Chiropractors, like any other independent business owners, should be thinking each year about how to strategically improve their businesses.
2019 just started and it’s the perfect time to highlight any changes you want to make and begin making them happen for this next 12 months. Often, it’s easiest to adopt new business practices during a new year, even though 2019 is already here.
If you’re looking to get your business operations better aligned with best practices or if you’re setting new goals to hit this year, it’s time to start thinking about your plans and working to implement them.
Here’s how you can get going on the next phase
for your business.
Business goals worth planning for
Now that you’re getting ready to start planning
with new business goals, it’s time to start reaching for your next challenges.
Often, we set goals for ourselves that are actually fairly limited compared
with what we can really achieve. This can happen for a variety of different
reasons, from motivation to self-esteem. If you do want more out of your
business, however, and if you want to meet and exceed your goals, then you’ll
need to prepare yourself with a committed attitude and plan to excel in 2019.
Consider, for instance, following these business
goal best practices:
- Use measurable goals: Aim for something you
can measure. If the goals depend on someone else’s efforts or choices, you may
be setting yourself up for disappointment. For instance, it’s impossible to
know exactly how many new patients you can bring into your practice, since this
isn’t your decision. It is definitely possible, however, to set goals you have
control over such as how much marketing you’ll do to reach new patients. So
rather than deciding, “I want to find 20 new patients a month,” you might decide
that you’ll post to your social media 20 times per month to reach new patients. - Judge your goals by results: As you go through
2019, see if reaching your measurable goals provides your business with the
results you need. If it’s not working, it’s time to figure out why and consider
adjusting your plans. Choose a time every month to sit down and reevaluate your
goals. - Take big goals and break them down: Have
really big goals you’re pursuing? Consider breaking them down into smaller
tasks or bite-sized goals that are easier to do. Then, recognize your
accomplishments every time you finish a new mini-goal. - Give yourself deadlines, rewards, etc: Whatever
you personally need to get your work done, do it. Set deadlines, assign tasks,
or plan small rewards to stay motivated. - Work backwards: Not sure what goals to set?
Work backwards by starting with the question, “What do I want?” to find what
conditions and changes need to happen in order to provide you with the goals
you need.
With these tips, start thinking of goals worth
setting for your business.
Finding the right goals
Looking for more goal ideas? Borrow a few from
our list:
- Financial goals: If you’d like to make more money this year, try thinking of changes you can make to your business to increase revenue. Remember to set goals you have control over. Need a specific amount of increase? Try coming up with goals that can get you there, then test-drive your goals for a quarter before you make adjustments. Since you might need to give any new changes enough time to make a difference, start by going a specified period of time before you decide a new goal isn’t for you.
- Marketing goals: For many people, financial goals lead to marketing goals. What new types of marketing do you want to try? Do you need to be more consistent? Are you looking for a higher volume of marketing you can commit to? Come up with your marketing goals and write them down. Keep in mind that marketing can also include in-person networking or hosting community events.
- Operations goals: In your operations, you probably have a few things worth changing. What new systems do you want to implement? New patient processes? New software? Any new accounting processes that can help you do a better job of keeping track of everything?
- Team goals: How do your HR processes look? Management issues? Any goals for the year for how you manage your team?
Once you have your goals, be sure to write them
down and keep track of your progress. It helps if you keep good notes and make
an effort to benchmark your experiences.
Source
Christoff, C. of the Young Entrepreneur Council. “5 tips for reaching your goals in 2019.” Inc. https://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/5-tips-for-reaching-your-goals-in-2019.html. Published: November 2018. Accessed: January 2019.
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