Success Camp
Self-Inspiration - http://self-inspiration.com/article/powerful-plan-for-peak-performance; Success is defined differently by every person. While your own ideas of success work perfectly to ensure your own happiness in your personal life, a little more logic is necessary in the process of properly measuring the success of your small business. Simply enjoying what you do won't help you solidify a great future for your business. Happiness is an important factor, but taking a step back to see where your business stands, where it's headed, and how you can improve is important in building a foundation for future accomplishments. So how can you measure your business's success in 2015? There will be various aspects to look at depending on your business type and current standing, but the following 10 areas of success measurement can and should be applied as you check in on your success throughout the year.
The path to effective learning involves simple but counterintuitive steps: Managers must actively test their theories, even when they seem to be working, and rigorously investigate the causes of both good and bad performance. Ironically, casting a critical eye on your success can better prepare you to avoid failure. Some may consider this to be an art. But in fact it is much more of a science.
The idea of losing weight wasn't new to Birmingham. I had tried a few fad diets and calorie restriction many times throughout my life. The reason nothing ever took off was because I was always trying to eliminate things from my diet." (Don't let these 7 Zero-Calorie Factors That Derail Weight Loss get in the way of your goals.) So how'd she do it? Her tips, below.
Birmingham's journey started with healthy eating habits, but exercise quickly followed, where again, she focused on small, manageable accomplishments. She remembers hardly being able to make it around the block on a walk and crying when she ran her first mile. She still doesn't have a gym membership, but activity is part of her daily life. She relies on workout DVDs: Jillian Michaels in my favorite! I own almost everything by her." Walking and bike riding are other go-tos.
Birmingham relies on the support of both Weight Watchers meetings and social media to keep her going. I love being able to share my story with others. I inspire people and they cheer me along." In addition to the mutual inspiration she finds in others who have shared similar struggles, she values what she learns from them, as they understand where she's coming from.
This will sound ridiculous," says Birmingham, but Fat Free Cool Whip has been one of my staples throughout my entire journey. It's great mixed with PB2 for a dip for fruit, on top of pancakes, or just eaten straight out of the container. I eat bananas every day as well.
This is probably the most obvious item on the list. Checking in to make sure your business remains profitable is key. In their post on small business success management, SurePayroll recommends keeping up on your bottom line. If you find that you're continually in the red, it's time to reevaluate your finances. This is where you might consider enlisting the help of a financial specialist to help you get back on a profitable path.
Are you satisfied with the direction your business is headed in? Whether you're completely and totally satisfied, or looking back with a little regret, take a moment to come up with a list of things you hope to improve this year. Chances are, you'll come up with at least one with the potential to increase your business's future success.
Employees are everything. Keeping your employees happy reduces risk of liability and encourages better customer service within your business. Evaluate wage averages in your industry. How do yours stack up? What's the workplace culture like? Is there anything you can do to increase your employees' connection to their place of work? Enlisting the help of an affordable small business security system may also help here as it can show you exactly what goes on behind the scenes.
Comparing yourself to others has always been a big no no" in your personal life. However, a little comparison goes a long way in setting effective goals for your business. Understanding how your product/service stacks up against its competitors is key to staying on top of trends and keeping your customers satisfied with what you have to offer.
