Setting And Achieving Goals For Your Business In 2017

There's one time of the year when everyone is an ambitious goal setter: New Year's Eve. It's an annual restart button, a magical time to decide that anything is possible. However, while most people think of this new beginning strictly in personal terms, the New Year is a great time to reevaluate goals for your business as well. It's an optimal time to decide what you want to accomplish to ensure that your business continues on a path of growth and achievement that you can be proud of.

There are two components to annual goals: Setting them and following through. The only way to be successful is to check off both on your 2017 to-do list. Here are a few tips to help you achieve business success in the coming year.

It's Not Only About Working Hard

One of the biggest time drains for business owners is completing day-to-day tasks. While working hard on daily routines can feel productive, the truth is that doing work without a clear vision of what you want to accomplish is an inefficient use of a business owner's most valuable resource -- time. Setting goals allows you to take a step back from menial tasks and make sure everything you're doing contributes to your bottom line. Plan for success this year by setting measurable short- and long-term objectives that will serve as a roadmap to an end goal. That way, you'll ensure that every step you take along the way is adding value to your business.

Make Promises

Whatever your goal is, there is no better way to hold yourself and your company accountable than by making your intended end results known with some kind of public declaration. If you want to increase sales revenue 5 percent by next quarter, don't just jot it down in your diary. Boldly proclaim your intentions in your company newsletter. If you've got real guts, send out a press release. Add a little external pressure to help hold you accountable for 2017.

Work As A Team

The more people you involve in a process, the more likely you are to succeed. It's a pretty basic concept, yet many small business owners feel pressure to do as much by themselves as they can. One person can't move a piano up a flight of stairs by himself. However, if a half dozen people agree that the second story is the ideal location, you can get the 400 pound instrument relocated before lunchtime. Once you convey clear goals to make sure everyone on your team is on the same page, delegate roles and duties so that each person is fulfilling a specific need. By embracing everyone's strengths and limitations -- including your own -- you are fostering a sense of trust and duty that is essential to every motivated and successful team.

Take Surefooted Steps, Not Daring Leaps

Imagining what you can accomplish next year is very different from knowing what you can get done by tomorrow. Incremental short- and long-term goals will be more manageable and easier to achieve. Making consistent success part of your business goals will accomplish miraculous feats in the long run.

Looking to streamline your small business's workflow? Visit usa.canon.com/maxify.

For more tips and inspiration for small business owners,
visit CBS Small Business Pulse Chicago.