What are your business aims for 2017? Share them here!

[MrsMargoLeadbetter]

Hello

Have started a thread like this for the past few years. See 2016 and 2015

So reflecting on my aims, not sure I reduced my perfectionism enough (yes the irony), I was a bit more considered when spending business related money and no I didn't do much direct biz dev! Work has gone ok though.

In 2017 I want to:

1. Build my 'community' so I reach more people
   
2. Contact more decision makers directly
   
3. Produce a book/report/something that I can use to gain speaking opps, PR etc.
   
   What about you?

[SaltyMyDear]

Thanks for starting this thread!

1. Get more people to recommend my product. (By organising face to face meetings with these people)
   

1. Get more organic traffic to my website. (By writing the right articles)
   

1. Get better at following up on all leads.
   

Not quite sure how I'm going to achieve these goals :)

[EssCee]

Oooh, thanks for starting a fresh post for 2017!

Just checked back and, happily, I hit my goals for 2016 (although 2 were not particularly measurable, so their success is a little subjective, you could say!).

My goals for 2017 are to:

• Increase revenue by 30% (repeat of goal from last year)
  
• Increase my earnings by 25% (this figure is a little arbitrary but I'd be happy with this)
  
• Expand team and recruit another assistant (not enough slack in the system right now)

[EssCee]

@MrsMargoLeadbetter Intrigued to know what your book might be about!

[Badbadbunny]

I have a simple aim to stop being a busy fool. To achieve this I'll be increasing prices and reducing the number of clients. Fewer higher quality/higher profit clients will give me back my work/life balance.

[FauxFox]

I want to increase my client base - I have one main client and for the sake of increasing billing hours, having more diverse work and having more different people to work with I really need to get on with finding new clients.

[AlwaysLookOnBrightsideOfLife]

In 2017 I want to:-

1. increase my client base.
2. expand my team and recruit more people.
3. Help at least two people hit their dreams next year.
4. Continue to work from wherever I want whenever I want. (Usually home or the beach).

[Walkingwounded]

Ooh, thanks for starting this. In 2017 I want to:

1. diversify the client base - at least 3 new clients
   
2. Maintain or increase earnings from 2016
   
3. Produce article for publication ( have had one part written for the,last 6 months but not got round to finishing it).
   

Felt good to write that down!

[haveyourselfamerry]

I'm in! Happy New Year fellow business women!

1 become head of department and lead a team
2 become recognised as a leader in my field and generally regain status lost whilst I was working very part time
3 achieve the above whilst working four days in main job and one day a week in a different community based field
4 progress in conquering personal weaknesses e.g. Untidiness, distractibility, etc. Do this initially through decluttering

[Twirlstwirlstwirls]

Inspiring stuff. Any progress updates to share yet? Small steps and all that

MrsM - I share goal no. 3 - I want to produce some sort of brochure (if that's the right word for it!) to be able to reference and produce when drumming up new business face-to-face with my target market this year.

In fact, I could transfer this goal into action by scoping out what would be on, in and ultimately the purpose of the glossy bit of paperwork!

I've seen some pretty smart postcards used this way but need to flesh out my own effort over the next few weeks.

As for the other 2 goals - one is to actively engage in Social Media (hence writing this, I'm too guilty of reading and running) and the other is to invest in my business brain space and do things that are developmental every other day (being realistic here about my foibles)

[Suzietwo]

---2016 post----

My 2015 post was....

I can't believe this was a year ago!

My goals were:

1. Take some genuine time off when new baby arrives, even if just 2-3 weeks FAIL
   

1. Ditch the lower quality work for exclusively higher quality (I do a weird mixture of top end and high st work atm)
   

I have taken on an assistant to do the lower end stuff so I can concentrate in high end, so win win

1. Quote quote quote. Get the quotes right and keep clients better informed about fees. I find they can swallow the higher quotes better when they really need you than when you've done the job
   

Probably not as good as I could be.

It was a mental year both personally and professionally and I increased my income by around 50% but at the expense of my sanity.

This year

1. Get referrals from certain big firms
   
2. Take time to market all year
   
3. Sustain income
   

---------

In terms of my 2015 goals, I have failed at (1) and realised its not achievable or desirable. I've marketed but not consistently, but I don't think that matters so much. Importantly, I sustained my income having taken on my assistant so I'm pleased with that. Her income trebled.

2016 goals

1. Don't let income drop despite having baby
   
2. Attend marketing event monthly
   
3. Organise the smaller matters to be more efficient
   

Really, I want to say obtain 3-4 new significant matters but I don't have control over that. I'll be 38 this year and feel I'm reaching my peak years. Some of my matters reflect that but not enough of them, so I'm working on that. If I don't 'make it' now, I won't.

---end 2016 post----

It's a bit mental reading that and I realise how busy 2016 ended up being. I had a baby in June (4th n final) but it didn't really stop much. I remember being a bit glum and wondering what work was coming in one February morning while walking the dog. I got a call about an emergency matter and the work kept coming. Which is great but scary. I took on another assistant during the year.

2017

1. Find another assistant
   
2. Get recognised by trade standards
   
3. Take on more clients who can pay immediately rather than fund from house sales - improve cash flow
   
4. Survive partners maternity leave

[lingle]

I have

(i) figured out how much I need to earn a day if I want to earn my target income and still take two full weeks' holiday a year

(ii) been slightly shocked that I have never done that before!

(iii) started to get a bit more real about how invoing/billing isn't actual fee or client generation, it just feels like it!

[lingle]

I have also started a list of things I could write linkedin articles about and found some good linkedin articles to work from.

I have finally reached the stage in my profession where I've got useful things to say, so I'd better start saying them!