How to set challenging and realistic business goals?

Knowing how to set business goals is the first step to a successful path. When we have a defined goal, it is much easier to design a strategy and define what actions are necessary to achieve our goals. Any business needs established goals, because it will be based on them that the whole performance of the company is defined. Unfortunately, many managers do not understand the importance of business goals and start working without having a plan. This is one of the main reasons why companies often do not survive. Business objectives provide a lot of information about the company and to that extent make decision making more efficient and easier. Managers often complain about the lack of information about the company in order to be able to decide consciously and these performance indicators gain a prominent role in making decisions about the future of the company. Managers can only make assertive and sound decisions if they have a full knowledge of the business reality, so it is essential to monitor the fulfillment of the objectives in real time. And nothing better than KPI’s to provide all that knowledge. In today’s article, we leave you some important tips for setting challenging and realistic business goals!

Be specific

The more specific a goal is, the easier it is to find actions to achieve them in a short amount of time. Business goals should be simple, so it is much easier to manage them. An example of this goal is “updating the website quarterly”, which is easy to understand which means updating the website in January, April, July and October. A business goal that says “increase the number of proposals sent” is very vague and gives us no clue as to what we should do to reach it. Thus, it is preferable to use a goal that says “get 3 new customers per month”. It is a much simpler goal and it tells us the time interval. Business goals should be simple, so that the entire team is able to understand them. If you get too complicated, you risk not being able to extract any useful information from your analysis. And if the employees do not understand the indicator can be unmotivated, which harms the whole performance of the company.

Be realistic and objective

We all want to be the greatest entrepreneurs in the world, but there are obstacles that go with that and we have to have that awareness. When you set business goals too high, the risk of falling is much greater. And as the goals are harder to reach, you will be frustrated to realize that you cannot achieve them. You must set realistic goals that are appropriate to the reality of your business. If you do not have a great investment capacity at the moment, you will not be able to define as a business goal to increase the team by 10 employees. Business goals must be established according to the reality of the company at the moment, since only then will it be able to achieve them.

Set rigid deadlines

When there is no deadline for accomplishing a particular task or goal, it is more likely that it will drag on in time and eventually be forgotten. It is essential that you set a deadline to achieve a particular business goal, because only then will you be able to define a timeline and assign necessary actions over time. The stated deadline should be like the business objective: specific and realistic. It should not set too short or too long a deadline, as both cases may cause demotivation on the part of those responsible for achieving the objective.

Do a regular review of business goals

Business goals should be reviewed regularly and should be adapted as the changes are verified in the company. Long-term business goals should be monitored so that you can verify that all the actions required to comply are being carried out. Business goals are not static and it is not mandatory that they remain unchanged. Whenever necessary, you should change and update them, and in more extreme cases, you can even eliminate them if you find that they no longer fit the way the company works. A goal that yesterday was quite important, today may have lost some of its importance. Companies are living and dynamic organisms and as such changes must be monitored in all areas of the company. Evaluate at least every three months whether the indicators that have “assets” are the most appropriate given the period the company is going through. However, care must be taken not to make the mistake of changing or eliminating business goals just because it is difficult to achieve them.

 

Top Mistakes to Avoid When Starting a Business

Starting a business of your own is a goal for many people, but you have to keep in mind that having a company requires dedication, planning and facing constant challenges. The temptation to start your own business is great, as it is becoming easier nowadays because of the simple tools that help entrepreneurs put their ideas on the ground. In today’s article, let’s talk about the top mistakes to avoid in setting up a company!

Not knowing the market where you want to act

Often entrepreneurs are so convinced that their idea is perfect that they don’t do an exhaustive market study to assess the competition or to see if consumers in fact need the product or service they want to sell. However, if there is not a need of your product, there is no point in starting a business. Thus, studying the market well in order to know all its particularities is essential to have a successful company in the short and long term.

To think that you can do everything by yourself

Even if you think you can do it all yourself, you are advised to surround yourself with a trusted team. Business can grow faster than you think and you will need support to respond to all requests. Likewise, if things don’t go so well, it’s better to have a team that helps you to deal with the difficulties because if you are alone you may feel discouraged and give up.

