A couple of days ago, I shared my New Year’s resolutions for my home business (if you missed it, see the January 1, 2006 entry titled “Resolutions for the New Year”). And while making resolutions – especially when they are designed to break bad habits – is good, it is not the only thing you should do to welcome the new year. As you begin 2006, however, you should also take the time to set goals for the upcoming year.
Setting goals will help you to keep your business moving forward. Obviously, the types of goals you set will depend largely on the stage your business is in, that is, if you are just beginning to explore different opportunities, your goals are going to be different than those you would set for a business that has been in operation for a number of years.
There really is only one rule to keep in mind when setting goals: keep them reasonable, yet challenging. While setting lofty goals may seem like a good way to keep you motivated, you may find yourself discouraged if you do not meet them.
Here are my goals for 2006:
1. To increase my total income for the year by $5,000. As I thought about this goal, I considered the number of clients I currently have as well as the income I could expect from those clients. I also looked at my income for the past four years and saw that each year I made a few thousand dollars more than the previous.
2. To obtain at least two public relations projects. As I mentioned in my New Year’s Resolutions blog, I am going to try to focus more of my efforts on building the public relations side of my business. I’ve already got one prospect who indicated they might be interested in a meeting – assuming that works out, I’ll be half-way to my goal!
3. To update my freelance writing resume and create a portfolio. When I apply for writing jobs, I generally put together a client list that reflects my expertise in the required subject matter. While this approach has worked well, it is a little time consuming and it certainly does not present an accurate picture of my overall experience.
What are your goals for the coming year? Why not take some time to think about what you would like to accomplish; it may be just the motivation you need to bring your business to the next level.