By Dan Boudreau
It’s time to set goals to make 2010 your best year ever.
On New Year’s Day, many people will rack up a few resolutions to improve their personal lives, but it’s also an ideal time for small business owners to rekindle their passion and chart a path for the upcoming year.
Here are a few key areas to consider for setting business goals, along with some questions to ignite your imagination.
1. Path. Is your business enabling you to achieve your personal goals? Does it allow you to live the lifestyle you want? If it isn’t serving your needs, you might want to rethink your overall business direction and set goals for change.
2. Relations.Who will you network and interact with in the coming year? Which alliances are most important to the success of your business? Are you satisfied with your communications? Is it time to begin publishing a newsletter or blog? Does your website need a facelift?
3. Fitness. How green is your venture? Can you set goals to clean up deficiencies and reduce any negative impact on the environment? Are you creating the business culture you wish for your employees, your customers, and you?
4. Efficiency. It may be time to examine your business operations, identify inefficiencies, and streamline processes. Is your technology working for you? Can you identify improvements that will save time, energy or money? Set goals to eliminate unnecessary costs.
5. Satisfaction. Is your business a fun place to work? This is important whether you’re working solo or with a team. What can you do to make your workplace lively, inspirational and fun? Set goals to recognize and reward kind thoughts, positive actions and achievements.
6. Debt. Is your business adequately funded? Are you packing unnecessary debt? Do you have bills that could be paid off this year? Do you need to pay down any high interest loans or credit cards?
7. Growth. What could you learn that would improve how you do business? Are there new products or services that would make your enterprise more competitive? Are you taking an appropriate level of risk by trying new things, or by doing old things in new ways? A couple of well-planned profit goals can turnaround a deadbeat business and get it on the path to success.
8. Service. Are you content with the quality of customer service you provide? Do you deliver satisfaction with every transaction? Are you pleased with how you serve your internal customers, your employees and your support personnel?
9. Contribution. Does your business give back to the larger community? What are you giving now, and what could you improve or do more of?
Your answers to these questions will lead you to consider ways to improve your business in the coming year. Setting goals in just a few of these areas can launch you into an amazing year and have a remarkable effect on your quality of life and your bottom line.
Have a healthy, happy and prosperous 2010!
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