Too high investment

Even if you have studied the market and all the predictions are that your business will succeed in a short time, you shouldn’t invest more than what is strictly necessary at an early stage. The additional costs should be reduced as much as possible and investments should be made according to the commercial evolution of the product and not on the basis of future profit forecasts. Very high investments at an embryonic stage of the project are the main causes of business bankruptcy in a short period of time after starting a business.

Do not invest in communication from the first moment

Many entrepreneurs think that communication is only important from the moment the company starts to grow. However, this is an area of ​​the company that you should pay attention to from the beginning, because it is essential that the market knows that you arrived and that you are there to win. Pay particular attention to the name of your brand and the logo that illustrates it because they are the first elements that contact the public and should be coherent and differentiating. Having a good website and a strong presence on social media is imperative on these days and you should invest time in working these areas.

Lack of market segmentation

Communicating to everyone, in an undifferentiated way, is a mistake that should not be practiced, especially since the current consumer is increasingly informed and demanding. Starting a business without knowing who your target audience is and without knowing their main features and needs can be a real waste of time. As good as your business is, not everyone will need it, so you’ll be spending resources communicating with people who don’t need your product or service. So you should target your audience according to their main characteristics, so you can communicate in a personalized way with each type of person. In this way, it will be easier to reach people who really need you!

 

Extra tip: Business happens at a very fast pace and it is essential that you know what is happening in your company to make the most appropriate decisions for your business. Download our e-book and find how a BAM tool can help you!

7 applications that all entrepreneurs should know

Applications that will make life easier for entrepreneurs

To undertake is the word of the decade. It is increasingly common for practitioners to opt for remote work or even to seek the freedom to start their own business. With so many tools available, this is a goal that has become more achievable and today it is possible to think about growing in the market and leverage its results, with the help of technology, which allows the entrepreneur to go beyond without wearing too much. And in today’s article, we will introduce the 7 applications that every entrepreneur needs to know. Check it!

1- Dropbox

First of the list is Dropbox, which is a very interesting application for the backup and file sharing service. His proposal is quite interesting, although it doesn’t replace a more complete management platform, for example. But, sharing is very secure and its use in tablets and cell phones is very simplified and doesn’t weigh in the memory of the device. It is available for Android, iOS and also Windows Phone. You can try its free version.

2 – Evernote

Evernote is very nice to have installed on your phone, because it is like a digital paper pad, with the advantage of being able to insert notes in both text, images and even audios. In the midst of day-to-day running, it is a very viable solution because it opens quickly, doesn’t weigh in the handset’s memory and produces notes that can be shared with other users. It’s available for Android and iOS for now. The most basic plan is free, but there is also the plus version that gets paid.

3 – Expensify

Expensify is an application that allows you to import expenses from your bank account or even enter them manually. It is great for dealing with finances in a simpler way and use for more personal expenses. For small business owners it may be a simpler solution to have a financial control when you are on the street, for example, and avoid spending the money that is intended for the company. The application has several great options for sending expenses, even photos of invoices. It is available for Android, iOS and also for Blackberry. It has the free version and a paid version.

4 – Qipu

Want to remember to pay the tax and other fees of your microenterprise? Qipu helps in this direction, in a very interactive way, reminding you of the small obligations you have to fulfill. It will send notifications and alerts and it will be impossible to forget them. Available for Android, iOS and Windows Phone, Qipu is a great application to have on your phone, since it doesn’t take up much space and is very simple to learn its features.

5- Any.do

Any.do is a very interesting application for microentrepreneurs. With it you can manage your most important tasks, set your goals and your main professional goals. It’s a way to motivate yourself and never forget what your path is. In addition, these goals can be shared, which will give you extra energy to fulfill them. Available for Android and iOS. There is the free and paid version that can be purchased with monthly or quarterly plans, according to your needs.

6- ManagementClick

In addition to all these applications, it is important to have in your company the application of ManagementClick which is commercial management software, which optimizes your business tasks and unites the sectors in one place. Remember that technology is there to help you and bring more comfort and productivity and using it with intelligence is fundamental.

7 – Canva

Canva is a free graphic design software, easy to use and completely online (no download required). Created less than 5 years ago and with 11.4 million users in 179 countries, this tool has been a real success among marketers. 8 designs are created every second with the Canva.

The management system for small businesses offers inventory control, financial control, sales control, issuing electronic invoices among several indispensable features for anyone who wants to control a company with a click.

Know the importance of analyzing data in real time. Download our free e-book and manage your business at the speed of information!