Setting your goals for the year ahead is something you should be prioritising as a business owner. If you do not know where to start, keep reading because we have made a list of five suggested goals for you to think about.
Get up earlier
We know this may not necessarily seem like it is related to running your business but the most successful people in the world all have this one thing in common, they wake up early. We are not suggesting you wake up at 5am every day but we are saying you should consider waking up an hour earlier than your normal time as a starting point. What are the benefits of an early morning?
- More time to yourself: Enjoy a coffee or tea by yourself before the rest of the house wakes up. It’s more enjoyable than a rushed coffee in the car while driving to the office.
- More time to exercise: We know exercising isn’t for everyone, but you could use this extra one hour you have given yourself to do a quick YouTube session or go for a walk in your neighbourhood and enjoy the fresh air.
- Less time in traffic: Since you have woken up early, you could head to the office earlier and beat the traffic. Perhaps you could use your extra hour to walk around the work neighbourhood and enjoy a coffee in the local cafe.
There are so many things you could do with just one extra hour in the morning. Imagine not rolling out of bed, only to rush off to work straight away (even if it is your own business). Thank us later when you inevitably become an early bird!
Make sure your sleep schedule is regular
This one ties into the waking up earlier goal above. Getting into bed at the same time every day will not only help you foster a new habit, but the quality of your sleep will improve which will make waking up the next day a lot easier! If you prioritise yourself, you are much more likely to be able to show up for your team and for your business needs.
Sleep is one of the most important things of a healthy and functioning human being. Getting enough sleep may not eliminate all those inevitable stresses that come with running a business on your own but it will help give you a clear head and you will be able to handle it better and make effective decisions.
Build on your original vision
Remember why you started your business in the first place? What were your original goals and has your ‘WHY’ remained the same over the years? If you find yourself drifting from that original business plan, it’s time to take a look at it again. How can you add to your current services and increase the value for your clients? Has your own skill set improved to be able to offer additional services? Can you hire new team members to carry out these additional services?
What mistakes did you make last year that you can improve on
Mistakes are part of the learning process and we are inviting you to reflect on the things you could have done better. This could be as simple as making more calls to potential clients or post more on social media. It could also be a time to think about how to improve the work life balance for your team and yourself, if the past year has been non-stop.
Do you need help to grow your business?
Whether you are a one person band or already have a team, now is the time to be honest with yourself. If you are not financially ready to hire staff on a full-time basis, then consider outsourcing certain tasks to someone like The Small Business Lounge link. This way instead of hiring one person who may not be able to do all the work you require, you are getting access to a whole team of professionals! There are so many benefits to outsourcing work including building business to business relationships. Outsourcing is also a cost effective solution for smaller businesses who are hitting that next phase of growth.
