8 Tips for Setting New Year's Goals for Your Custom Manufacturing Shop
2018 is about to close and an exciting New Year is coming upon us. If you are like most people, you are planning New Year's goals for your personal life and for your business. Goals are great to set, as it's known that the most successful people set goals. However, most New Year's goals become unfulfilled. This can lead to disappointment, regret, and low energy. Since you know that no one wants to feel that way, here are some helpful tips for setting your New Year's goals for your custom manufacturing shop:
Create some fun goals: Often we think about sales goals, organizational goals, and similar goals that you are already planning throughout the year. Sure, these are great. But, setting fun goals adds more energy to your shop. Suggestion: Plan more social outings with your employees. This helps build connections and is known to increase productivity.
Be specific. Sure, increased sales is a nice goal. We all want increased sales. Be more specific. Suggestion: Increase sales by 10% or even better, increase sales 10% within a specific industry. For example, if you sell custom trophies and awards, aim to increase sales to gymnastics schools by 10%.
Make sure goals are measurable. When you create measurable goals, you can determine where your goals are on track or not. Suggestion: Reduce material waste by 5% by June 1st. Then track of your material waste, for each job, in your shopVOX account. At the end of each month, check to ensure that your waste is lessening. If not, adjust processes.
Have a plan. A goal without a plan will most likely fail. It's important to plan how you are going to reach your goal. Suggestion: If you want to reduce waste by %5 percent, make better use of shopVOX's online proofing. This will help reduce mistakes in the final product, therefore less redos. Also, train employees how to produce products more efficiently.
Write out your goals and plans. Thinking will get you started, but writing out your plan and placing it someplace where you can regularly see it can better motivate you. Suggestion: Create a screensaver with your goal on it. Send yourself a weekly reminder from your shopVOX account.
Make your goals realistic. Some people say "Reach for the stars." Yes, I'd love to reach a star, but I am sure I would suffer drastically in my attempt - and still fail. Set reasonable goals that are attainable. Suggestion: If you want to improve your marketing efforts, honestly look at your budget to see how much you can afford and determine out how much time you can realistically set aside. From here, you can figure out whether you can afford a marketing expert, another staff member or learn yourself.
Figure out what you have to give up. Most people think about what do I have to do, but fail to realize what they have to give up. With every goal, there is a trade-off. Suggestion: If you want to hire a manager because you want to personally work on more sales, you need to be okay with letting go of knowing all of the details that are happening in your shop day by day.
Acknowledge and be proud of success. Achieving goals is hard work. You must plan, focus, work, and give up something you like. Make a point to be proud of yourself during the journey and after your success. Suggestion: When you notice others become successful in their goals, compliment them and be sincerely proud of them. When you practice this, you will reach your goals easier and will naturally become more proud of yourself when you do.
We'd love to hear what your goals are for your custom shop. Share with us below! ShopVOX is here to ensure that your shop is well managed and organized, as well as help you to achieve your goals. Use it daily. Learn a new feature at least monthly. Ask for help if you need.