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4 Goals You Should Set to Help Grow Your Business

Published on July 1, 2022. Updated on July 17, 2023.

How many goals have you set for your business in the past few weeks, months, or year? If you’re like most people, you probably have a lot of goals that you never get around to actually working on, let alone achieving. Running your own business can be both rewarding and challenging, but one thing that makes it easier is knowing what you’re aiming for.

Establishing business goals can be incredibly impactful in your ability to achieve success, as it shows you where you want to go with your business and helps motivate you to attain those goals before they even happen. Whether you’re trying to bring in more customers, expand to new markets or simply turn a profit, there are several types of goals you should set when you’re launching your own business.

Here are four goals every entrepreneur should strive towards to help their business grow and prosper.



1. New Client Acquisitions

New clients are exciting. They mean new opportunities, and they give you a chance to gain more experience as an entrepreneur and of course, to make more money. New client acquisitions should always be part of your short-term and long-term business plans. Acquiring new clients requires you to make a concentrated effort to identify, target and entice prospective customers. This can be done through a combination of sales methods, search engine optimization (SEO), advertisements, marketing tactics, and networking with potential clients to spread awareness about what you have to offer.

Setting up a new client acquisition goal is simple: Just write down how many new clients you want to acquire each month, quarter, or year. For an added challenge, identify a “Good,” “Better,” and “Best” number of new acquisitions. When determining these numbers, set goals that are both realistic and attainable. It’s great to be ambitious but you also want to set business goals that are achievable so you feel a sense of accomplishment. For motivation, put these numbers in a highly visible location such as on the wall in your office space or on your desk. Continue to evaluate your progress and make modifications to your sales and marketing strategy to help ensure you reach your goal. 



2. Productivity Improvements

Business goals are oftentimes about increasing revenue, and becoming more efficient and productive can help you achieve those aims faster. Before you can grow your business, you need to identify how to maximize your time and efforts. You could be spending time on things that don’t help your company or taking on tasks that are slowing down your ability to do bigger and better things. If that sounds like you, it’s time to get ruthless with your productivity in order to create time for high-level goals and targets. So, identify where you can spend less time on lower-value tasks, prioritize your calendar and set up reminders to focus on high-value tasks instead.

Sometimes one of the best ways to improve your productivity is to invest in new resources or tools to streamline tasks that can be time consuming. This can be applied to just about any facet of your business including marketing, finances, administrative tasks, and sales. As an example, if you’re running a business directory website and are responsible for your marketing efforts, research different email and social media posting platforms such as MailChimp, Constant Contact, Hootsuite, or Later.com, that can help you utilize your time more efficiently. Designate a block of time each week or month to work on these platforms so you aren’t getting bogged down on a daily basis and can focus more of your time on other aspects of your business. 



3. Financial Improvements

In the same way that improving productivity is beneficial, you also want to make smart and cost effective financial decisions. Managing your finances is one of the most important things you can do for your business. The goals and benchmarks you set for yourself financially are an important part of running a business, as well as being an entrepreneur. Use these goals to keep track of how well you’re doing and what needs to change or improve in order to get on track.

As you look to grow your business, it’s critical to monitor where you can cut costs and where you can invest. Start by taking a hard look at any recurring costs you have — whether it’s for marketing, supplies or a service — and think about whether there are ways to reduce them. Dedicate time to reviewing expenses on an ongoing basis and look for ways you can improve your business’s financial situation, so that you’re using your money wisely and in ways that help you grow your business. 



4. Retaining Clients & Getting Referrals

With so many moving parts in running a business, it’s easy to get caught up in creating relationships with new clients and forget about your existing ones. While many entrepreneurs know that keeping clients happy and building their trust is important, fewer are aware of how to nurture their client relationships on a consistent basis. Take proactive steps and create a strategy on how you plan to foster your relationships with current clients. The time you spend growing current client relationships can also be extremely beneficial in obtaining referrals.

To stay on top of this task, set a goal for yourself to establish contact with past clients at least once every 90 days. It can be as simple as checking in or sending a holiday greeting, newsletter, or promotion about a new service or product you're offering. This will ensure that you’re staying in touch with them and reminding them why they chose you — all while giving you an opportunity to see if there’s a way you can help them expand their business and give you a chance to possibly sell additional services to your existing client. 



Start a Directory Website and Start Setting Goals for Your Business

Setting goals are essential for keeping your business on track. With a direction in mind, you’ll avoid distractions and be able to develop a solid business plan with concrete milestones and targets. In order for your business to be successful, it is important that you are clear about what it is you want from your business and create realistic plans that allow you to achieve these goals.

Running a business directory and coupon website with Ideal Directories gives you the opportunity to set these types of business goals and the potential to earn a significant income. If you want to learn how you can get started and establish your business goals with a directory website, contact us today.
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