Energy flows where intention goes.
Business planning is one of the most powerful activities you can undertake in your business.
Do you feel resistance when it comes to goal setting? I know I have in the past. The whole process of setting goals can feel too masculine, pushy, or ‘corporate’.
But I’ve come to appreciate that goals are simply clear intentions for the things you want to create, experience and achieve in your business.
I’ve tried running my business both with and without clear goals, and I can safely say – hands down – that my business has thrived and grown so much more when I’ve started the year with clear intentions.
And over the many years of coaching women to start and grow their own businesses, I know this for sure:
The women who succeed in business are those who…
- Set aside time to strategically plan their business goals for the year ahead.
- Set clear goals and intentions for their business.
- Get support from a business mentor to find the fastest and most effective path to achieve their growth goals.
- Translate their goals into actionable 90-day plans.
- Measure their progress and pivot where necessary to stay on track.
Plus, stretch goals elevate you and inspire you, because research (like this) has shown that you feel happiest when you having something to work towards that allows you to grow, unleash your full creativity and potential, and contribute to something you care about (that’s larger than you).
Business planning more than doubles your growth potential (Biz Trends, 2016).
And as the old cliché goes: Failing to plan is planning to fail.
Trying to run a business without having a clear vision of where you’re heading and what you need to do to get there is like flying blind.
At Fempire, we spend several days in October, November and December mapping out our annual goals and marketing strategy. It’s how we stay on top of our game and continue to grow, year after year.
What does ‘success’ mean to you?
Your goals should excite you.
The thought of achieving them uplifts, inspires and motivates you.
How to do Set Powerful Goals that Drive True Business Growth
Step 1: Acknowledge & Celebrate the Year that Was.
Sometimes we don’t give ourselves enough credit for everything we’ve done, and instead focus on what we think is still missing. The simple act of documenting, acknowledging, and celebrating everything you did in the previous year lights the fires of passion, purpose, and creativity for the year ahead.
Gratitude and appreciation for all the goodness that manifested in your life provides an inspiring and exciting platform from which to springboard into your goal setting process. The easiest way to do this step is to write it all down, making sure you document:
- What you DID;
- How you GREW;
- What you LEARNED;
- Which new CONNECTIONS or networks you established;
- And any other highlights of the year that feel significant.
Step 2: Tune into Your Business Why, Vision and Mission.
Before launching into your goal setting process, it’s important that you tune in again to your business why, vision and mission, to align your compass in the right direction.
If you don’t yet have powerful and succinct why, vision and mission statements for your business that excite you, I highly recommend you take your time to develop them. To help you, I’ve written an article all about that called Why You Need to Know Your Business ‘Why’, Vision and Mission.
My ‘why’ statement is: Because I believe the world needs more successful female entrepreneurs.
My vision and mission statements are below. What are yours?
Step 3: Prioritise Yourself First: What do you need to be the best version of yourself next year?
If you have to change it, just move it somewhere else, but don’t ever delete it!
“How do I want to feel this year?”
If you need some inspiration for possible feelings, take a look at my Core Desired Feelings Library inspired by Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map. Click here to go to the Core Desired Feelings Library.
Step 4: Engage in Divergent Thinking to Imagine Quantum Leaps for your Business.
Don’t you think it’s a pretty amazing thing that the only thing limiting us in life is our imagination? That we can literally do anything we want if our heart and soul want it badly enough? We get to literally dream up the life we want to live. As Price Pritchett says in his book You2:
“Seeking the quantum leap means violating the boundary of the probable. It means achieving well beyond the obvious. So don’t limit your desires to what you think you ‘can have’ …. start going after what you ‘want’. This means you must give yourself permission to dream, to risk. You must set yourself free.”
– PRICE PRITCHETT
What kind of goals would represent Quantum Leaps for your business next year?
What could you strive for that would drive quantum business growth?
Step 5: Choose 3 – 5 Goals that Will Drive Business Growth.
Step 6: Translate Your Goals into Milestones and 90-Day Plans
Now that you have your high level goals, it’s time to translate them into:
- Your business plan
- Your marketing plan.
- Your marketing schedule.
- Your financial budgets.
This is where the rubber hits the road and you get super specific and clear about what you want and need to achieve in the year ahead.
Each year at Fempire, we spend several days planning out our goals and translating it into major marketing and business initiatives. We then get those events or milestones into our calendar with specific dates that drive all of our efforts.
There are many reasons why 90-day goals are the most effective in driving business growth. Go here to learn all about it: How to Quickly Grow Your Business with 90 Day Goals.
I’m sure you’ve heard of SMART goals before. We recommend using the PACT system instead for defining your goals, which stands for:
P: Purposeful
A: Actionable
C: Continuous
T: Trackable.
To learn more about PACT goals, go here.
Step 7: Get your Goals and Milestones into your Calendar.
Do You Need Help with Your Strategic Planning for 2022?
Do You Need Help with Your Strategic Planning for 2022?Have you started thinking about your business goals for next year yet? If not, you need to!
Business planning more than doubles your growth potential.
How would you like to:
Arm yourself with strategic business goals that feel clear and exciting – that are achievable but will stretch you in all the good ways.
Go away on your Christmas break knowing you’re ready to hit the ground running in 2022.
Start 2022 stress-free by getting all your business planning done now.
Feel clear and inspired about the year ahead.
I have a very special offer for you and I only have FIVE spots open for November – will you be one of the wise women who invest in strategic business planning to make next year your best ever?
Be quick! These always fill up FAST.
Are you starting or growing your own business? Get your FREE Fempreneur Success Handbook and discover everything I wish someone had told me back when I was starting my business in 2014!
Kate De Jong is a business and marketing strategist for start-ups and small business owners who want to grow their business with ease. Kate is a bestselling author and a Chief Executive Women award-winner for women in leadership. Formerly a consulting engineer for more than fifteen years, Kate left her engineering career in 2012 to pursue her passion and zone of genius—entrepreneurship and marketing — and has never looked back!