SMART Goals for Building Your Business

Authors: Cate Cannavino | Artsy Couture, Chris Scott | Swift Galleries

What are your business goals for 2018? More importantly – do you know how you’re going to accomplish them? Start your year out on the right foot by defining attainable goals, setting tactful and actionable tasks, and ensuring your success using SMART goals to help you build your business and achieve personal success.

What are SMART Goals?

Specific: simple, sensible, significant.
Measurable: meaningful, motivating.
Achievable: agreed, attainable.
Relevant: reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based.
Time-bound: time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive.

Let’s dive deeper into SMART goals and review how to apply them.

Specific: Your goal(s) need to be clear and specific. When drafting, try to answer the five “W’s”:

What exactly do I want to accomplish?
Why is this goal important?
Who is involved?
Where is it located?
Which resources or limits are involved?

EX:

Goal: Double the size of my business this year.
SMART Goal: Increase my output and revenue this year.

Measurable: Quantitative vs. Qualitative goals. It’s critical to have measurable goals that allow you to track progress and maintain momentum. Consistently monitoring progress will help you stay motivated, meet deadlines, and attain your goals successfully. Consider the following when setting your goal(s):

How much do I want to grow?
How many units/leads do I need to increase?
How will I know when I’ve met my goal?

EX:

Goal: Increase my output and revenue this year.
SMART Goal: Increase my output by 100 units a month and revenue by 100K this year.

Achievable: Goals need to be realistic and attainable in order for you to be successful. Set your goals at a level that will strengthen your skills without over-stretching your capabilities. Consider ways to achieve your goals that may be a new strategy for your business:

How can I accomplish the goals I’ve set?
Is this realistic?
Do I have control over all factors or are there roadblocks in the way?

EX:

Goal: Increase my output by 100 units a month and revenue by 100K this year.
SMART Goal: Increase my monthly output by 10% (attainable) and revenue by 20% (based on output goals) this year.

Relevant: Goals should matter to you and your business, and align with other relevant objectives. If you don’t have control over your goal, or it’s meant to help someone else, you’re likely to struggle to succeed. A relevant goal should answer “yes” to the following:

Is this worthwhile?
Is the timing right? Or should you be focusing on something else right now?
Does it match other efforts and needs?
Is it applicable to my business and current economic conditions?

EX:

Goal: Increase my output and revenue this year.
SMART Goal: Identify inefficiencies in my work product and modify process so that I can successfully increase my output and revenue this year.

Time-Bound: Every goal needs a target date. Push it, but account for unforeseen circumstances. Keep your goals on a timeline will help you ensure that daily tasks don’t take precedence over your long-term objectives. A time-bound goal should answer these questions:

When?
What can I do six months from now?
What can I do six weeks from now?
What can I do today?

EX:

Goal: Increase my output and revenue this year.
SMART Goal: Increase my output month-over-month by at least 10%, with the goal of increasing revenue by 20% by the end of the year.

SMART Goals will help you begin to identify the ways that your business can grow in the new year. Once you have established your SMART Goals, your next task is to apply them to your life and business. When applied correctly, SMART goals will help you create clear, attainable and thoughtful goals. Applying steps to achieve each goal helps build motivation, set timely, actionable plans, and ultimately drives its success.

Need guidance building your SMART Goals? We’re here to help! Download this custom worksheet, created by Swift Galleries, which will help identify the best goals for your business and help you begin to make progress towards your goals every day.

Artsy Couture

Leading Professional Photography Insights

SMART Goals for Building Your Business

SMART Goals for Building Your Business

Authors: Cate Cannavino | Artsy Couture, Chris Scott | Swift Galleries

What are SMART Goals?

Specific: simple, sensible, significant.

Measurable: meaningful, motivating.

Achievable: agreed, attainable.

Relevant: reasonable, realistic and resourced, results-based.

Time-bound: time-based, time-limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive.

Specific: Your goal(s) need to be clear and specific. When drafting, try to answer the five “W’s”:

Achievable: Goals need to be realistic and attainable in order for you to be successful. Set your goals at a level that will strengthen your skills without over-stretching your capabilities. Consider ways to achieve your goals that may be a new strategy for your business:

Relevant: Goals should matter to you and your business, and align with other relevant objectives. If you don’t have control over your goal, or it’s meant to help someone else, you’re likely to struggle to succeed. A relevant goal should answer “yes” to the following:

Time-Bound: Every goal needs a target date. Push it, but account for unforeseen circumstances. Keep your goals on a timeline will help you ensure that daily tasks don’t take precedence over your long-term objectives. A time-bound goal should answer these questions:

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