Are you finding it hard to prioritize your business growth? You’re not alone! Social media plays a huge part in this because we’re bombarded with ads in addition to all the offers we either see online or that come straight to our inbox. So how do you determine what you should move forward with and what you need to pass on totally or delay pursuing until later?
Today I’m sharing three tips that are going to help you make that decision so that you can prioritize your business growth. This topic came to me as I sat down and did some reflecting on where my business is now and where I want it to be by the end of my year which is August 31st not December 31st. Yes you heard right. Last year I decided that September 1st was my January. So in Shannon’s world, I’m closing out Q2 at the end of this month which is why I’m doing some mid-year reflecting.
There have been some external factors in relation to my day job that have ignited some new fires within me. I won’t go into them but let me just say, I’m really motivated to make some things happen that I’ve had on the back burner on my business. So I myself am now very focused on prioritizing my business growth as well.
So I started this process by deciding to take on a bit of a brand refresh because my messaging wasn’t feeling aligned with my values. So I’ve been doing some professional development behind the scenes to get myself together and now I’m taking action. So if you have been feeling some kind of way about where your business is, then I encourage you to pay attention to the tips I’m going to share today, And you don’t need to take notes unless you want to because there will be a transcribed blog post of this episode on my website.
There are going to be an infinite number of opportunities that will come up in your business journey. And many of them are going to look like great opportunities at first glance. But you already have a tight schedule so you need to evaluate those so-called opportunities and determine if it’s something that you REALLY need to grow your business. In order for it to be beneficial, it has to be introduced at the right time and you have to have the resources available in order for it to work to your benefit. So how can you make that decision? That’s where these tips will come in handy.
1. Review Your Mission and Vision
Now if you just started your business you may not have a mission and vision statement. But you need to carve out time to write yours out. And if you’ve been in business for a while, you probably haven’t reviewed your mission and vision statements in some time. So now is the time to change that.
I’m in the process of a brand refresh so I’m revising my mission and vision statements because they have changed over the almost 10 years I’ve been in business. The biggest shift has occurred since I started this podcast two years ago. Now I will be honest and tell you this is going to require you to carve out at least 30 minutes to an hour each to effectively update your statements. But it is worth it to keep your business moving forward.
So let’s talk about your mission statement first. This defines your values, fundamental goals and reveals what your business does, who you do it for, how you do it, and the results you help others achieve. It also shapes the decisions you make in your business every day. It boils down to whether the choice you’re making helps you achieve your mission. Is it aligned? If it isn’t, then you need to pass. So I’ll share a few examples.
Starbucks’ mission statement is, “To inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.”
If you don’t know, Starbucks is one of my favorite spots. And personally, I feel they achieve their mission and the best part is that they offer seasonal ways to make it happen. Think about it, one of the biggest ways we connect for networking in person or online is on coffee chats. And let me tell you, I have had my share of conversations at a number of Starbucks. What about you?
I also have my seasonal favorites that I look forward to. I really love the seasonal cups and I have a cabinet full of Starbucks coffee mugs from different states. My goal is to collect as many of them as I can and my girlfriends help me with that mission. My best friend loves to “shop” for a mug when we have coffee together. So I am living proff that Starbucks has accomplished their mission where I am concerned.
Another mission statement that I love is Convertkit, which is the email marketing platform I use and love. Their mission statement is, “We exist to help creators earn a living online.”
And again, they live up to their mission! I switched to Convertkit years ago and it has been a game changer as far as my email marketing is concerned. My favorite features are the tagging option and link triggers. Both of these features help me target my subscribers with additional email funnels based on the things they are interested in. My chat with Bev Feldman who specializes in helping solopreneurs build out their automations in ConvertKit. will give you an idea of some of the features. Click here to check that out. If you want to try Convertkit for free, click here.*
My point is you need a clear mission statement to understand and communicate what you stand for. Then you need a clear vision statement because it helps you prepare for tomorrow. That’s why you need to be specific. But specific doesn’t mean complicated. Here’s an example…
Apple, “To make the best products on earth, and to leave the world better than we found it.”
That short statement captures their values and aligns with their mission. I think you would agree that they have done just that. So don’t make it complicated. Identify what you will accomplish in the future and incorporate your values.
How does having a clear mission and vision help you with prioritizing your business growth? If you know where you are supposed to be going, when opportunities arise you will be able to determine if it fits into the plan to move you forward and you will decide if you should say yes, no or put it off until a later time.
This is vital information to create a strategic plan for your business. If everything went according to your strategic plan over the next 3, 5, or 10 years, what does your business look like? What kind of successes do you have? Spend the time to define your mission and vision statements and chart out a plan that gets you there.
