How to Tell If You Are Really Moving Forward in Your Business

Being a business owner is full of ups and downs. Some days you wake up ready to conquer the world, and other days you may wonder if you are really making any progress at all. One month your sales are through the roof, and then you have a lull in sales that makes you wonder if your business will make it. Throw in a little bit of anxiety and decision fatigue, and it can make it really difficult to decide what to do next. So today, I want to share with you three things that you can do to not only help your business gain some forward momentum, but also help you and your team members feel and see the results.

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Celebrate Victories

Entrepreneurs are notoriously hard on themselves. They are constantly critiquing their work and looking for ways that they could have done things better or more efficiently, so it’s no wonder that this one is really difficult for so many of us. Taking a moment to celebrate victories seems like such a simple thing. Taking time out of your day or week to write down all the things that you did well, the sales that you closed, the deals that you negotiated, and the progress that your business has made will make a huge difference in the way you feel about and work on your business. I keep all my notes in a journal, and it’s amazing to look back a year later and see how far you have come. You may not feel the growth on a daily basis, but when you look back you will be amazed at the progress.

Set Realistic Goals

Another tip to find out if you are really moving forward has to do with the goals that you set. I have talked to thousands of business owners who really struggle with setting realistic expectations for their business. Of course you want a million dollars in revenue by the end of the year, but is that realistic for your business and your market? If you don’t reach that goal, it would be easy to get discouraged and think that you haven’t made any forward momentum, when in reality it was the goal itself that failed you, not your business. So set a realistic and achievable goal to really feel the forward momentum.

Set Measurable Goals

On the same note as realistic goals, having measurable goals is a huge factor in being able to really feel the growth of your business. “I want to dominate my market” isn’t quantifiable and can leave you feeling discouraged at year-end. “I want to make X amount in sales,” however, is something that you can track and you’ll see your progress each and every month. So, think realistically and always set a measurable goal whenever possible to feel success.

Growing a business you can be proud of takes work, but if you set realistic and measurable goals and celebrate along the way you will start to feel the success, which will further fuel your growth.