How To Set Yourself Up For Success In Your Business
When you started your business, you didn’t start it by thinking “Hey, I think I’ll spend a lot of time and effort to start my business and then I think I’ll just let it all crumble to pieces and not be successful.” Right?! Of course not!
That’s why if you want your business to be successful, and obviously you do or else you wouldn’t be reading this, then you need to have processes and procedures in place to accommodate that success.
(The first thing you need to do is check out my list of resources for your business. This list has some of my favorite tools that I use daily in my own business.)
Now, let’s get down to the details so we can get you set up for success.
Set SMART Goals
Setting SMART goals is a big step to setting your business up for success. Let’s break these down:
S= Specific. Get as specific as you can with your goal. “I want to make $5k this month so that I can pay off my credit card and take a vacation with my husband to Jamaica.”
M= Measurable. By being specific in the first step you now have a way to measure your progress. Think about each step you will need to do to accomplish your goal. How many clients will you need to find? How many people will you need to reach out to in order to find those clients?
A= Attainable. This will change as your business grows. $5k may not be attainable in your first few months so you may need to set a lower income goal. Be sure to revisit this as your business grows.
R= Relevant. When you’re first starting out, it’s hard to say no to potential jobs but it’s important to make sure that the clients you are working with and the jobs that you are doing are aligned with your values and the mission that your business stands for.
T= Time-Based. Set a deadline and stick to it. Mark it down on your calendar, tell your significant other or best friend or mentor about it, and make a point to do everything you can to reach that goal by the deadline.
Hold Yourself Accountable
The only person who is going to make your business successful is you. You’re not going to wake up one morning to an inbox full of people saying “I want to pay you!” and the money just appears in your bank account.
You have to actually put in the work and when you don’t, you have to hold yourself accountable for that.
Make A Schedule
The first step to being efficient with your time is to set up a schedule and then stick to it the best that you can. When you make your time schedule for the month, start by putting all of the important things on your calendar first (i.e. doctor appointments, kids activities, trips, etc.) and make sure that when you are setting deadlines with your clients that you keep these things in mind.
Tip: Always be generous with your time estimates to account for unexpected emergencies and things that come up.
Use Your Time Efficiently
Once you start getting multiple clients, you will want to make sure that you are using your time efficiently to accommodate multiple projects and deadlines. For me, I like to break each project down into small tasks and plan how much time each task will take me to complete. Once I’ve done this then I create time blocks into my calendar (I use google calendar) for each task.
Tip: Leave “white space” in your calendar for emergencies or breaks in between work so that you can refresh.
Celebrate Your Tiny Victories
Some might not think that this step is important, but if you don’t celebrate your victories then who will? Starting a business is a big step that deserves to be celebrated. Pick something to do as a “tiny celebration” and do this each time you complete a task.
Start establishing these things now and you will build success in your own business.