Setting Goals for 2021

Hello 2021! 

Finally, we’re jumping into another new year! Most of us just want to forget 2020 and hope that 2021 will be a year of recovery for everyone.

With that in mind, I bet you've also thought long and hard about your 2021 goals. You might also think that you want to set your goals a lot differently than you did in the past years. Now is the opportunity to take a whole new perspective on how you want to plan for your business and your career in the next 12 months.

If you’ve read my previous blog post, I’ve talked about resolutions for the business. This time around, we're going to talk about goal setting. How are they related? Keep in mind that resolutions are made up of goals. The resolution is the overarching theme or the implied direction you wish to take with your life. Goals, on the other hand, are the activities that fall within the theme or the specific steps you want to take. 

Consider your resolutions as goals to accomplish during 2021. Goal setting is an essential exercise for every entrepreneur! Without goals, startups and teams would just drift along.

2020 was a year where it seemed that we just leaped from one crisis to another, and that uncertainty discouraged many of us. So, this time, goal setting will allow you to be proactive, instead of just being reactive, and these goals can help you steer and bring your business to the next level.

Here are a few of the ideas that I hope you could incorporate into your business throughout 2021 as an entrepreneur: 

1. Layout a potential contingency plan - We all know what 2020 brought us. So as an entrepreneur, you need to be flexible and adaptable. It’s not enough to be making an income from one source anymore to maintain an income. You don't need to have multiple companies or alternative focuses. I mainly mean that you need to learn how to diversify how you run your business. You don’t need to do this all at once, but it’s always good to have a contingency plan. You might start freelancing and then expand from there. 
   
2. Increase traffic on your business website - There are many ways to get more eyes on your website or blog. Start by creating a plan to ramp up your content marketing strategy. There are two effective ways that you can boost traffic to your website: The first way is free. It involves things like search engine optimization, setting up a blog, social media marketing, and so on and so forth. The other way is paid. Everyone knows that paid ads can drive traffic to a website, but it can also get costly! Try tinkering on which would work best for you - you can always utilize a little of both if it's the perfect fit for your business. 
   
   
3. Create a system or strategy for your business venture -  Creating a strategy or system for your targeted audience will always be helpful to keep you on track. You can devise a routine that will help make your business somewhat manageable. Being proactive with your strategic planning can help you keep your priorities on track and take your business to the next level of success.
   
   
4. Create a game plan for your digital presence, and not just on Social Media -  Social media can not be the only digital presence of your brand and small business. It probably plays one of the most prominent roles in attracting your target audience, but your business digital presence needs to revolve around other means of communication. An email list will help your business by identifying where your most loyal followers are finding your brand. If you haven’t set up an email list, I’d recommend setting one up!
   
   
5. Schedule a break from your business  - If it has been a while since you took a break from your business, you should consider scheduling one this year. Not only can time off help to reduce stress and prevent burnout, but it can also give you a fresh perspective that you can use in your business when you return.

These are just ideas that may help you as you start setting and planning out your goals, it can become difficult narrowing down what goals to set and where to focus. I understand it can be a challenge to identify the right areas to make your business as successful as possible. Remember, your plans do not have to be overly complex, but they should include the goals you want to achieve and a basic outline of the steps you need to complete to meet them. Keep yourself organized to give you the framework that you’ll need to be successful in the next year of business.

Remember that goal setting is one of the most important activities you can do in your business, regardless of how old (or young!) your business is, where you are located, how profitable it is, or what it is you sell. Goals help you stay focused and they can prevent your business from becoming stagnant. Your business goals keep you moving forward and set the stage for ongoing success. 

Best course of action? Find a quiet time to sit down. Write what your target goals are. Make a plan, and work on it!