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How To Set Business Goals – Tips For Freelancers, Sole Traders, Small Business

Published On
27 January 2021
Category
Grow your business

Being goal-orientated helps you know what needs to be done, and when – and it keeps you accountable.

You no longer have a manager breathing down your neck making sure you hit your KPI’s, it’s all you! Get the notebook and pen ready, it’s time to do some goal setting.

THE BIG PICTURE

Firstly, take a step back and have a look at the bigger picture. Not just for the business, but for you as well. Ask yourself a few key questions – where do you see yourself going, what is your purpose, what is the motivator, is the business everything you love? Answering these questions will help to work out what direction you want to move in, and what you are really working towards. 

LONG & SHORT TERM GOALS

Secondly, once you’ve worked out where you’re going, you need to break it down into long and short-term goals. Short-term being the goals you want or need to accomplish within the next year. Long term goals are the goals you’re planning for more than a year out, some good markers are 3-years and 5-year goals.

Take an honest look at all of your goals: are you trying to do too much within the one year? Are you focusing on what’s important? Do you need to adjust how you spend your time in order to achieve your goals?

GET SMART

It’s legit – the way you write your goals can have a huge impact on whether or not you actually achieve them. This is where SMART goals can help. Writing your goals in the SMART format will not only help provide some much-needed clarity so you can get out there and actually achieve (SMASH) them. So what is SMART? Well… read up.

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. When you write your goals, they need to meet the above criteria. For example, if your goal is to ‘get more clients’, it’s far too broad with no clear direction, and there is quite a low chance it will actually work. But if you turn it into a SMART goal, you have more chance of seeing results. Here’s how:

Specific
Be specific about what you’re trying to do.

Measurable
Make sure it’s measurable, so you can know definitively if you’ve been successful in reaching your goal.

Achievable

Consider whether your goal is actually achievable. Is it reasonable to try and get five new branding clients?

Relevant

Make sure the goal is relevant in the larger vision of your business. Are you trying to expand your branding services, or do you really want to grow your social media management services?

Time Bound

Give yourself a real deadline as then you will know exactly what you need to accomplish by when.

Now you are accountable, you have a deadline, and you know what you are working towards.

Goal for the win: Accounting & Finances Organised.Is it your goal to be more organised with your finances and business accounting? Sole Accounting App can make it happen. Designed to make accounting simplified, fast, easy and stress-free for Sole Traders, Freelancers, Self-Employed and Small Businesses, Sole App is an Australian Accounting App jam-packed with features to do just that. Check out the full range of Sole App features, such as invoicing, finance tracking, income & expenses and more on our Features page. Or get started right away – download Sole App on the App Store (Accounting Made Easy – SOLE) or Google Play (Sole – Accounting & Invoicing Made Easy) and start your 30-day free trial to test it out for yourself.

Enjoy reading this blog? Get more business, accounting and organisation tips for Sole Traders, Freelancers, Self-Employed and Small Businesses on the Sole App Accounting and Business Blog

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