Welcome to 2019! Tax season is upon us, which means a very busy start to the new year for me. In the midst of that I find myself looking back on the journey of this past year and grateful for how much growth we’ve seen here at B&G Tax Solutions.
Now I am done and do not have any plans for further growth or development.
Wait…what?
No. Absolutely not. Had you going there for a minute though, right? Of course we have plans and a vision for growth this year! I like to think of setting new business goals as being a type of New Year’s resolution, which, for some reason, have become less popular for seeming too cliché or as if you are trying to force something to happen just by saying that it will.
But isn’t that exactly what we should aim for? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could just will our year-end goals to be met by talking about them constantly, or by igniting a passion in those around us and setting mini-goals or check-points along the way? I’ve got good news - that is exactly how it can happen in a business setting! It all starts with the talk – you probably know your projected financial gains for 2019 already. Now bump that number up a little. Talk about that goal with your team. Post it in a visible place. Get them just as excited as you are about meeting those projected numbers (or exceeding them!). Then once the drive and the excitement are there, incentivize your team along the way. This could be in the form of financial incentive, but sometimes a little praise goes a long way. No one likes when their contribution goes unnoticed, especially if a particular contribution went above and beyond what was required or expected. Praise your team. Be grateful for them.
Also, set those “mini-goals” along the way, and make sure they are realistic. Usually it does not make sense to take your year-end figure, divide it into quarters, and make those your check-points. Most businesses have an eb and flow based on the seasons. For example, B&G Tax Solutions does the bulk of our business in the January to April 15th time-frame. So, if I said, “Ok team, I want to see 25% of our year-end financial gains goal met by the end of March.” Sure, no problem. It’s “tax season.” But what about July-September? We are more likely to see more than 25% of our goal met in the January-March quarter and less during the July-September quarter, so I would set my goals accordingly.
Bottom line? Goals, resolutions, whatever you want to call them - they are good and vital for growth in a business, in life even. Set the bar where you expect to be able to reach, then raise it a little higher. Challenge your business, but don’t set it up for failure by pressuring your team to meet unrealistic goals.
After all, a “resolution” is just a “firm decision to do or not to do something” Be resolved to grow in 2019, and make an active plan to do so.
