3 Simple Ideas To Create Effective Business Goals

Whether it's the beginning of a new year or you're starting a new business venture, goals are an important aspect of planning and strategic thinking. However, many small business owners struggle with the concept - because it's either viewed as a waste of time or they just don't know where to start. But setting goals is a key element of success. Earl Nightingale said it best, "People with goals succeed because they know where they are going...It's as simple as that." Use the following ideas as a road map to begin creating goals that help your small business succeed:

1. Make goals achievable yet challenging
   It doesn't do any good to set targets that are truly unrealistic. If your goal is to have $1 million in sales this year and you only had sales of $25,000 last year, there is not much validity in your target. Be honest and thoughtful when creating the expectations. Feel free to use industry standards or comparisons for ideas but keep in mind the goals you set will be unique to your business and circumstances.
   
   Also, consider realistic time frames for making things happen. As a small business, take into consideration your time, abilities, strengths and current project load when setting targets. For example, if you know the first quarter is usually busy, don't make all of your goals focus on things that need to happen in February. Common sense goes a long way in creating achievable business goals!


2. Use specific benchmarks
   A vague goal of "increase sales" or "grow the business" isn't much of an aspiration without specifics. A simple $1 increase in sales is an increase. But is that really what you meant? And for business growth, does that mean by number of employees, a larger physical location, or any other number of achievements that would fit the circumstance?
   
   To develop goals worth striving for, make measurable, calculated determinations of what you want to accomplish.  For example, if your goal is, "Increase sales to $250,000," it is now measurable and tangible. Partner that with realistic due dates or time lines and you have a goal that can motivate as well as hold you accountable.


3. Plan and act
   For every goal you develop that is a realistic challenge and has some specifics behind it, you need a list of actions to make it happen. Goals don't just magically fulfill themselves. For example, I can't decide to run a marathon in 6 months, register and get to the starting line with the expectation of finishing if I did not train. Finishing a 26.2 mile race requires a training plan as well as the resolution to follow through with the plan.
   
   In business, that 'training' looks like a list of tasks for each goal that will bring about the desired objective. Using the example goal of increasing sales to $250,000, we may decide the following things need to happen : 1) hire one salesperson by March 31; 2) outsource accounting functions by February 15; 3) update website content by July 31. That's a simple outline of tasks to make follow through clear and measurable.
   
   And remember, your plans and actions may vary from others in your industry because your unique business situation is different. What one small business needs to do to increase sales could be completely different than what another needs. So while the overall goals may be similar, the benchmarks and actions will be individually yours.

Knowing where you want to go is half the battle of business success. Now get moving by creating effective goals and follow through...it's as simple as that!

Create A Simple Content Strategy

If you are a follower of any online trends in digital marketing, social media, search engine optimization or branding, you have undoubtedly heard that content creation is exceptionally important. From a website to blogs & social networking sites, high-quality content is increasingly making the biggest impact for online success. Knowing it's important isn't enough though...making it happen is the key.

So how can entrepreneurs and even small to medium-size businesses forge a path to successful content creation? It's about planning and keeping it simple!

1. Review website content
   Your website should be the most important access point for content in your online presence. It doesn't do much good to spend time blogging, Tweeting, Pinning or making videos for YouTube if your website is not optimized for quality content. So clean up your site first, then consider what off-site channels you will use.
   


2. Devote time to it
   That's the hard one, I know. For small businesses there is never enough time in any given day. However, the importance of good content can't be overlooked any longer. So consider a way to carve out some time to devote to brainstorming ideas, creating outlines for articles, taking photos of your business or products, etc. Keep all these ideas and resources in one place, then set aside some specific time to flush out the ideas to create content. The exact amount of time and how you pull it all together is going to vary, but the important point here is that you are intentional about devoting some amount of time to content creation.
   


3. Play on your strengths
   Be sure to use the channels that are providing you with the most interaction with current and potential customers...but also that you are the most comfortable with. Blog if you feel confident writing articles. Create white papers for industry specific topics if you have the knowledge. Publish press releases about your company if you have the know-how. Learn to leverage social media platforms if you use them already. Getting started with content creation can be daunting if you try to learn and utilize every possible channel on top of learning to generate effective information. Stick with what you know and expand your options as you grow.
   


4. Make a schedule
   Hold yourself accountable to publishing content by creating a reasonable plan. Consider how many sensible ideas and content posts you can create in a week/month/quarter. Then create a schedule and consistently stick to it. This is important to keep your content strategy moving but it also creates a constant flow of high-quality information associated with your business. 

Make an impact by becoming a publisher that is known for insightful, genuine and helpful content by planning and keeping it simple.

Read the Fine Print & Know Your Providers

Another unscrupulous attempt to trick website owners into giving up their information came across my desk today.  It made me think it would be good to share a little more information with others and caution about taking quick actions.

