Defining Your Business Goals

Social Media Expert Laurie Hurley discusses the importance of setting business goals and the steps she feels are necessary to achieve them.

Every September it feels like a new year to me. I’m not sure if it’s because the Jewish Holidays are usually in September or October; the Jewish New Year, that is, my birthday, or just the traditional feeling of school being back in session. The days are getting shorter, new school supplies are purchased for my kids and I get back into my regular routine minus having two teenagers in the house.

This summer I struggled with redefining my business goals. As a social media mentor and partner to small businesses and entrepreneurs, I wanted to offer something that was affordable and attractive to the many business colleagues I know that constantly complain that social media is too confusing and time consuming. We all get email invitations to seminars, webinars, and free phone calls addressing this or that, but how do you know what is a good fit for your business?

To me, it all comes down to figuring out what you want the end result to be. I want followers, fans, and people who sing my praises.

Here are my four tips to sharpening and defining your business goals:

1) Start with the end in mind. Work backwards, in other words. Clearly define what you want; whether it’s a financial goal, or a personal development goal. Write it down and post it somewhere prominent in your office.

2) Talk about it – a lot to your friends and colleagues. Don’t keep your goals a secret. Share it often, in clear terms and sound confident. Stand in your power and positively affirm what it is you want to achieve. You will be amazed at the results.

3) Lose the negativity. Take those negative words and thoughts and cast them aside. Positive self-talk goes way further than focusing on the negative. Write down your affirmation if it helps or buy a book about positive affirmations and quotes and use it.

4) Believe in yourself whole-heartedly. After you make up your mind what you want to achieve, embrace it and go for it. Everything you do should be aimed at getting one step closer to your goal. Baby steps are OK. Pacing yourself is OK. Hanging around naysayers and negative people is NOT OK.

This summer, after many days of making notes, typing of Word documents and talking to my informal Board of Directors, I finally reached a sense of peace and my goal became crystal clear. I am working with a group of entrepreneurs who want to simplify their social media marketing strategy.I settled on a reasonable price and am thrilled that I have a growing group of participants. I will reach my personal goal. I just know it. How do you set goals and, more importantly, what steps do you take to achieve them?

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Laurie Hurley, a social media expert,  is the Founder of The Social Networking Navigator, hostess of The Social Networking NewsHour on Toginet radio every Wednesday at 2pm PST and is thrilled to be starting her Social Networking Made Simple Membership group. For more information, please visit the “Services” page right here on Laurie’s website.