As the end of another year approaches it’s natural to start thinking ahead to the next 12 months and what actions you’re going to take to grow your doula business.
But here’s the thing… How do you know whether the work you’re doing will take you in the right direction?
Did you know that just a small percentage of entrepreneurs and businesses actually write down their goals for the next year? Less than 5%.
That’s crazy! If you don’t know what success looks like for you and your business, how will you know when you’ve got there? Or if you’re even getting close?
Here’s another stat for you: That 5%, those people who write their goals down and review them regularly… they experience more business success than the other 95%.
It’s pretty clear: Goals are essential for growing your doula business.
- They create momentum
- They give you focus
- They keep you motivated
- They give you proof that you are moving forward and in the right direction.
So lovely doula, it’s time to stop dreaming and take action! If you want to make 2019 your best yet then there is just ONE sure-fire way to actually do it.
You’ve got to PLAN IT.
- Set your goals
- Review them regularly
Here’s how to make 2019 your best business year yet.
Step One: Review last year
By reviewing the last year, you get clear on your strengths and weaknesses. You can identify areas of your business that are successful and work on expanding them for next year and create a plan for changing and improving areas of weakness. Figure out where your money is coming from, which services are bringing it in, where your customers are coming from and what they are buying.
- What were your three biggest business achievements in 2018?
- What was your biggest challenge in 2018 and how did you overcome it?
- What areas of your business felt right in 2018?
- What areas of your business felt a bit out of balance in 2018?
- What was your worst-performing product or service in 2018?
- What were your three best-selling or most popular products or services in 2018? Rank them in order.
- What was your most effective social media channel in 2018?
- What marketing actions bought in the results in 2018?
Once you know where you are, you can map out where you need to go next.
Step Two: Make goals for this year
What are your financial goals for this year and how can you achieve them?
- How can you sell more of your best products and services?
- How can you sell more of your weak products and services?
- Where could you save money in your business?
What are your marketing goals for this year and how can you achieve them?
- What social media channels are you going to focus on this year?
- How many followers/page likes etc. do you want by the end of 2019?
- What is the most popular page on your website and how could you make it even better?
- How can you get in front of your customers more in 2019?
- How can you get and share more positive testimonials this year?
What are your customer goals for this year and how can you achieve them?
- Do you have a system in place for collecting customer e-mails?
- How are you going to grow your customer mailing list this year?
- Are your customers taken care of at every step in your business?
- How will you communicate with your customers in 2019?
- How could you reward your most loyal customers this year?
Once you’ve got answers to the questions above you can start to set your goals for 2019. Don’t get overwhelmed, you’ve got a whole year to achieve them!
Try setting 1-5 monthly tasks that take you closer to your goals, any more than this and you risk spreading yourself too thin.
Step three: Review your goals regularly
Once you’ve got your goals you MUST review them regularly. Writing them down and sticking them in a filing cabinet won’t help grow your doula business. Post them on the wall, stick them on the fridge, make them a part of everyday life.
Review your goals each month to check your progress, don’t beat yourself up if you’ve missed one or two, chart how far you’ve gotten and make reaching that goal a priority for next month.
Reading this post in June? No worries, it’s NEVER too late to start setting goals for your business.
Just start today.
Like this? We’ve got lots more tips and ideas for growing your doula business in our blog: How to get your doula business in front of more potential clients
