Goals without a plan are just a wish! Chances are, you’re not going to achieve your goals by accident: it takes purposeful planning. If you don’t define those goals and create a plan to work toward them, you’ll never reach them. In addition, the quality of the goals you set for your small business will have a huge effect on your success in achieving them. It’s not difficult to set goals, but it can be tough to make sure they’re SMART. Get started with these 5 easy steps.

S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym that stands for:

• Specific- The more specific your goal is, the easier it will be to make a plan and work toward it. A vague goal is much harder to know how to tackle. Also, writing your goals down helps you develop specifics to help you reach them.
• Measurable- Goals should be measurable so that you have tangible evidence that you have accomplished the goal. Usually, the entire goal statement is a measure for the project, but there are usually several short-term or smaller measurements built into the goal.
• Achievable – An unachievable goal is not only a waste of time, but is also discouraging. Be sure to be realistic in your goal-setting. Goals should be achievable; they should stretch you slightly so you feel challenged, but defined well enough so that you can achieve them.
• Relevant – Your goals should be consistent with what you want to achieve with your business. There’s no point in wasting time on a goal that won’t help you achieve your overall goals.
• Time-bound – Lastly, but just as importantly, you should set a time limit on your goals. If there’s no urgency to achieving your goal, it’s easy to keep pushing it off.