How’s business? As a CEO, president or business owner, are you on target to achieve business goals this year?
- Is it the best business year you ever had?
- Is it the worst business year you ever had?
- Perhaps somewhere in between?
Yes, it’s important to look back on and reference the business year to gain perspective. But it’s essentially gone. It’s history!
That was then. This is NOW.
No matter what the date on the calendar is, what happens in the next twelve months is up to you.
Have you looked around to see what other business people are doing?
No matter how successful you may be, ask yourself:
- Why are other business people more successful than me?
Could it be they’re smarter? Have a higher IQ? Could it be just pure luck? Although there is always someone who is smarter and luckier than you, chances are the majority of business people who are successful are just like you in many ways. What sets successful business people apart is how they think about business.
Here are 3 strategies to achieve business goals in the next year. These 3 strategies could be the difference between business success or business failure and experiencing significant less or more business stress:
1) YOU: Yes, YOU make the difference between your own business success, stress, worries and failure. Sounds like an obvious answer but often as business people we tend to look at everything but ourselves for the answers to business success. Remember, the answers to business success lie within you. Not within others. Your company’s success starts with YOU. It’s your own skills, knowledge, attitude, experience and talents that make the difference and get you to where you want to be in business.
What successful business people do is consistently be on top of their business. No matter what it takes. No excuses. They look at how they can help customers become MORE successful. Determine how they can help each employee enjoy their work, be motivated and more productive.
Successful CEOs, founders and business owners are constantly working on improving leadership, operations and management to continue the success. Business success starts with YOU. It’s about how you think about your business every day. That’s what will help you and your company become MORE profitable, MORE successful and achieve MORE business goals.
2) Will. Drive. Determination: How can you achieve business goals or even have a business plan if you don’t know what YOU want?
Ask yourself:
- What do I REALLY want from my business?
Not what others want for you. What YOU really want for yourself and the business.
Then ask yourself a second question:
- Am I willing to do what it takes, legally and ethically, to achieve business goals and dreams I have for myself and the company?
If your answer is: Yes … Then you will need to use your will, drive and determination to achieve business goals. Is it possible? Absolutely!
3) Have a business plan. Be in action!: Just showing up for work is not a business plan. If you want to be successful in the next twelve months, ask yourself:
- Am I really committed to achieve business goals that I include in the business plan?
Not just a plan that says: I want to make money. But a specific business plan as to how you are going to lead, manage, sell it, deliver it and meet the needs of your customers, co-workers and business associates.
You need a strategic business plan PLUS well thought out business goals. Not just for the business overall but as a CEO, founder or business owner for sales, marketing and every other department in the company. If there aren’t goals … if the business isn’t adjusting to the current marketplace conditions … if every year employees aren’t getting better at what they do … then the competition who does have the will, drive and determination to succeed, will be the happy recipient of the business you are losing.
Don’t let this happen to you and your company. You’ve worked too hard and put in too many hours to stop now from being the best you can be. Business planning + being in action with those plans will go a long way towards making it the best business year ever.
Here’s to a more successful and more prosperous business year!
May you achieve business goals for yourself and your company!
To your success!
Business expert and strategist, Howard Lewinter, guides – focuses – advises CEOs, presidents and business owners throughout the United States across a wide variety of industries, to MORE success – MORE profit – less stress. Business people trust Howard’s vast business knowledge, intuitive insight and objective perspective to solve business problems and issues. Get MORE from your business. Talk business with Howard: 888-738-1855.
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Published on Nimble blog as a guest post.