If you want some help with this, DM me on Instagram and I can direct you to someone who has a resource that will help you identify both your mission and vision statements.
Now once you know where you want to go you need to identify your priorities. How can you do that? Tip number 2…
2. Set A Goal to Focus on For the Next 90 Days
Your goal is the outcome you want to achieve and you need the deadline so that you can create an action plan. Now when this episode goes live it’s the end of February and you may have already set big goals for the year or for Q1. That’s great!
But I only want you to pick one goal to focus on for 90 days. You may be wondering how you can do that. Simply put, you pick a big scary goal for the year. Then you break it down into smaller steps you can take every 90 days or every quarter to get there. That’s why the first step is to identify your mission and vision which drives the goals you set. Let me illustrate that.
Let’s say your big goal for this year is to make $25,000 in your business. You start by looking at what you made last year. Then you have to look at the services you offer and any digital products that you have or can offer to reach that goal. You would need to generate $6,250 every quarter to reach that goal. The next step is to determine what you need to market to bring in that amount. That would drive your marketing message. So maybe Q1 would be to increase your email subscribers by 20%. Great…now what?
Think about what resources this will require. How many hours do you have to focus on marketing your business online? Look at the return of investment, meaning how long will it take you to recoup the cost, time, and energy that you will have to put into achieving that goal.
By gathering this data you will have the data you need to create a step by step plan to reach your goal. So it would identify what platforms you need to be active on, what you are going to post and when. Do you need a new lead magnet or can you refresh one you already have? Is your nurture sequence set-up that would lead from that freebie to a paid service or product? Those are some of the things you would need to consider for that goal. And then you can create an action plan to achieve that. Then rinse and repeat the process for each quarter.
And once you have it all written out, imagine what your life would be like when you achieve them. Notice I said when, not if. And this can be your reality if you have the right systems in place in your back office which leads to tip number 3.
3. Assess Your Business Operations
No matter what your goals are and no matter how good your plan is, if you do not have systems in place in your business you will not be able to achieve sustainable growth, if you ever have any at all.
So you REALLY need to audit your back office and get some processes documented and incorporate some automation. There are six core systems every business needs to be able to achieve sustainable growth and I have talked about all six in other episodes. But you can check out this blog post and this blog post for detailed information on those systems.
Now I know many of you are solopreneurs and are DIY-ing your systems. And that is great but can also be frustrating! I’m just like you. But I also know the importance of making an investment to spend time with someone who has expertise in areas that I don’t. So I am a huge fan of paid consultations also known as pick your brain sessions.
So if you want to pick my brain and shorten the learning process when it comes to your back office systems, I can help you with a mini systems audit. This can be done during a 30 minute System Strategy Session with me. We get on a Zoom call and together we will identify which of your systems you need to focus on immediately so that you have the resources in place that you need to reach your goal. When you get off that call, you will know exactly what you need to work on. I know you have a process in a place already and we will start with what you have and identify what you still need. We can also talk about some automation options to save you time and make things work more efficiently and consistently.
Remember, there’s no straight path to success. There will be obstacles that will arise and have you rethinking yourself and your strategic plan. Ignore the things that don’t fit into your plan. So let’s do a quick recap of the tips so you can stay focused and prioritize your business growth in 2022.
Create or refresh your mission and vision statements
These are vital parts you need for your strategic plan and will help you determine if that opportunity fits into the plan to move you forward or not. You also need to sit down and write out your goal for the year and break that down into quarters so you can create an action plan in 90 day increments. That will help you identify the things you need to stay focused on.
And once you have those plans and goals written out, you need to look at where your business systems are right now and determine what gaps you need to fill in so that you can achieve your goals. Business systems are the foundation of a strong and successful business. They are also the doorway to the time and mental freedom you need to focus on your zone of genius. So don’t be afraid to ask me for help getting yours in place.
So I want to thank you for tuning in this week. I am excited that I have real action takers like you in my community. Women who are invested in achieving sustainable growth in their business by creating systems so they can work smarter not harder. Don’t forget you can find a link to the episodes I mentioned and to schedule that strategy session with me in the show notes.
If you would like to hear my revised mission and vision statements, DM me on Instagram @the_shannonbaker. I would love to share it with you!
*This is an affiliate link. I may receive a small commission if you sign up for an account – at no extra cost for you.
Links mentioned in this episode:
Episode 62: 3 Sexy Systems You Need for Startup Success
Episode 72: 3 Systems You Need in Your Sustainable Growth Strategy
Schedule a Systems Strategy Session
Connect With Me Online
On Instagram @the_shannonbaker
