Running a business is not just about the big picture. Although it is necessary to set long-term goals, a larger path to follow, it’s also as important to put down more tangible targets. Today, we talk about how to set realistic small goals.
You have your one-year plan. You know where you want to take your business. Heck, you even imagine yourself delivering the perfect TedTalk with your successful empire. That’s all amazing and far from you to stop you have big dreams, but what about the day-to-day? Your business can’t only be focused on its 5 years’ financial plan. We have talked about the importance of budgeting and setting an accounting system, that’s all important and I stand by it. It will be great to reach those yearly goals, but you will need something more tangible to push you on a daily basis.
Focusing on setting and achieving smaller, incremental goals is also beneficial to you. Knowing what you want to be in 3 months rather than a year will keep you motivated. The big picture is important, but there are so many steps along the way that you can’t wait forever to feel rewarded.
My advice is to think on a smaller scale as well as a larger one. If you’re planning to run a cafe, take notice of simpler milestones like serving 100 customers! Make it a plan to sell a certain amount of your product by the end of the month. And celebrate when you achieve it.
I can’t stress enough how necessary small goals are. I celebrate everything and I let every little win be important. I got emotional when I saw the first packaging of our Cake Mixes, I am excited every time one person decides to stock LELE’S food in their store. Where they part of the bigger plan? Of course, they were. But it wasn’t a big goal to receive a programmed delivery of pieces of paper with LELE’S name written on it. That was just a small goal for me, seeing my creations slowly taken form, seeing my business’s name on a product sold in other stores.
Celebrate the small wins. Set small goals, even the ones you’re sure to achieve. It’s like putting on your to-do list to make a to-do list. It’s an easy tick, but what a great satisfaction!
Lots of love,
Valentina xx