What does 2024 hold for you, your career and your business? We can never be certain, but by setting professional goals for the year ahead, we’re always much more likely to be motivated to achieve them. Setting clear goals is the first step to making the year ahead more successful and rewarding, both professionally and in achieving a better work-life balance.
So, we know it’s a worthwhile thing to do, but how do we start setting the goals, and more importantly, how do we work towards meeting them? At Create Business Properties, we pride ourselves in being much more than a landlord to our tenants. We’re here to support and advise them wherever possible to help their businesses grow and thrive. So, in this article, we’re sharing some of our experience with what it takes to set good business goals for the year ahead.
Three steps to defining your goals
The first thing to remember is that it doesn’t have to be a major commitment. Setting smaller, more manageable goals can sometimes be very effective because our successes are more likely to motivate us than if we view our plans for the year ahead as a mountain to climb.
Secondly, we need to focus on what is important or most beneficial to us personally and select goals that wil have the biggest positive impact on our lives, careers or businesses. In this article, we have defined some of the areas where people may want to make progress in the months ahead to inspire you, but the focus of your goals needs to come from your own personal circumstances.
And finally, a major factor in achieving your goals is getting the right help and support. Whatever it is you want to achieve, you are more likely to make it happen if you commit to training or reach out for support. There are numerous resources out there to help you, whatever you want to be come December. Many are free or low-cost and can be accessed online, so why not make a start today? Take a look at some popular goals and think about whether these are something you’d like to achieve this year, then make a plan to make them happen!
Setting your goals – what do you want to achieve this year?
Embrace digital opportunities
You may already have a brilliant digital strategy and optimised website in place, or perhaps you’re less confident with tech and have put off making the most of your business’s online presence. Either way, there are sure to be opportunities to learn and grow in the digital space this year. Here are a few goals you may want to consider:
- Build my online presence
Whether you’re refreshing your existing website or building a brand new one, there re lots of resources online to help you plan and launch a great site for your business. Today, there are many options for simple ‘build your own’ sites like WordPress, Squarespace or Wix or if you’d prefer some help, take a look at Upwork, where you can hire a professional to do the job for you.
- Get optimised
If you already have a great site, you may want to check out how it’s performing in search engine rankings. This can be a vital source of traffic to your site, so it’s a valuable goal for the year ahead. Again, you can take an online course to get yourself up to speed or hire a professional to optimise your site.
- Get to grips with Google Ads
While organic ranking on Google and other search engines is important, many businesses are increasing their chances of being found online by using Google Ads. Google offers a variety of ad options that can be a cost-effective way to drive the right traffic to your site. Courses on starting out with Google Ads are widely available, you could start by getting their own certification.
- Become a social media success
Social media can be seen as a dark art for many, with constant changes making it hard to keep up. But there’s no escaping the fact that a great social media presence can lead to success for many types of businesses. So if you’re planning to make 2024 the year you get to grips with social for your business, there are many courses, webinars and guides available online to help you.
Start up or grow my business
Is 2024 the year you realise the dream of launching your own business? Or are you planning to grow your business to new levels this year? Whether setting up or expanding, there are a number of goals you may want to reach:
- Plan and set up your business
You have the idea and the skills, but knowing how to take the first steps into business is incredibly daunting, and many people get put off by the sheer size of the challenge. But the help and support you need are out there, you just need to search in the right places and reach out. From grants to training courses to mentorship and advice, it’s easy to find the help you need to get started.
- Building a team
Are you a sole trader that’s now looking to grow your team by taking on employees? This can be a valuable goal for any business, but there are considerations. Fortunately, online resources and courses are available to help you understand the ins and outs of employing staff.
- Plan for growth
Growing your business requires a robust strategy and this year could be the year that you put one into action. You can download free resources, watch webinars or join online training courses, all geared towards helping you get your growth strategy right. And the rest will follow!
Be a ‘better’ business
Maybe your goal this year is to make your business more environmentally or socially impactful. Make 2024 the year your business does better for people and the planet with these goals:
- Be a net-zero hero
Every business has a carbon footprint. That could be to do with your energy use, materials used, staffing or waste management. Calculating your footprint and taking steps to reduce it will make your business greener and happier, and you will probably end up saving money too. Search for online resources to help you get started.
- Prioritise employee wellbeing
Since the pandemic, the mental health of employees has become a priority for many businesses. Not only will you create a more harmonious and happy place to work, but you will also cut down on staff illnesses and find your team becomes more productive. There are many ways to achieve this, and multiple resources can be found online.
Self-development
As a business owner or employee, taking time for self-development should be on your list of goals for the year ahead. Developing or learning skills can be beneficial for your career prospects and your mental health, so consider what you want to achieve this year. Here are a few thoughts:
- Leadership
Business owners, managers or team leaders all need good leadership skills, while this may be a natural talent, nurturing and developing these skills through courses, mentorship or reading can result in a happier team and a more productive workforce.
- Learn a new skill
In every industry and workplace, staff who work on developing new skills are more likely to achieve promotion and job satisfaction. There are so many options, so it’s worth thinking about what interests you as well as what would be beneficial to your business. Then commit to a course or learning plan and get going.
- Self care
There are few people who wouldn’t benefit massively from investing time and effort into themselves this year. Mindfulness, relaxation, confidence building and fitness are all areas where you can not only improve your work input but also become happier and healthier all round.
Where can I find help?
Once you’ve identified your goals for the year ahead, set a timeframe to achieve them and start looking and asking around for help. If your business or workplace doesn’t offer any, a simple online search can open up a world of possibilities. Below are a few great places we’d recommend for searching for help, courses or development.
Business Gateway provides excellent courses, advice and resources for businesses.
Just Enterprise has a wealth of useful information for social enterprises
Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce run regular webinars and training events
FirstPort you can access a range of support and training opportunities for social enterprises
LinkedIn The professional platform also provides a multitude of online training courses
Skillshare you can get 1 month free when you s ign up for courses via Skillshare
Good luck!
Whatever goals you chase in 2024, personal or career, we hope you get some satisfaction from them. Best of luck in all your efforts!
