This is the time of year when business owners start evaluating if their business goals and action plan are realistic.
Even if that’s so, don’t change your goals. Adjust the plan and your habits to achieve that goal instead.
Here are three must-haves to achieve your business goals this year.
1. Focus with Heart and Mind on Your Goals and Your Dream
When you create a strategic business plan, focus on the reasons for the business:
- Who do you want to serve?
- Why do you want to help them?
- What is their challenge that you can help solve?
- What solution do you provide?
- How will you offer your services?
- How will you get clients?
- How will you meld all these things together to create a prosperous business?
Since these are the primary reasons why you’re going into business, keep these answers in mind when making decisions.
Something else to focus on is your big dream, or what we call your 360° vision.
If anything was possible…
- What would your dream business look like?
- What would you do living your ideal day?
- What do you like doing when you’re not working?
- How much money do you want to earn over the next 5 years to help give you financial security?
Your dream may look different then what another person would choose — and that’s perfect.
They might not have said it out loud, but I think some of my friends thought it was crazy that Cory and I wanted to move into an RV and travel the country.
But it was our dream and it inspired us to start our own coaching company and create our online community for consultants and coaches.
Write your dream down as part of your strategic business plan.
2. Put Your Ideas on Paper (or Computer) into a Strategic Business Plan
Think of your business plan as a mountain.
Your why, vision, core values, and mission statement are at the base of the mountain while your big dream is at the peak.
Everything in between is what you will want to plan and these steps into the action portion of your strategic business plan.
- Do you want to create products, as well as offer services?
- If you do, how often do you want to produce a product?
- How can you implement some passive income or affiliate income into your business?
- Are there any speaking engagements or online summit opportunities that will expand your reach and audience?
- What can you add to your sales funnel for those not yet ready to commit to consulting or coaching?
Bonus Tip: Space out your ideas throughout this year, and in the next three to five years. A big mistake solopreneurs do is plan too much in one year and then feel stuck and overwhelmed.
3. Chunk Down Your Action Steps
This is where your planning steps are broken down into smaller, actionable steps.
Instead of just saying I want to write a book, break the process down further.
- How much time can you dedicate each day to writing?
- Do you want to self-publish or find a publisher?
- Who do you know who is a book editor?
- Who can design the cover and the layout of the book?
These are actionable steps that can be crossed off your to do list once completed.
Don’t be thrown off here. You don’t need to plan 5 years’ worth of action steps at one time. Remember the bonus tip above.
The idea is to create an overall plan a year at a time, and then plan the actions steps one month or one quarter at a time.
Keep your focus in mind so that the action steps become a pathway or a blueprint to your big dreams.
If this seems like a daunting task, download our free workbook, The Fast Action Guide to Planning Your Best Year Ever. It guides you in creating your strategic business and action plan based on your why, vision, and goals. Click the image below to download your free copy.
