<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Why does your small business need goals?” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Strategic business goals, when done right, focuses you, and your team, on <\/span>exactly where you are going<\/b>. When you are focused on exactly where you are going you can then channel valuable resources (time, money, effort) all in that direction, and <\/span>avoid wasting resources<\/b> on other things not needed.<\/span><\/p>\n When you have the right goals in place they <\/span>engage all your team members<\/b>. Rather than just you thinking about how you will achieve goals, it encourages all your team to think about this and find creative solutions. This can save you money and make life easier because some of your team will find easier and low-cost ways to achieve your business goals.<\/span> [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text admin_label=”Where do your business goals come from?” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n It is absolutely crucial that your strategic business goals come from the right place otherwise you will get the establish the wrong goals and take off in the wrong direction. The first step to achieving this is by asking,<\/span> \u201cwho are your stakeholders?\u201d<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Your stakeholders are those your business is there to serve. This is more than merely your customers. This is <\/span>everyone who is paying you money<\/b>. This may include shareholders, investors, government (grants) and those who give their time in kind, such as employees working beyond their paid hours.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you know who your stakeholders are you need to get under the surface<\/b> and find their true needs. What is it they really want from your company? You need to go deeper than simple answers such as quality, money or time, and understand exactly what they mean. <\/span> [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”5050 Grey Background Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” custom_margin=”2%||2%||true|false” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ use_custom_gutter=”on” gutter_width=”1″ make_equal=”on” module_class=”textImageRow” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” width=”100%” max_width=”100%” custom_padding=”0px||0px||true|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ module_class=”imageColumn” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_enable_color=”off” background_image=”https:\/\/www.castle-strategy.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/strategic-business-goals.jpg” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Empty Text 300px high” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” min_height=”300px” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#edf1f4″ custom_padding=”5%|5%|5%|5%|true|true” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”How to write smart business goals” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||5.82%||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n In some cases the stakeholder needs identified may be in personal terms, such as the shareholder who wants to clear their mortgage or buy a sports car. For these, as for all stakeholder needs, you must translate these into <\/span>business outcomes and language<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n All your strategic business goals must be written in words that describe your business in the future. They must describe the future of your company in <\/span>tangible terms that all your team can relate to<\/b>. They must be dated in stone and have an impartial inspector who will check to see they have been completed.<\/span><\/p>\n Some goals you set using this process may appear impossible and you might be tempted not to write them down. However, if you do write them down, and date them, as described above, your team will find creative ways to achieve them. Consider John F. Kennedy when he announced he would put a man on the moon within the decade. Everyone said it was <\/span>impossible, but they did it<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Content Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Communicating goals effectively” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Once you have your strategic business goals you must communicate them, effectively. <\/span>Get all your team together<\/b>, Zoom is fine, and walk them through your vision, stakeholders, their needs and your goals. Let them see the logic. Let them ask questions and get them on board with delivering these goals.\u00a0<\/span> To bring it to life for them create <\/span>a rich picture of your goals<\/b>. Everything that you can see happening in the future as a picture. This might include your new Board of Directors, New facilities, new working processes, new countries, etc. Build it from clipart or get an artist\/cartoonist to draw it for you.<\/span><\/p>\n As managing director, you should walk the floor every day and speak with your people, at all levels, on your goals. <\/span>Look to see the change happening<\/b> and offer help. Identify \u2018islands of change\u2019 where your future is already occurring and share with everyone. Make sure they can also see the change is happening and they are the ones to roll this out fully.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Content Section” _builder_version=”4.16″ width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text admin_label=”List of business goals” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n At this point, you might be thinking how can I short cut this and find a ready-made list of business goals that align with my stakeholder groups? My advice, this very rarely gives you the right goals for your company. It all too often <\/span>focuses you on the wrong things<\/b> that result in wasted time, money and effort, and you find you do not deliver your stakeholder needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/span>Here are some examples where copying business goals does not work:<\/span><\/p>\n Consider increased market share as a goal to generate more revenue? What if your market is shrinking and what you need to be doing is diversifying into new markets? What if your shareholders want to sell, time might be better spent on <\/span>increasing the lifetime value of customers<\/span><\/a> rather than finding new ones?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I had one client who saw a goal around people applying on spec to join a company. It sounded great and he believed it would reflect how much his team loved working at his company. However, on closer inspection, his situation was completely different. The other company was talking about employees in a sector with a shortage of skilled workers<\/a>, whereas he was talking about self-employed facilitators in a sector where there was an abundance.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.castle-strategy.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/toppng.com-book-now-button-420x165-1-300x118.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWhy Your Company Needs Strategic Business Goals?<\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nWhere do Your Strategic Business Goals Come From?<\/span><\/h2>\n
<\/p>\nHow to Write Strategic Business Goals<\/h2>\n
Communicating Your Strategic Business Goals Effectively<\/h2>\n
<\/span><\/p>\nList of Strategic Business Goals<\/h2>\n
Increased market share<\/span><\/h3>\n
Happier staff<\/span><\/h3>\n
Improved quality<\/span><\/h3>\n