20 business goals you can set this year
For the past few months, there has been a lot of buzz in the entrepreneurial world about goal setting. What do you want to achieve in this coming year? How are you going to stay accountable? What are the steps that you need to take in order to make it happen? These are just some of the questions that we’ve heard in various communities, but it can feel overwhelming trying to determine where to begin and where to focus your time!
If that’s the case for you, we’ve listed below 20 business goals that you can set this year and we’ve broken them down by category to help you prepare in the best way possible!
sales
Doing what you love and feel passionate about is important, but you do need to make some money in order to continue doing that. If you want to make more money this year, here are some goals to focus on.
01. increase your revenue each month
If you’re unsure of the specifics or not ready to pin down an exact number, try focusing on setting a more general (and easier to achieve) goal of increasing your revenue each month. If you are able to make more money than you did the last month, every single month, that’s an incredible achievement — and before you know it, that money will be snowballing and turning into something much bigger.
02. launch a new product or service
An easy way to make more money is to launch a new product or service that aligns with what your target market needs. Pay attention to the last seven words of that sentence, though: aligns with what your target market needs. Don’t offer something new just to offer it, as you risk it totally flopping.
Listen to what your target audience is saying in terms of what they need, what they want, and what they’re looking for— and create something that solves those problems.
03. raise your prices
If you can’t remember the last time you raised your prices, if ever, the time is now. As women, we’re known for shying away from standing up for what we deserve, what we’re valued at, and what we’re worth — and that can be reflected in what we charge.
There are so many reasons why we don’t ask for more money, but these are the common two:
We doubt that we’re worth it.
We worry that people won’t be able to afford our new pricing.
But, when you raise your prices, the following amazing benefits occur:
You can work less and make more money.
You get closer to working with your dream clients and customers and “weed out” the ones that aren’t a great fit.
What could be better than that?!
04. dip your toes into cold outreach
Chances are you’ve probably shied away from doing cold outreach for most of your career because you worry about coming off as Sal the Sleazy Salesman when pitching your products or services to potential customers. If you have a fear of being “salesy,” repeat this to yourself:
Selling is serving.
What a powerful thought, right? It’s important to remember that what you have to offer is benefitting your target market in some way because it’s directly solving at least one of the problems they’re facing. That means that people deserve to know about what you have to offer because they have the right to be helped, too!
When you shift your mindset to remember that you’re benefiting people, cold outreach becomes that much easier — and it gives you the opportunity to work with so many more people than you would have ever had the chance to work with before.
marketing
Do you feel like you’re throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping that it sticks when it comes to your marketing? Or, even worse, you’re neglecting it all together? Improve your overall marketing strategy this year by setting these goals for yourself.
01. test a new marketing outlet
Do you find yourself relying on only one marketing outlet, such as Instagram, to build your online presence? It can be easy to stick to only one platform when it’s one that you feel comfortable with and enjoy using, but you’re doing yourself a disservice by putting all of your eggs in one basket.
Let us explain further. When you put all of your eggs in one basket, you not only risk the chance of your platform being taken away due to something out of your control, but you’re also preventing yourself from potentially reaching so many more people who would be dream clients or customers for you.
Whether you choose to utilize more social media platforms, build your email list, publish blog posts, get featured in publications, or something else, find a new marketing outlet that you can explore and help take your online presence to the next level.
02. plan your marketing in advance
How often have you said to yourself, “Ah! I forgot to write a post for today!” and found yourself scrambling to get it done last-minute? We can relate all too well.
As business owners who wear many different hats, it’s easy to let your marketing slip to the side and publish things as you go… or even forget about it completely. Yikes!
Rather than only doing things in the few minutes that you have here and there, set aside a few hours each week to plan your marketing: social media, blog posts, newsletters, and more. Not only will you feel less stressed knowing that you have everything done in advance but you’ll also ensure that you’re staying consistent with your marketing efforts.
03. challenge yourself to show up more often in front of the camera
Do you cringe every time you go to take a selfie or record yourself on video? Getting comfortable in front of the camera is hard, but people want to know about the person behind the business: who they are, what they like, and how they act.
When you give a peek into who you are as a person and not just a business owner, you build that know / like / trust factor with your audience… and people do business with people that they know / like / trust.
Snap a few selfies each week and incorporate it into your content. You’ll find that your engagement skyrockets!
04. rebrand your website
Does your website look like it came from the early 2000s? Or, even worse, you don’t have a website at all? Those are two indications that it’s time to get a new look.
There are also a few other reasons why you might want to rebrand:
Your business has changed.
