for the year ahead is one of the best and most beneficial things you could be doing right now to make a success of 2020 and it is absolutely FREE. As a small business you need to take all you can get and planning the year ahead or even day ahead can mean huge success if you do it the SMART way.
Here are 10 reasons why you need to get cracking and focused on your ambitions for 2020.
1) FOCUS
Goal setting provides focus for you and your business, it is no secret that being a woman in business is more than just that, we have many hats and responsibilities and it can be pretty tough at the best of times dealing with everything that goes through our minds. By setting long term and short term goals we can get some direction and focus our thoughts to the task at hand, you can mind dump all of the things buzzing around your head and tackle those mental blocks that have been holding you back from making a success of your self.
2) GROWTH All of us, whether in business or not, are aiming to improve and grow otherwise what is the point, right? So how do you measure the success of your business without a goal? Goal setting allows you to measure whether or not you are moving in the right direction. If you fail at a goal it tells you that something you did or didn’t do isn’t working, you fail forward. Without the measure of goals you are kind of shooting in the dark, yes, sometimes that will work but who wants to leave it to chance. Having your eyes on a well defined and measurable prize will doing nothing but nurture growth and make it happen on a much more solid and frequent basis.
3) LEADERSHIP If you have people working for you or completing tasks on behalf of you and your business, setting goals is how you ensure that the whole team are all reading from the same page. They provide a rationale for the basis of decision making which preserves the integrity of your business and keeps everything flowing in the right direction. Clear objectives enhances communication and movement towards the common aim, they create good leadership which ultimately saves you a lot of heart ache, time and stress.
4) ACCOUNTABILITY Goals keep you accountable for your actions which is mega important, particularly for the self employed and solopreneurs. If you keep falling short of your goals then you know that you need to get your head down and work harder to achieve your aims. The same is true if you are hitting your goals quickly and easily then you know that the tasks you are setting are too easy and that you can stretch yourself even further.
5) MOTIVATION When you hit a milestone and achieve something you have been putting your all into completing it is incredibly motivating and it is not just limited to the big goals. Having regular small wins can really push you forward and give the boost of energy you need to work towards the greater ambition. Women in business face a huge difficulties much more than our male counterparts so we definitely need all the wins we can get!
6) CLARITY
What is it you really want?
Well isn’t that a question we have all asked at one time or another. Our actions speak louder than words don’t they, so if you keep setting the same goal over and over again without working towards it then you need to step back and work out if that is something you really want. Just because everyone else wants it or you think you should want it doesn’t mean that you actually do, the goals we set our self bring us insights we would not otherwise get.
7) PRODUCTIVITY Procrastination can be kryptonite for female entrepreneurs, having goals means that you spend less time trying to figure out what to do next and less time jumping from one task to another without actually getting any of it finished in good time. Instead you have a plan and know exactly what to do and when to do it, making much better use of your precious time.
8) SELF CONFIDENCE Hands up if you could use a confidence boost or two from time to time? Research shows that there is a connection between self-confidence and being able to finish tasks and setting goals. Psychologists call it "self-efficacy." Setting goal gives us a sense of control and makes us more confident about making things happen and more effective in our actions as a result. That increase in confidence means we challenge our selves more, become committed and more creative in achieving what we want.
9) INVESTOR CONFIDENCE As your business grows or even in the start up phase, there may be a time in which you want investment from and outside source, it might be that you want to work in collaboration with another business or it may be you want to ask someone to invest money into you, either way it isn’t likely that anyone will want to work with a company that has no clarity, ambition or direction. By setting goals and working to them you show those on the outside that you and your business are on the way up, are credible and a safe bet for their investment.
10) LIVING YOUR BEST LIFE Goals don’t just apply to your business and professional life but they apply to your personal life too. Making personal goals and making them a priority means that you make the most of your life on earth and live the best life that you can. Setting personal goals means that you don’t spend every waking minute slogging away at work and forget that the whole purpose of you gracing this planet in the first place. You can essentially schedule time to enjoy the benefits of all your hard work and make a better balanced and fulling life for your self. So now you're convinced right? Time to get cracking. If you are ready to make 2020 the best it can be then check out our " How To Set Goals The Smart Way" blog post for guidance on how to make them work for you.
Small Business Editor, Alex Preston
Alex is a small business owner, her retail outlet The Bottle Top, offers an array of zero waste, sustainable produce, artisan food and craft beer. Recently shortlisted for Business of the year, Alex works on a number of community projects and initiatives to aid sustainable living, conducts
improvement planning to promote economy in her local community and mentors other business owners to help improve their social media marketing. She has been self employed for 5 years since becoming a mum and prior to shop life worked as a manager in the financial services industry,
Alex loves all things sustainable (obviously), crafting and will often be found researching climate
change or business news.
If you would like write a Small Business guest blog post for us, please contact Alex on; hello@womenwd.co.uk
