SMART Goal Setting 27th January 2K16

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Bookkeepers Blog, Best Hints & Tips Guaranteed  by Tash-Ly 

SMART Goal Setting – 27th January 2K16

This month I have been discussing the method of S.M.A.R.T goal setting. If you have missed any previous posts, look through my previous blog posts to catch up on my initial introduction to the idea and also the first two letter of the acronym – S & M.

This week I am discussing the next letter – A.


Actions
What actions do you need to take to achieve your goal?

This step takes your goals and breaks them down into actionable steps.  Sometimes goals can seem overwhelming or insurmountable. It helps to break your goals down into smaller portions which can be actioned more easily.
Like the old saying “What’s the best way to eat an elephant? – One bite at a time”.

I have been working through an example with Josie and her consultancy business where Josie wants to “increase her income”. In previous posts, we have investigated specifically what Josie wants to achieve and how we can measure it.

To help Josie, it is beneficial to define the steps involved in achieving her goal, and may include;

• Call and arrange to meet with her bookkeeper/accountant
• Set up a budget within her accounting software
• Ensure her accounts are maintained accurately and up to date for tracking/reporting
• Meet with her bookkeeper to review budget v actual reports frequently (can be done more regularly than monthly to track progress of each month as it goes)
• Contact and register with 2-3 local business networking organisations
• Source out a handful of great local coffee shops that are suitable for meetings and know their trading days/times
• Have business cards ready to distribute at networking events
• Develop an information pack/brochure she can hand out at meetings
• Create a follow-up process to contact leads after initial meetings
• Seek feedback from current customers to investigate additional service offerings

Such Actions make the overall goal of “increasing her income” less overwhelming.  It gives Josie’s actions to complete which are working toward her overall goal.


What big goals do you have that could be broken down into actionable tasks?
What order should your actions be undertaken? 
How do you track that you are ‘ticking off’ your action items?


Disclaimer: All or any advice contained in this blog/newsletter is of a general nature only & may not apply to your individual business circumstances. For specific advice relating to your specific situation, please contact your accountant or other professional adviser for further discussion.