Your target market has changed.
Your current look isn’t resonating with you as much as it used to.
Your website is almost always the first impression of you and your business that your audience gets, which is why it’s important to ensure it not only accurately showcases who you are, what you do, and how you help but also relates to who you’re trying to reach.
If you feel that it’s time for a facelift, save some money aside each month to invest in a website.
personal development
Working on your business is great, but if you’re not doing the work inside of you, you can hinder your success. It’s just as important to focus on your personal development as it is your business development, so here are some goals you can set this year to make that happen.
01. set morning and nighttime routines
Did you know that having daily routines actually brings health benefits? Northwestern Medicine indicates that routines bring better stress levels, better sleep, and better health. Plus, they’re an excellent way to ease your way into and prepare you for the work day and help you transition out of the work day.
To start your day on the right foot, here are some examples of what you can do:
Enjoy a hot cup of coffee, tea, or your drink of choice.
Write your to-do list for the day.
Read a chapter or two of your current book.
It’s best to stay away from social media and email before diving into work so that your mind isn’t instantly panicking about what your day will consist of.
To turn off work mode and relax at night, we recommend the following:
Journal your thoughts about your day, including things you want to note for the following day.
Fill your time with a laid-back hobby, such as painting or yoga.
Put electronics and screens away one hour before intending to go to bed.
Both of these routines help you to get into the mindset of having a successful day at work and help you transition into a more peaceful setting. If you’re the type of gal who just takes each day as it comes, think about how you can set these routines to ensure a more productive day.
02. allow more time for yourself
Truth: work-life balance isn’t totally doable for everyone, and that’s OK. Whether you have kids, another job on top of your business, a partner, and other responsibilities to look after, working within that “perfect” 9-5 range only isn’t always possible. There may be times where you’re working at 5 am and other times where you’re working at 11 pm because that is what worked for you, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, what is wrong is not setting aside time for yourself. In order to become the successful woman that you want to be, it’s important to devote a little time for self-care. Whether that involves…
Going to the gym or moving your body in some way
Spending time with friends
Indulging in trash TV (a total guilty pleasure!)
Reading a good book
Pursuing a new hobby that interests you
Or something else, setting aside time to relax is key. Even if you have to physically block off time in your calendar, you’ll be glad that you did.
If you are guilty of working around the clock, find ways to easily incorporate more time for yourself into each day. Remember: you can’t pour from an empty cup.
03. keep a gratitude journal
Do you keep track of what you’re grateful for or the goals that you’ve achieved? If not, now is the perfect time to begin that habit.
During the days where you feel discouraged, doubtful, stressed, or any other negative emotion, reminding yourself of the impact you’ve made and the things you’re grateful to have in your life can easily make your mood do a 180.
Plus, gratitude can make you happier! And when you’re happy, you’ll find that your motivation, inspiration, and creativity increases.
Start keeping track of all that you’re thankful for, and you’ll find that that list will keep on growing.
04. visualize your highest self and show up as her
If you have specific goals that you’d like to reach, have you ever tried imagining that you’ve already reached those goals and living your life as if you’ve accomplished all that you wanted?
Let us explain: When you think about your life as if you have already made lots of money, secured a great business deal, landed more speaking gigs, etc., that’s when those dreams actually start to come true.
This is the practice of manifestation and speaking what you want into existence. Whatever big goals you have on your list, repeat to yourself that they will happen… and then they really will.
Plus, when we show up as our highest selves, we feel more confident, motivated, and inspired! If you’re ready to dream big, this is a good first step.
operations
As a business owner it can be easy to overlook your own operations and get clear on what to focus on when you finally do have time. Here are some goals you won’t want to forgo.
01. build a team and delegate tasks
Let this thought sink in: in order to make more money, you have to spend money. That means that if you want to keep taking on more clients and customers, but you don’t have the bandwidth on your own to do that because you’re so busy, it’s time to start hiring contractors or employees and delegating various tasks.
If you don’t know what to delegate first, spend one month doing a “time audit,” where you track how long it takes you to do everything that you do in your business. Once you see a list of how long it takes you each month to do the tedious tasks or the unenjoyable tasks, your decision to outsource them immediately will come that much sooner.
Don’t let fear of losing money hold you back from moving forward with this process because building a team will immediately allow you to take on the space to expand your business. If you’re ready to bring someone on your team, make that happen this year!
02. revamp your client onboarding processes
What is your process like when you begin onboarding clients? Is it easy to follow? Does it outline clear expectations? Are you covering everything important?
