One of the questions I often ask a prospective entrepreneur is about their goals. What inspires you and what kind of goals do you have for your business? Where would you like to be in five years? Depending on the business, the questions differ slightly, but the result is always the same. I want to see your end result as clearly as you do. Do you expect to be a Fortune 500 company or is your goal to pay down some credit cards?
The answer to this question really determines many things. How you measure success means a lot when it comes to how far your business will grow. If your idea of success is being able to take an extra vacation, then great! I can hook you up with someone to help you with a few small things on the side to make your entrepreneurial life easier, and you’ll be well on your way to having your toes in the sand and a fruity umbrella drink in your hand in no time.
If your idea of success is a million-dollar income, guess what? I still have a virtual assistant who can do very little or a whole lot to support you and your business needs. Before we get started, though, we’ll need to know what your goals are.
Weekly, monthly, yearly and long-term goals are good to have. Let’s say you woke up today and decided you want to make five sales and are absolutely committed to making that happen. At the end of the day when you look back at the sales made and see it’s only three, you’ve come up short. Maybe it’s just an “off” day. Tomorrow, you shoot for the same five and fall short again. After a week or two of that, it might be time to try something different. Testing theories works best if you have the end game in mind. Once you’re consistently hitting your targets, then it’s time to set your sights on new challenges and goals. That’s how businesses (and people) grow.
Do you have a five-year plan that jazzes you up? Maybe you’re like a client and will say to yourself “In five years, I want to have a branch of my business in Minneapolis, one in New York City, and one in Long Beach.” Maybe that’s a little bit lofty. Stretching and reaching for the stars is stimulating, challenging and energizing. Write it down and post it somewhere prominent. Every business decision should be made with that long-term goal in mind. If you’re not reaching for anything, you’ll never grab anything either.
Part of the fun of being a small business owner is making new goals and meeting or exceeding them. Once you’re making those happen, you’ll want to continue because it just feels absolutely amazing. It becomes a cycle. You meet and exceed and meet and exceed and before you know it you’re ruling the world. Well, maybe not ruling the world, but you’ve certainly gotten a whole lot farther than you would have if you didn’t set some goals for yourself to hit. Consistently challenging yourself both personally and professionally (and experiencing the all the highs and lows) is how growth happens.
If you’re without goals and constantly flying by the seat of your pants, dear solopreneur, pause for a moment and ask yourself: What are your dreams? Where would you like to be at the end of today, the end of the week, the end of this year, and in five or ten years?
Give me a call. Let’s chat about those goals and see how a virtual assistant who’s dedicated to your success —- and will do whatever it takes to get there — can support you while you make things happen.
Cheers
Angie
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