Because many domain registrations have information that can be accessed publicly, devious scammers use that information to send legitimate-looking invoices or renewal notices to domain owners. These invoices or notices usually have very fine print somewhere that hints at their sneaky motives but they use language that is particularly confusing. Many times they talk about "registration", "renewal" or "expiration notice" and the due dates are often within a few days of when you receive it. They are designed to catch your attention, take you off-guard and make you think some part of your website domain or hosting registration is about to become inactive if you don't act immediately.

If you ever get an e-mail, invoice or some type of notification that requires action & payment, look it over carefully. Be aware of who your domain registrar is and the company that you have your hosting account with. Also being aware of your renewal dates for each of these accounts is helpful.   If something doesn’t seem quite right, trust those instincts and keep investigating.  If you don’t feel confident you understand what you are being asked to pay for, contact your registrar, hosting company or a website development professional to help you sort out the details.  Your diligence will pay off!

Is Your Business Internet Presence A Well-oiled Machine?

When a vehicle is in top condition & running great, it is often said it is like “a well-oiled machine”. Can you say the same of your business Internet presence? I define “Internet presence” as any place on-line where your business information, brand or image is represented. From your website, to search results and Internet ads to social media – all of this plays into how your business is presented & viewed on-line. A “well-oiled” Internet presence requires several components...using a car analogy we’ll review the four most important.

1. Website = Engine
The basis for any on-line presence must be a website. Opinions vary on this greatly in the age of social media, blogs, etc. but I believe the best and only place to be in complete control of your company message, brand identity and business information is your company website. It is the core & center of everything you do on-line. Just like an engine is the core of the vehicle & it is involved in every function of the machine, so is the company website the center of an Internet presence.


2. Search Engine Optimization = Chassis
Although the engine is the core of a vehicle, without a chassis, that engine can't be taken anywhere. In that same thought, a business website is the center of a professional message but if it is not optimized to do well in search engines, the message never goes anywhere. Search engine optimization allows the website (and really all on-line communications) to do more than sit and wait. It gives the on-line message the framework to actively attract business.


3. Marketing = Wheels
Marketing efforts are what give a website and other areas of the Internet presence the ability to really move. Internet marketing creates the opportunity to increase visibility of a company message and move traffic to and from the various on-line activities. It could be paid advertising or have no monetary cost at all, but the interaction of your marketing message on the Internet will give greater return for your efforts.


4. Social Media = Super Charger
If we consider marketing to be the wheels of the 'well-oiled machine' then we now consider social media to be the super charger of the Internet presence. With social media use hitting all-time highs, it only makes sense that a business profile on Facebook, LinkedIn or even YouTube can be a powerful & valuable asset. Generating daily, weekly or even monthly interactions on social media sites has proven to be an exceptional way to increase a business Internet presence.

It is worth saying that an engine can be started, a chassis can be formed, a wheel can roll and a super charger can be built all independently of the other components in our analogy. However, it is only when they are all put together correctly do they make the vehicle function as intended. And the exact same goes for our on-line components. For a business to have a "well-oiled machine" of Internet presence, all of the components mentioned - a website, search engine optimization, marketing & social media - need to be a part of the plan, be implemented correctly and work in coordination with each other.

Consider how your business information, brand & image exist on-line now...and commit to taking steps to make it better. Let's get your Internet presence running like a well-oiled machine!

Barcodes For Small Business Marketing

With the explosive growth in the use of smartphones & other mobile devices, there comes new opportunities for small business marketing. None is more intriguing right now than the use of barcodes.

Known as mobile tags / barcodes, action codes, 2-dimensional barcodces or QR (quick response) codes, these little pictures are starting to show up in all kinds of places...from billboards to business cards and everything in between. They have been used extensively in Japan for several years & have been very successful. So what are they and how can small business benefit?

To start, these barcodes are generated using special programming. Contained within the picture that you see is information that instructs a computer application what to do & where to go. So a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device scans them (using the camera of the device, an application & a mobile Internet connection) and information is automatically pulled up on the device. These barcodes can be created to lead devices to text, photos, videos, websites and more.

A good example of this is being used in the real estate market. A house that is for sale has a special sign out front with a mobile barcode on it. An interested home buyer drives by, stops and scans the sign with a smartphone. Instantly, information is available on the buyers cell phone about the house - maybe the listing on the real estate's web site, maybe a video of the house interior, maybe details about the asking price - the potential is virtually unlimited.

So small business has new opportunities to reach customers with mobile messages. A good example is a QR code that leads mobile devices to a coupon or special deal. This QR code can be included on printed brochures, business cards, print advertising and even a storefront window. Not only is the business marketing to customers with traditional methods, they are engaging the growing mobile market. It is easy to see that the possibilities are endless!

The excitement of new possibilities should be tempered with cautious optimism. Technology is moving at a rapid pace and each new advance requires some adjustment time. While more consumers are becoming familiar with the QR codes, not all mobile users associate them with action. So while it is a good idea to consider how they might be of benefit to your business, don't pin all your marketing plans & hopes to this single aspect of technology.

Watch for more posts in the future about suggestions to implement QR codes and creative ideas for small business to use the barcodes alongside current marketing strategies.