Take a deep dive into your overall process and see where you can improve. Better yet: ask an unbiased business friend to look at it for you and give feedback!
How you work with your clients, especially in the beginning stages, is important for a successful working relationship on both ends. You want your client to feel valued, supported, and heard, but you also want to feel respected and make sure your clients are following through on their responsibilities.
What can you make better for the overall client experience?
03. up your productivity game
We all have days where we are anything but productive. We pick up our phone every 5 minutes to scroll through social media, we make a to do-list but only cross one or two things off, and we feel a pull to curl up on the couch and watch Netflix. Although it’s important to take time for yourself, it’s not so great when your to-do list is full of #allthethings and you’re just not feeling as productive as you hoped.
If your work ethic needs a little TLC this year, try these tips for improving your productivity:
Remove all distractions (phones, TVs, etc.) from your workspace.
Use the Pomodoro method to organize your to-do list.
Rely on a project management system like Asana to outline your daily, weekly, and monthly tasks.
The more productive you are, the more things you can get done in a shorter amount of time… and who wouldn’t want to have more free time on their hands?!
business development & growth
Launching a business is hard, but growing it is even more difficult. Each year, finding new avenues to pursue to keep growing and scaling your business is necessary but daunting. If you’re looking for fresh goals to set to make this happen, follow our list below.
01. attend at least one business event per month
Do you want to grow your business? Keep learning.
Being an entrepreneur means that we need to get immersed in it all: marketing, finance, operations, sales, and more. Although you are an expert in what you do, you might not be an expert in everything as a business owner — and that’s OK! Identify areas in your business that you would like to learn more about and find resources to help you with that.
One of the best ways to learn is to attend business events, like the ones we host at The Collective Co. Whether you are learning about a specific component of your business, like marketing, or attending a networking event to meet new people and discover not only what they do but how you can support each other, you are surrounding yourself with new information and therefore improving your expertise.
If you tend to shy away from attending events, whether in-person or virtual, make it a habit to fill your calendar with at least one event per month.
02. invest in a business coach
You might get to the point in your business where, after growing year after year, you hit a plateau. Things aren’t getting worse in your business, but they’re also not getting any better — they’re just remaining the same. Although that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it should be a goal to grow every year because that means you’re making more money, helping more people, and leaving a bigger impact.
If you feel tunnel-visioned in your business and unclear on what step to take next to get out of your rut, that might be an indication that it’s time to hire a business coach. A business coach is someone who has a boatload of experience and has achieved what you want to achieve, and they’re here to help take you to that next level. Sometimes our biggest roadblocks are ourselves, so a business coach can help you clear through the clutter and guide you on the right path.
Invest in a business coach this year to help make your business bigger and better!
03. join a coworking space
Did you know that how your office space is laid out and presented can increase your productivity? Working while curled up on the couch, laying in bed, or hunched over at your kitchen table might not be the best place for you to work. If you’re finding that you’re struggling to get work done, the perpetrator could actually be your makeshift office space!
That’s where a coworking space, like The Collective Co., comes in! Coworking spaces are known to provide networking and collaboration opportunities, increase your productivity, boost your creativity, and more, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Joining a space like ours might be just what you need to not only work smarter but also make valuable connections that can expand your business in ways that you never thought possible.
Become a member of The Collective Co. this year!
04. set up networking calls
Although the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” might make your ears bleed because you’ve heard it so many times, it’s true. Networking with new people can be an excellent way to bring in new business and start potential partnerships--and it’s even better when you can network right from your office without needing to travel somewhere to make it happen!
If you feel as though you could definitely network more than you have been, make it a goal this year to set up one networking call per week. Whether it’s with someone who’s in your industry, someone who could be a potential client, or someone you would want to collaborate with, expand the people in your circle to make a bigger impact.
05. work on your business, not just in it
Do you find yourself working in your business more often than you work on it? If you are unfamiliar with those terms, here’s what we mean:
Working in your business means doing the tasks that are necessary for completing work: client calls, production, etc.
Working on your business means doing the tasks that grow or develop your business: marketing, sales calls, etc.
Although it’s important to get everything done that you need to get done, it’s also important to execute the activities that will improve your business daily. If you’re guilty of neglecting the TLC that your business deserves, block off one day each week this year to focus only on working in your business.
Whether you decide to tackle all of these goals this year or just a few, remember that you should be proud of yourself for even taking the initiative to make your business bigger and better! Remember to break your goals into smaller steps, ask for support, and keep moving forward, no matter what obstacles may get in your way.