Why setting business goals should be top of your to-do list this January

“If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time.”

I know from personal experience that the mind of a business owner can be chaotic, brilliant, creative, lonely, overwhelming, but above all, an exciting place to be!  If we didn’t have mountains of ideas we probably wouldn’t be in business.

If you’re anything like me you bounce from seeking world domination one day to being riddled with self-doubt and uncertainty the next. So how do we block out the noise and ensure our businesses thrive? 

The answer is goal setting! 

How often can you look back over the successes in your life and say they happened by accident? Whether consciously or not, you will have been setting goals around every major decision you have ever made. 

I’m not talking about unclear New Year’s resolutions, I’m talking about SMART goals that give us clear priorities, laser-focus and a north star to aim toward. These will be your best friends on days when you aren’t feeling your best and can’t remember which way is up. 

Below are some topics with suggested goals you can set: 

• Financial
  • Increase profitability by reducing operating expenditure 
  • Open a business bank account 
  • Hire an accountant
  • Achieve a 40% net profit margin 
  • Increase prices by 5% 

• Operational Efficiency
  • Purchase a new van to increase capacity and service clients quicker
  • Invest in a new time management calendar to ensure job bookings
  • Provide training for your staff to improve their skills making them even more valuable to your business, whilst engaging their engagement

• Sales & Marketing
  • Increase sales by introducing a loyalty scheme for existing customers
  • Attend networking events to generate more leads for your business 
  • Post on social media 4 times per week to increase brand awareness
  • Rebrand 
  • Update the website
  • Sign up 10 new clients 
  • Send 3 cold inbox enquiries a week to potential new clients 

• HR
  • Hire 2 new people by the end of the year 

• ESG (environmental, social, governance)
  • Reduce the number of printed pages per month from 200 to 15 by investing in e-signature software 
  • Switch to electric vans
  • Donate £200 to charity 

So sit down with a cup of coffee and start setting those goals for 2024! 

If you think you might need some help with this process- get in touch! 

At BERRYS, we have adapted corporate strategy planning and business management methodologies into an accessible easy-to-follow goal-setting process.

The BERRYS process for goal setting is as follows: 

1. SWOT analysis – we hold a brainstorming session to identify your internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external market Opportunities and Threats (this also includes a review of your business financial performance) 

2. Formulate your 30-day, 90 day and 1-year SMART goals and a 3-year vision 

3. Design a plan, including actionable steps and milestones to help you meet your goals. 

Sounds great right?! So let’s do this together email hello@berrys.com