Month: November 2023

Have you had a great year or do you still need to achieve your business goals? With the end of Q4 looming large on the horizon, it’s time to focus on anything you haven’t yet achieved and take action to complete your goals.

But to achieve our goals, we need the right mindsets. In this blog, we look at positive ways to approach the end of the calendar year. 

Be brave and honest

When we don’t look at our goals, and don’t measure our business in any way, it’s easy to assume everything is going well. And for some of us, it’s easy to assume it’s all going badly, so we avoid looking at it because we think we won’t like what we see. 

But Q4 is the time to see an accurate picture. Be brave and revisit your business plan and business goals. Are you on track? Are you where you expected to be? If not, what do you need to get you there? 

Focus 

It’s amazing what we can do when we focus. Turn off your notifications, put your phone into monk mode and clear down some of those tasks that have caused blockages in your working life. Check out our blog on tasks you can do in one hour – you might be surprised at how productive you can be! 

Embrace new approaches

Often, the issue that is blocking us from achieving a business goal can be removed relatively easily. However, “we’ve always done it this way” can be a real barrier, preventing us from upgrading to a good customer management system or reorganising our business premises. 

To achieve our goals, it’s sometimes worth looking at alternative approaches and embracing change. Talking to business coaches, Get Ahead regional directors or other business owners can give you a host of ideas to help you.

Be a finisher

As entrepreneurs and business owners, we love having new ideas and getting them off the ground. When we do this, we’re “starters.” A starter is a fantastic thing to be and without us, the world would be a boring place with no opportunities. 

But the end of the year is the time to be a finisher. Finishers have the commitment and maturity to see their goals through to the end. Finishing can be less exciting than starting, but it is what makes the project worthwhile. 

(By the way, if you’re not a finisher and know you never will be, consider outsourcing – see below!)

Celebrate your achievements

When we complete our annual or Q4 goals, it’s time to celebrate! Be proud of what you and your team have achieved. We can all gain more from the achievement by learning from it – what went well and what was a struggle? The successes show us what we could be building on next year and may help shape our business purpose and brand. And the struggles will be easier next time if we learn from the experience. 

Achieve your business goals with outsourced support

The Get Ahead team are great at unblocking businesses which have got stuck for want of the right support. Our virtual experts can take on the tasks you procrastinate about, or fill a skills gap to help you complete a goal or project. To find out more, contact your local regional director today, or explore our site for more business resources. 

It would be so easy to achieve your business goals if you only had more time! But did you know that one focused, productive hour can still make a big difference? Sometimes completing just one task can remove the barrier between you and your business goals.

In this blog, regional director Lisa Middleton shares her suggestions for jobs you can do in one hour, and explains how they contribute to the wider business picture.

1. Revisit your goals and update your plan

It’s really easy to set business goals…and then get bogged down with everyday tasks and firefighting. So when I find myself with some breathing space, I like to revisit my business goals and take stock of where I am. I might run a financial report on Xero and to check my profits and losses – this helps me understand how close I am to financial goals.  I might look at my social media analytics and see whether I’m increasing my reach and whether it’s translating into more business. 

Once I’ve taken stock of where I am in relation to my goals, I can update my original action plan according to the current picture. 

2. Delegate a task

There comes a time with any business when, in order to expand, we have to ask for help, delegate a task or choose outsourcing. If the recent snapshot of your business shows you’ve got too much on your plate, use your spare hour to delegate or outsource. 

When I do this, the person I need to speak to might not be immediately available. However, I use the time to write a brief and gather information together for the other person to use when they take over the task. This makes the handover easier when the time comes. 

3. Read and reply to testimonials

Your clients and customers are a great barometer of business success. Both positive and negative feedback can help you improve, and ultimately achieve your business goals. 

If one of your goals is around improving customer service, replying to reviews is a no-brainer. And if there are any negative reviews, remember that replying to them, addressing problems and nipping bad press in the bud should be a priority. 

In addition, testimonials can also give us valuable insights into our businesses. Read reviews and ask yourself whether your customers see your business the same way you do. Do you have a hidden strength you should be shouting about? 

4. Write and schedule a month’s social media

Many business goals are centred on expanding into new markets. Social media is a fantastic tool for building personal connections, targeting specific audiences and creating authentic content. 

So whether you book in an hour’s desk time or find yourself unexpectedly free, use your hour to create and schedule social content. Make it easy for yourself and follow a pattern. You might choose a weekly theme, or follow a timetable so you always do the same type of post on the same day. Use your own pictures for added authenticity and use a template app like Canva to achieve an on-brand look. Read more of our social media tips here!

5. Create or refine a list of prospects

Directly connecting with prospects is one of the most effective ways of building your business, so why not take time to start or review your prospect list? From developing your relationship with existing customers to reaching out to someone completely new, business development conversations are always worth having. Consider connecting with business owners in fields that complement your business, and do your homework to find out what challenges they are facing and how you could help. 

Outsource to Get Ahead and achieve your goals

Even if you don’t have the luxury of a whole hour to focus on a specific task, we do! Outsourcing is a great way of winning back time so you can focus on the area of your business that needs it most. Check out our list of jobs a virtual expert can do in just one hour – which one would make the biggest difference to you?