Often entrepreneurs and business owners create their daily, weekly, quarterly or yearly goals around their business. It could be more revenue, hiring clients or launching a new product or service, where setting goals presents a fresh opportunity to achieve different objectives. It’s not always rosy achieving them due to challenges that may present themselves or other opportunities that distract you from the main goals.
We asked entrepreneurs to share their best ways of shattering their goals and here’s what works for them.
#1- Goal Setting – Importance of KPIs and Deliverables
One of the most important things businesses can do is to focus exclusively on KPIs and deliverables. Managers should not start wasting everyone’s time by measuring and tracking every little move that employees make. Set clear expectations in terms of KPIs and deliverables that each employee is supposed to achieve and let it rip. These goals should be ambitious, but they must also be achievable. You don’t want to sandbag yourself, and you don’t want to overshoot. Set SMART KPIs.
Thanks to Kevin Miller, The Word Counter!
#2- I have a business coach
My business coach does an incredible job of determining our current status and where we want to be, which allows him to help our company continue to grow, while also avoiding any potential threats or weaknesses. A huge part of his process is helping us establish our quarterly, annual, and 5-year goals. He typically has us increase our attainable and realistic goal by 40-50% to motivate us to hit home runs. Although this seems unrealistic, when you split your goals up into small, attainable tasks, it becomes a lot more rational!
Thanks to Brady Kirkpatrick, Gun Made!
#3- I believe in myself first
The power of the brain is real and taken more lightly than it should. But in simpler terms, you need to believe in yourself first before you can expect anyone else to. It starts by knowing what you want to achieve, envisioning how your life will be once you've achieved it and then taking the necessary steps to achieve it. Knowing these steps you take need to be directly tied to your end goal while prioritizing what matters. Time management and scheduling is key to success as well as never forgetting your why.
Thanks to Lucy Reyes, Cheers to Life Blogging!
#4- Outsourcing
For years now, and even in these uncertain times, I have exceeded my business goals. The best expert tip I can give that has helped me succeed is outsourcing the parts of my business that I don't love or am not an expert at. So my best advice is not to be afraid to invest in contractors with highly specialized skill sets. This goes for any part of the business that you and your team don't have the expertise, is project-based, or does not warrant hiring full-time staff. Hiring the right people for the right job is essential for growth. Just make sure that you do your due diligence with verified referrals or reviews of the services offered.
Thanks to Jessica Randhawa, The Forked Spoon!
#5- Work through the goal
Many sales professionals are tempted to take their foot off the gas if they hit their weekly or monthly quota. When you make a sale, you need to continue to work. Every passing minute is a chance to get ahead! Keep pushing despite the short-term comfort of achieving a goal. You're most likely to strike again while you're hot!
Thanks to Luke Smith, We Buy Property In Kentucky!
#6- I use time-blocking
So literally scheduling everything in time blocks. This gives you realistic view time. It stops you form multi-tasking and makes you assess how you are going to best use your time. Once you have this realistic view of time you begin to value it more and only want to use it for the big stuff which is going to drive your business forward. It also makes you feel less stressed as you know what you are doing and going to do all the time.
Thanks to Alex Stearn, MY PA Planner!
#7- Not letting anyone or any circumstance control the direction of your business and your life
Once you start doubting yourself and your capabilities, you are shattering your business goals. Listening to what others say and letting them direct your life and the direction of your business is one of the sure-fire ways of shattering your goals. Remember that a sink doesn't sink even if it is surrounded by water – it sinks when it lets that water get inside the ship. Let others say what they want to and just continue doing what you think is best for you and your business.
Thanks to Lewis Keegan, SkillScouter!
#8- Being resourceful
As an entrepreneur, being resourceful is the key! Being pro-active, learning new skills, and trying things out is essential to your growth and progress and will help you smash your goals! Your job is to find solutions to problems you usually have never encountered and have no experience dealing with, which is why being resourceful is a real strength.
Thanks to Ram Krishnna Rao, MarketOrders!
#9- Breaking down goals into manageable action steps
It is easier to focus on what you need to do right now and not feel overwhelmed by the process. Part of successfully setting goals is keeping track of how far you've come. Effective goal setting requires clarity about what the goal entails, knowledge about what kind of effort will be required, and the specific reasons why it is important to you.
Thanks to Oliver Andrews, OA Design Services!
#10- I reverse engineer my goals
I start with a big goal in mind then I ask myself at least 5 times, what do I need in order to accomplish that big goal? That will help me break it into 5 smaller goals. Each one is less complex than the last one. By the time I get to the fifth one that becomes my first small step. Once I have those steps I make sure I use the SMART approach for each one. Each goal for each step has to pass the SMART approach S – Specific, M – Measurable, A – Attainable, R – Relevant, T – Has to have a Timeframe.
Thanks to Gabriel Collignon
#11- Persistence and Self-Belief
A mindset of skepticism and uncertainty marks the death knell for any startup. I know it may sound trite: But the reality is that the honest-to-goodness most important quality for any business owner is the raw, unadulterated, pure belief in the ultimate success of their venture. With a perspective of persistent determination, every perceived failure becomes instead a moment of learning and growth. Master this outlook and you will be empowered to pivot when you need to and go far beyond your initial goals.
Thanks to Charles Camisasca, The eCommerce Boardroom!
#12- Being flexible with my goals
In these uncertain times, the best way to achieve your business goals is be flexible about them. Prepare for the worst-case scenario and have Plans B, C, and D ready. At this point, we can expect things to worsen, given the unpredictability of a health crisis. Make sure you’ll know how to respond well to it.
Thanks to Ben Walker, Transcription Outsourcing!
#13- Set expectations and set goals
I find that productivity comes from empowerment. The best way to shatter business goals is to set expectations and set goals. Then, report out on progress and follow-up. This creates an extremely productive team and allows you to reach said goals for your business.
Thanks to Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation!
#14- Focus is the most important thing
It’s not enough to set goals, you also have to prioritize them. When I set a goal for myself, whether it’s a growth goal or a sales goal, I put all my energy into this. I only set big goals every few years, with smaller goals in between. This way, it’s more sustainable for me to dedicate all my time and energy pursuing this next huge milestone for my business.
Thanks to Hosea Chang, Hayden Girls!
#15- Daily and weekly check-ins
Similar to the mid-week wrap-ups with my clients, I do this to analyze what I did over the week and pinpoint specific things I did to improve and grow my business. My personal list is a google doc with four sections; completed, in-progress, business progress, and non-business, that I keep open in a separate tab on my browser. I compare it with my quarterly one to monitor how much of what I did that week brought me closer to reaching my goals and tweak what isn't working. I implemented this exercise in 2016, and it has been a game-changer for me.
Thanks to Diana Darr
#16- Through commitment
I think you have to be committed to constantly wanting to surprise and delight your customers. A commitment to excellence and desire to do and be great for your customers will almost always lead to achieving business goals.
Thanks to Michael Stahl, SERVPRO!
#17- I use OKRs
It's a simple process. Firstly, add 3-4 actionable ‘key results' to all your business goals. Further breakdown your level 1 key results into more specific level 2 key results. You can keep extending the tree till you break a task down to an individual. I strongly recommend reading Measure What Matters by John Doer on OKRs & measuring business goals. This will also create a strong alignment of teams with clear objectives in sight.
Thanks to Jugal Anchalia, Breakout!