– Deb McClelland is the executive director of the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce. She can be reached email at deb@kamloopschamber.ca.
KAMLOOPS – Through the warm, sunny, long days of summer, it can be easy to spend more time thinking about your next weekend get-a-way instead of the busy days that Fall often brings with it.
But as business people, focusing on the future, knowing what you want to achieve and how you are going to realize it, is critical to your business success.
Rather than worrying about your business during your next family camping trip, here are a few helpful tips to help you successfully start planning ahead.
1. Set action-oriented goals early Goal setting should be part of your daily and weekly routines, and should not be based on a calendar year, month or season. Instead, set goals today that will help you plan out the year and seasons ahead, and that will keep you from stressing about what to do to get ahead during your vacation.
2. Understand disruptions in your industry and how to make them work for you Are the summer months when you make the most in your business? Or are they the months when things slow down, allowing you to catch up on back-logged work that gets put aside during your busy season?
Whichever the case, it’s crucial to understanding the ebb and flow of your industry and to plan accordingly. Mapping out what you can likely expect through your year based on the average of your past business years, can give you the background you need to set appropriate goals and timelines for your business.
3. Schedule time to help you achieve your business goals You know that you need to make some new business connections to grow your business and you’ve set a goal to attain a new client each month and grow your presence in a certain industry.
One of the ways you have decided you can achieve this is by attending more networking events, industry specific luncheons etc. But when the time comes to leave your office and head to the event, you decide that you are too swamped and you’ll “make it next time”.
Sound familiar? While there are times when you need to make the call to spend that extra hour in the office, there are many times when that work could wait until the next day and when prioritizing your goals is more important. To help ensure you set yourself up to successfully achieve your goals, schedule them into your calendar.
If you know of a networking event a few months or weeks down the road, put it into your calendar right away. If you hear of a luncheon at which you will be able to meet someone from your target industry, purchase a ticket right away so that you will be more inclined to actually attend than when you plan on just getting a ticket at the door.
Blocking off time in your calendar and sticking to it, whether for specific event or important tasks in the day, will help ensure you spend time specifically focusing on your goals rather than sifting through emails or scrolling through social media. Hopefully these tips will have you mapping out your business plans so far in advance, you can take a few extra days with family or friends to enjoy those lazy summer days.
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CONNECT 2016 is coming soon! Don’t miss out on our annual business tradeshow on September 21st!
- Wednesday September 21st | 4PM – 7PM
- Coast Kamloops Hotel & Conference Centre | 1250 Rogers Way
- FREE admission | Open the public
- Over 60 exhibitors | Networking with over 300 attendees
- Tons of prizes to be won
- Cash bar
Register to be an exhibitor (chamber members only) and learn more at www.kamloopschamber.ca.