How to Successfully Set Business Goals - the SMART Way

Every general goal is successfully attained by breaking them down into smaller more attainable goals. The smaller the breakdown is, the higher your chances of accomplishing them and achieving your ultimate goal.

As a woman entrepreneur, your ultimate goal is to grow your business. But how do you achieve this? Think SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.

Specific

When you set your goals, they should be specific. This means that the goal should be able to easily answer the “what”, “why” and “how”.

So instead of saying “I want to increase my email list”, be more specific by saying “I am targeting to have at least 2 opt-ins per day so that I can eventually pitch my business to highly targeted prospects. I’ll do this by offering a free eBook on my site and driving traffic to it. 

Measurable

Your ultimate goal will consist of smaller bits of specific goals. Make sure that you have a way of measuring and tracking the smaller, specific goals you set. 

For your long-term goal of growing your email list, breaking it down to 2 opt-ins per day makes it measurable.

Attainable

A smart business goal should be realistic and attainable. This means that you should avoid setting goals that are too small and easy that you’re progressing too slowly, or set something too difficult that you can’t achieve them despite your best efforts.

You should be able to determine your current “capability” level so that you can push and challenge yourself by setting goals that are just slightly above of what you think you can do. 

Relevant

Sometimes you tend to get too focused, setting multiple short-term goals so that you forget to look at the big picture. Make sure that each smaller, specific goal you set is relevant to whatever your long-term goal is. 

Time-bound

Every goal you set should have a deadline stamped into it. Create a timeline outlining the specific date you want your ultimate goal accomplished, with the smaller short-term goals having daily, weekly or monthly deadlines. This will help you track your progress and really get you organized.

Over to you.. 

What goals have you set for your business? How do you ensure that you can achieve them? Please share your thoughts and comments below.