Turn Forgotten Goals into New Year Opportunities
The new year is here and as a small business owner you already know the value of reflecting back at your successes from the last year. However, make sure you are also considering the goals that you may have not gotten around to starting. Find that list of resolutions from last year, dust it off and see what was not completed. The best laid plans and ideas could have been derailed by unknown factors and the normal course of business. As you look to set your goals for the coming year, find the opportunities on this list that you didn’t complete. Analyze, delegate and create action plans to make the most of these newly energized goals.
While you are celebrating what was hopefully a year full of achievement, it may be easy to lose focus on analyzing what didn’t get accomplished. After all, it is more fun to thank employees and partners, than to push them for the hows and whys of a particular project. Analyzing your goals before you place them back on this year’s new list should consist of starting a SWOT analysis. A SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis needs to have a purpose, so work through a SWOT for each goal. For example, if your goal was finding a new north side office space you may note items like “allow for expansion”, “better location for networking and meeting clients”, “cost of moving”, etc. as part of your analysis for this goal. Your new list of goals will include items that make sense for your business plan and will help support your vision, as well as offer immediate solutions.
As you work through your list of goals, it will be natural to feel a bit overwhelmed. Identifying how to energize opportunities is a big job so don’t be afraid to involve staff members in on this planning process. They often will have different perspectives and ideas as to why a goal should be handled in certain way. Going back to the goal of finding a new office location, once you speak with your staff and outline your concerns, you may find that they are better equipped to find the best areas to consider and the buildings that offer the best amenities. Delegating is not just for companies with multiple employees, however. Entrepreneurs should work to build a network of contacts they can rely on to help with goals like the example of finding a new north side office space. Ask for referrals to find special locations like shared office space or single story flex space. Just asking for opinions from people you do business with will help take some research off of your plate. And you’ll have the benefit of knowing that your business contacts will like coming to visit your new offices, too. Delegating is a crucial element to the success of your new list of goals and works for any size company.
Now it is time to take action. While analyzing and delegating do not lose sight of the fact that each of these goals will need realistic action plans created. Take the analysis and facts you have gathered and apply them as you write your plans. Tackling a goal like relocating to a new north side office space will require careful planning. According to Entrepreneur, there are five main reasons that companies consider moving. They include work force availability, the desire to reach new markets, growth and expansion, lower costs and increase quality of life. You will need to have an exact course of action after considering these reasons to have the most success meeting this goal. Reasons like these will directly affect your bottom line and help to highlight the importance of considering all factors when working towards reaching any goal.
The new year is a perfect time to take your forgotten goals and turn them into opportunities for 2015. With some analyzing, delegating and planning you can succeed at tasks like finding new north side office space and moving to a location better suited for your company. The Bradley Business Center will help fulfil your reasons for needing new north side office space, such as expansion, personnel resources and a more convenient location. Contact us to learn more and allow us to help you cross one more important goal off of your list. Happy New Year and best wishes for a successful and profitable 2015!
