Business Goal Setting 101

As a travel business owner, there’s probably a lot you want to accomplish. And while you have the vision, the big dreams you have for your business can often take a backseat to your daily operations.

The good news? With the right strategies and goal-setting practices in place, you can transform those dreams into reality. Let me show you how:

Tip #1: Visualize Your Success

Take some time to imagine where you want your business to be in the future. Be specific: What will it look like? How will your day-to-day life be different? What resources do you need to get there? Don’t forget the more practical elements. How much revenue will you make? Who will your dream customers be and how can your company meet their needs?

In addition to being a great motivator for when things get tough, imagining your future success will help you create goals in the now specifically designed to help you get there.

Tip #2: Set SMART Goals

Every goal you set should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. This framework will help you accurately define your business goals so that they are easier to achieve.

For example: “I’d like to increase my startup’s visibility on social media,” is vague and doesn’t meet the SMART criteria.  “I’d like to increase my startup’s social media page views by 20% in the next 3 months,” is specific, measurable, actionable, relevant and time-bound. Having meetable criteria for your goal makes it much more likely to happen.

Tip #3: Make a Plan

Once you have a SMART goal in mind, the next step is to map out the actual steps you’ll take to accomplish it. This may sound daunting, but there are plenty of tools at your disposal to make this part of the process easier. Use a calendar app like Google Calendar or a project management tool like ClickUp to draft a plan for when you want to reach each milestone.

If you’re part of a team, consider creating a shared document where everyone can see the progress as it happens and when things change (they will!) or if goals get completed ahead of schedule. You may also want to create an internal reward system for meeting or beating deadlines so everyone stays motivated.

Tip #4: Celebrate Wins

Once you’ve set and achieved a goal, it’s important to take time to celebrate. Rewarding yourself will help keep you motivated as you work toward the next goal. You can also reward yourself for completing milestones toward a larger goal.

If you or your team achieved the goal together, celebrate as a group! Timely, goal-appropriate rewards can help you all stay on track and remind you of what’s waiting at the finish line: more success!

Setting goals is an important factor in building a successful business. To make it happen, envision your success, set SMART goals, make a plan and celebrate your wins. Click here for even more guidance on growing your travel business!