15 Jul SMART Goals: What Are They?

Goal setting is part of business that every business has, but unless they’re SMART goals you are not really setting a goal that you can reach. A goals needs to be measurable and realistic in order to be achievable.

So what are SMART goals anyway? SMART stands for Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Specific means that you specific what you specifically want to achieve. Measurable means that you have a key performance indicator that can be measured accurately with measuring tool. Attainable means that it is a goal that is realistic for you to attain. Relevant means that the goal set is related to overall business objectives of your business. Timely means that setting a short and specific time period to achieve the specific goal.

Here is an example that illustrates the difference between a goal and a SMART goal. A goal is “I want to increase sales until I am making a positive cash flow”. The SMART goal would be “I want to sell $10,000 worth of gross product to retail sellers, teachers, and community groups in the fiscal year”. The SMART goal is better because you can actually measure your progress and tell clearly when you have met your goal. It is also better it makes achieving your goal less daunting because you have a clear finish line.

A key part of determining if your goals are accomplished is determining the Key Performance Indicators.  An example of a key performance indicator is the number of email sign-ups or the number of leads generated.  Tools can be used to measure at the finish line.  However, they can also be used to measure the steps that are moving your towards your goals during campaigns. This immediate feedback helps a business in the long-term and short-term. Even if you don’t run a business, who wouldn’t appreciate knowing that you are making progress towards your goal?