Eyes on the Prize: Setting and Achieving Goals as an Entrepreneur

People who work at big companies and corporations usually have specific goals or key performance indicators that they have to meet monthly, quarterly, or annually. They also have individuals who hold them accountable: their teammates and supervisors.?

For small business owners, accountability is self-determined. You won’t be letting down the team or missing out on a bonus if you don’t hit your target sales, and you won’t get that promotion if you exceed expectations. It’s you, and you alone, who can hold yourself accountable, because it’s up to you to grow your business.?

CF Creative has helped hundreds of small businesses grow, scale, and thrive. Here are four suggestions for holding yourself accountable so you can reach your goals.?

Break up your big plan. As an entrepreneur or small business owner, it’s essential to set large goals: opening a brick-and-mortar store in the next two years, increasing sales by 15% in 2023, or launching a new product within six months. But to make your big dream a reality, you’ll want to break it down into smaller, achievable actions that bring your goal to fruition. It’s important, too, to set realistic deadlines for these steps, and to celebrate when you have accomplished them.?

Know your peak productivity times. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are passionate about what they do, which can make back-end work — such as payroll, finances, or marketing — that takes them away from their core business feel like a bit of a slog. But these tasks are essential to maintain and grow a company, so you have to make time for them. The best way to approach these responsibilities? Figure out when you are most likely to really accomplish them, and stick to that schedule. For example, you might dread diving into accounts payable at night after a long day of work, but find that doing it over a cup of coffee in the morning makes the task more enjoyable. Or perhaps you would rather get a few extra minutes of sleep in the morning and create a new email marketing campaign at night. Knowing when to focus on these responsibilities will ensure they get done quicker — getting you back to doing what you love faster.?

Get an accountability partner. You’ve probably heard of accountability partners for things like healthy eating or exercising. The reason it’s such a popular concept is because it works. Your accountability partner can be a spouse, friend, or fellow small business owner. What’s important is that you both commit to your respective goals, check in with each other regularly, and hold each other accountable for reaching them.?

Don’t multitask. The idea of multitasking was long considered a positive trait in the workplace. But in reality, multitasking just means that you are juggling a number of tasks without giving any of them your full, undivided attention. The concept of “deep work” — or giving one project your complete attention without distraction — is a much more productive way of approaching your work. Although it can be difficult at first, cultivating the ability to focus on one task will benefit your business in the long run.?

Accountability is key for small business owners and entrepreneurs. By implementing these concepts, ideas, and strategies into your work, you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.?

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CF Creative (www.cf-creative.com) is a full-service marketing and consulting agency that provides business growth, strategic content, and technical assistance consulting for small and minority-owned businesses, as well as the public and private sector organizations and companies that support them.