5 Ways Your Business Can Stay on Track in 2016

At some point in your life, you have probably wrote down a few goals. And, since you’re human, there probably have been a few times that you didn’t live up to them.

It happens.

Recording your goals on a piece of paper (or on an electronic device) can be powerful, but it’s only as effective as you allow it to be. Meaning, if you write down goals, but are still not serious about them, they’re almost useless. Gyms across the nation are benefiting from the surge of people who will sign up in January and drop out by February or March. They benefit from people who are not very serious about their goals.

It’s 2016, and unless you’re in business to be mediocre or lose money, you want to absolutely crush this year. To crush 2016, you will have to become serious about your business goals. This can be easier said than done, as optimism can wane once real-life challenges are flung in your face. Instead of simply writing your goals down and storing them away, let’s look at some actionable ways that you can stay on track in 2016.

Create Specific Goals

Vague goals yield poor results because you don’t really know what the real target is. If your goal is to “dominate your market”, you need to break it down so that it’s more specific. You need a step-by-step plan on how you’re going to dominate the market. How are you going to get more traffic to your site? How are you going to convert more visitors into sales? How are you going to extend the lifetime value of your customers? Though these are examples, these are great mini-goals that you can set up.

Usually, when we create goals, we create these massive objectives that are like mountains that we have to climb. But that’s not the best way to set goals– even if you have large business operation. By creating clear, defined mini-goals, you have an easier way to accomplish your objectives. A goal like “dominating your market” may sound good, but there are many ways you can dominate your market, so it’s not clear. It’s better to create smaller, more specific goals that will help you work towards the larger goal.

Set Realistic Deadlines

If you’re on page 4 of Google and you want to jump to, at least, the #3 spot on the first page, you need to set up a realistic deadline. If you want to make that jump in 1-2 months, it may not be a very realistic deadline (depending on your market), however, a deadline of 6-8 months may work. If your main goal is to become a market leader, it may not happen overnight. You have to honestly review your place in the market, the power of your competition, and the capabilities of your operation (infrastructure, manpower, budget and more) to make a good assessment of where you can take your business in a reasonable amount of time.

Involve Your Team

Your team of employees and partners need to be aware of your goals because they are integral to the success of your business. Plus, informing them of any goals motivates them to work harder for your company. If a team member helps your business accomplish a significant goal, that person should be rewarded. People like being an important part of a movement or an objective. This helps to create a powerful winning culture within your operation.

Review Your Goals

Review your goals throughout the year. It’s so easy to forget about them after a certain amount of time. You should look at your goals at least once a week because it’s a good way to constantly remind yourself of them as the year progresses.

Become Accountable

If you’re not an accountable person, then creating goals is a pointless activity. When you’re not accountable, you can easily drop out of your goals and sink back into mediocrity. Accountability will be the difference for your business in 2016. It’s the one aspect of goal-setting that can either keep you comfortably where you are or take your success higher than it has ever been.

Need help attaining your web development and digital marketing goals? If so, contact Zen Agency today! We are a group of experts.