2015 is coming up fast! I put together this list, a roadmap of sorts, with 3 things you can do to make 2015 your best year ever.

#1) Set Goals

We’ve all heard this before. The question is, have you done it? It’s time to take pen to paper and get things rolling. What do you really want for your business? What do you want it to be like? Ask yourself:

• How much do you want to sell annually?
• What are your top 5 sellers?
• Which 5 products have the highest profit margin?
• How do you really want to sell your product? Trunk show? Online? To boutiques?

If you’re not sure what you want, it’s time to do some soul searching. If you know where you want to go, you can then craft a detailed plan to get yourself there. If you don’t have specific goals, you are just working and working, and often not sure if you’re working on the right things. This is a cruddy way to run a business (I’ve done it myself) and you may need a little tough love session to get a clear plan together.

#2) Run the Numbers

Let’s get some financial clarity now. Just try this exercise and don’t worry how it comes out – let it flow and see what happens. Don’t censor yourself.

• What I really want for my business this year is _____________________
• In the next 12 months, my goal is to have $_______________ in sales and generate $_____________ in profit.
• In order to reach these financial goals, I will need to sell the following mix of products (and/or services). ______________________ this can be a mix of wholesale and retail, or products and services, depending in your situation.
• What prices will I need to charge to reach my goals? (Be honest here…)_________________
• The FIRST thing I can do this week to move toward my goals is ___________ and my deadline to do it is ___________________

#3) Allocate Time for Marketing and Customer Attraction

No BS answer here, OK? How much time do you spend marketing your business each week? You don’t have to spend a lot of money – or even an enormous amount of time – on marketing. You DO need to be consistent and dedicated to building a relationship with your customer.  And you want to know how to speak to your ideal customer in a way they’ll “get it”.

So how to you get clear on your marketing message so your “perfect customer” will notice? Here’s what I suggest…

• Make a list of your 10 biggest customers _________________________
• Now write down similarities between them. Did most of them come from the same referral? Do they live in the same area? Similar ages?____________________________________________________
• Write down what interests them _______________________________

The next time you write an email blast, write copy for a postcard, your website, etc., you want to write it as though you are speaking to ONE of the above customers. Just pick one and write it to him/her. If you understand what she’s like, it’s much easier to craft your marketing message. The way you “talk” to one person is much different than how you speak to many. We tend to write as though it’s an English paper, so when you write to only ONE person, your voice is looser and more interesting. People LISTEN.

You also need to know how to market and what steps to take. Willy-nilly marketing can be somewhat effective while consistently marketing from a simple, specific plan can blow your sales right out of the water. I recommend this course if you’re serious about attracting a consistent flow of customers. What you’ll learn in the course takes time, but it WORKS. The feedback from designers is fantastic.

What do YOU think?

Today’s topic is one a lot of us can relate to and I’ll bet you have stories and experiences to share. In the comments below, I’d love to hear from YOU! Specifically…

1. Have you experienced working on too many things at the same time with “blah”results? What did you do to break the cycle and get focused?
2. Does the idea of getting out your calculator to set some goals scare you? Have you done it and what happened?

Let me know in the comments below and thanks for reading!

Jane

P.S. I’m thinking about doing an Online Workshop on the process of setting attainable goals for 2015. Something simple and not overwhelming – like a 90 minute webinar in the next few weeks that includes the full recording and a Goal Setting Workbook. If you’re interested, please let me know in the comments below!