A usable business goal passes five tests: it is specific, it can be measured, you can reach it, it matters to the business, and it has a date. Then it is broken into actions that each start with a verb, and each has a month and a person.
Why most goals do nothing
“Grow the business” and “get more customers” are wishes. Nobody can tell on any given Friday whether they have been achieved, so nobody has to do anything about them. A goal you can measure removes that comfort.
The five tests
| Test | Ask yourself | Weak | Strong |
|---|---|---|---|
| Specific | What exactly will be different? | Sell more | Sell school uniforms to parents at three schools |
| Measurable | What number will I count? | More customers | 40 uniform sets a month |
| Achievable | Can I reach it with the money, time and people I have? | Supply every school in the region | Three schools within walking distance |
| Relevant | Does it matter to what I want from the business? | Open a second branch because others have | Raise income enough to employ one helper |
| Dated | By when? | Soon | By 30 June 2027 |
Put together: “Sell 40 uniform sets a month to parents at three schools by 30 June 2027.” You will know on 30 June whether it happened.
Three goals, not ten
A small business has a small number of hours. Choose at most three goals for the next twelve months. If you cannot choose, ask which one would make the other two easier, and start there.
Turn each goal into actions
An action starts with a verb that produces something you can see: sell, build, make, hire, open, visit, print, reduce from X to Y. Avoid verbs that produce nothing visible: look into, think about, consider, improve.
| Action | Month | Who | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visit three school principals and ask for permission to take orders | January | Owner | Sample uniform |
| Get three quotations for fabric in bulk | January | Owner | Transport to the suppliers |
| Take orders at the first school's parents' meeting | February | Owner and helper | Order book, price list |
| Deliver the first 20 sets and collect payment | March | Owner | Fabric paid for |
Name what could stop you
For each goal, write the biggest risk and one thing you will do about it. For the example: a school changes its uniform supplier rule. Action: ask each principal about the rule before buying fabric.
Look at it every month
A plan that is not looked at is a decoration. Pick a day each month, compare what happened with what you planned, and reset the next month's actions. If the facts have changed, change the plan and write down why.