Why Goal Setting is a Must-Do for Every Wedding Pro

Building a successful career as a wedding pro doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, effort, blood, sweat and (let’s be real) some tears to get to the point where you have an established brand and a steady stream of clients rolling in. But, when it comes to making sure that all of those late-night proposal sessions and weekends spent working are actually driving your business in the direction you want, you have to set a course—and you do that with goals. So, if you’ve been busting it without a set of goals to guide you, this article is for you! Read on to learn not only why goal setting is imperative, but also get ideas to help you set goals that will help make the reason you got into the wedding business a reality.

Why goal setting is a critical business practice

Anyone who has started a business will tell you that the path to success is a mix of hard work and dumb luck. And, while we can’t help you with the luck part, we can help make sure that all the hard work you pour into your business is productive—that’s why business goals are important! Setting goals for your business gives you something to work towards and helps you see what you need to do to achieve each one. Think of it this way, your business goals are your destination and, once you know where you are headed, you can map out the directions you need to get there.

Setting goals for your business is also essential because they help you hold yourself accountable to your most significant responsibility—growing your business. From setting marketing goals to financial goals (and everything in between), the effort you put into working towards your business goals is what moves the needle.

What you need to think about when setting your goals

Not all business goals are created equal, and when it comes to setting goals that are going to help you get somewhere, you want to make sure they are SMART. 

S – Specific, meaning your goal is clear and concise

M – Measurable, meaning you can track your success with insights or data

A – Achievable, meaning it is realistic given the timeframe and resources you have 

R – Relevant, meaning it makes sense for your business, then

T – Time-bound, meaning there is some end date or deadline

Doing your goal planning with these variables in mind will ensure that you:

• Are setting goals that you have a realistic chance of achieving (as opposed to pie-in-the-sky goals that might take 10 years to make a reality)
• Can track your progress and make adjustments where and when you need to
• Can break out your goals into the action items and steps you need to take in smaller increments 

What types of goals should you set for your business?

We know you’re asking the question in your head, and though every wedding pro and wedding business owner is going to end up with a unique set of goals, there are common types of goals to set. Some of these examples might be a perfect fit for you and others not—but you can still use them to get the wheels turning to define specific goals for your business.

Business goals

• Streamline your sales process
• Hire your first employee or outsource specific duties 
• Sell more of your higher-priced package

Marketing goals

• Increase the traffic to your website
• Increase the number of leads you get per month
• Hit a certain pace of consistently publishing new blog content

Financial goals

• Increase annual revenue by a certain percentage
• Put a certain amount into business savings
• Pay down or pay off business debt

Brand goals

• Establish a clear brand voice
• Complete a rebrand 
• Make specific updates to your website

What to do once you’ve set your goals

Now that you understand why goal setting is essential, what you need to consider before setting your goals, and have ideas to get you started, we couldn’t close this piece without sharing a few first steps. Once your goals are set, you have to map out how you will get there.

• Write your goals down because we fully believe you are more likely to put in the effort if they are documented somewhere
• Think about what you need to do to achieve each of your goals. Create a task list of those steps and mark deadlines for each.
• Build a KPI (key performance indicator) sheet to track your progress toward specific goals. These sheets are particularly effective at helping you see month-over-month progress with financial and marketing goals. 
• Set a recurring meeting on your own calendar to spend 30-60 minutes each month getting organized for the upcoming goal tasks.

Have we got you thinking about all the ways you can prep for next year? Be sure to add this piece about essential business tasks to your reading list! 

Photo Credit: Color Joy Stock