2020 was not a strong year for setting and keeping goals. If you’re like most Americans, you struggled to keep the doors open and the lights on amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic. If you fell short of where you imagined your business would be, don’t fret. Most businesses experienced a downward year, and this doesn’t reflect directly on the capability of you or your business. However, 2021 doesn’t have to be like 2020. Even though the Pandemic still lingers, there is an end in sight. Combine this with the experience you have from the previous year and it is still very possible to set yourself up for success. In this article, we’ll take a brief look at goals that you can set (and achieve) for your business in 2021.
Think
Nobody can put it better than Aretha Franklin, “you better think”. I’m not talking about thinking hard about 2020 and what could have been different, I’m talking about making thinking your next best habit. Are you taking dedicated time each day just to let your mind wander? Are you taking any focused time dedicated to the mental solution of certain problems or ideas? If not, you should be.
Taking some think time before the beginning or at the end of your day can help you put the days events in perspective and can help clear your mind. Whether you prefer to call it thinking, prayer, or meditation, these practices can help hone your focus and renew your mental state. Take some time to think free from distraction and watch your attitude and your actions change tremendously.
Get Organized
Look around your office right now, if you can. Is it the same office you started 2020 in? Are you still working remotely from home? How clean is the space around you? Have you been to your brick-and-mortar office since March?
We might take it for granted, but our workspace plays an important part in both our successes and our failures in business. If your desk is cluttered, there’s a good chance that your mind is also. An unorganized or dirty workspace leads to lower productivity and a declined mental state. It’s easy to get frazzled when you can’t find the files you’re looking for. A great goal to start 2021 with is to clean up your space and clear up some peace of mind today.
Expand Your Team
Expansion is most likely not something that your company was able to do a lot of in 2020. In fact, you probably had to do quite the opposite. If you had to layoff employees or retract your area of business, it may be daunting to even think about trying to expand again. However, as the economy opens back up and the world of commerce returns to normal, your business will need to once again expand. How can you expand sustainably?
Odds are, you won’t be able to recapture the rhythm you had before the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean that you are out of options. Set employee and market goals that feel attainable for your business. Don’t worry about how things looked before, focus on where and to whom 2021 might take you.
Sales Goals
Revenues are down across nearly every sector and market of the economy. If your 2020 sales records were dismally below your 2019 records, you have nothing to be ashamed of. However, 2021 looks to be a year that will return some normalcy to the market, particularly once we get into the summer and fall months. What are some hurdles that you would like to overcome? How can you surpass your 2020 expectations and aim even higher? Think through some of these things and formulate real, achievable sales goals. You do not need to shoot for the moon, but you should set goals that push both you and your team without stretching them too thin.
Diversify
How can you equip your business to be more diverse in 2021 than it has ever been before? A common problem for many businesses in 2020 was a lack of commercial variability. When the economy shut down in March, many businesses found that their only primary revenue stream had invariably dried up. What were they to do next?
Many businesses learned the hard way that there is no guarantee of the next job. Many businesses were also faced with their own lack of versatility. Fortunately, many businesses also learned to expand and to become experts in new fields of service or products. In 2021, how can you diversify your business? What new services can you offer? Are there any new products that you might commit to? Answer these questions and you can find ways not just to set yourself apart from the competition but to expand your business like never before.
Income Goals
You may never be able to fully recover the income and assets lost in 2020. It is unfortunate, but sadly it is also a fact. However, you can use 2021 to protect yourself from further financial inconvenience. What are the ways in which you can take your business to the next financial level in 2021? How many new clients can you bring in? What new markets can you tap into?
The best way to answer these questions to put your nose to the (digital) ground and research your area. What neighborhoods or cities are you absent from? What types of business might best utilize your products and services? These are questions that need to be answered if you wish to make financial leaps and bounds in the new year.
Re-Brand
Is it time for your brand to receive a fresh coat of paint? When was the last time you evaluated your logo? Your slogan? Your website? These might seem like a hassle to change or a minor influence on your success, but they can make all the difference. In the ever-changing landscape of the internet, logos, websites, and slogans that were once all the rage can quickly become dated and drove. It might be time to breathe new life into yours.
Take a look at what competitors, partners, and other industries are doing with their visual and verbal brand. Is it similar to yours? What gut feelings does it give you? How stylized is it? Take a look at what they are doing and model your business after theirs.
Vacation
2020 was a chaotic year. Times were tough, plans were shattered, and hopes were dismal. 2021 may be off to a rough start, but the chaos is more manageable, and the end is in sight. It might be time for you to take a vacation. How are you going to give yourself time to recharge and re-evaluate the chaos of the past twelve months? 2021 is the time to be deliberate with your time off and make concrete investments in your mental and spiritual well-being. Remember to feed your soul and give your body a break from time to time.
Conclusion
2021 promises to be untraditional. It will probably feel just as much like 2020 as it does 2019, but that does not mean that you cannot still be successful in your business endeavors. By following through with these habits and goals you can cultivate an environment that is primed for success. Make sure that you set attainable goals and that you invest in yourself as much as you invest in your business.
