One of the best pieces of advice that I was given from a trainer is to set goals for myself and my businesses. If I didn’t set goals, then I would never reach ANY destination, let alone the one that I thought would be what I wanted. The trainer said to think of setting goals like going on vacation: you know where you are going, how you are going to get there, how much money you will spend, and what activities you will do. And yet, for some reason when it comes to our businesses and personal lives, we often won’t take the time to set goals. This made perfect sense to me and since receiving that insight, I’ve been setting goals.

There are several important things that need to be realized about goal setting: they won’t always be achieved, they can change, and sometimes you just need to drop them and reset to something that makes more sense. But, you must first set them before even coming to any of those conclusions. Set small goals, big goals, and everything in between. Think about the end in mind and work your way back from there. Think about if the goal is a strategic or operational one. And, make sure it is measurable.

Here are some of the goals that I set for my shops:

Operational goals:

• 10%+ Profit
• 75% Gross Profit
• 23% Expenses

Strategic goals:

• Paint the building by the end of August 2020.
• Own three loaner cars by end of 2021.

Whether or not you achieve them, at least pointing in the right direction will help you move the needle. The following quote sums it up well:

“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”