The beginning of the year is a time when so many people set their goals for the new year (ok, maybe they call them resolutions… and maybe its already February, but goals are important, ok?). Have you set your Goals for your bridal business for 2018 yet? Having goals and milestones, and more importantly, an ACTION PLAN to achieve those goals will really help keep you on track, especially when you are not feeling motivated, you’ve just dealt with a bridezilla, or you’ve had a cancellation.
Step 1. Set your goals.
When thinking about your goals for the year, think about how you want to feel at the end of the year when you are reflecting back. Try to frame those feelings in a positive way – do you want to feel accomplished? Satisfied? Appreciated? Rather than thinking about feeling exhausted and drained because you’ve been working so hard.
Step 2. Are your goals SMART?
Many “motivational speakers” or books recommend you set SMART goals, those that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely. Lets use a couple of examples. Mary is a makeup artist who is straight out of college and she sets a goal of doing 100 weddings and also, being the makeup artist for Meghan Markle when she weds Prince Harry. While Mary’s goals are specific, measureable and timely, its highly doubtful that they are attainable or relevant. Another example, Sally has been a makeup artist for 10 years, and her goal is to do more weddings this year than last year. While this goal is measurable and attainable, its not really specific. Jack Canfield, in his book The Success Principles(TM) 
Step 3. Write them down.
Once you have set your goals, and check that they are SMART goals, write them down somewhere. Somewhere you will see them often. Keeping your goals front of mind will help keep you on track to achieving them.
Step 4. Define Why?
Now you have your goals listed, think about WHY you want to achieve those goals. What will it mean to you when you have achieved each goal? What will your business look like? Why is it important to you?
Step 5. Get a Plan.
And then, you need the ACTION PLAN. What are the steps you will need to take to achieve that goal. Once you can break down your Action Plan into manageable steps you will be on your way to achieving it. Lets say you have a goal to book 40 (more) brides for 2018. What are some of the things you could do to book them? Here are some suggestions:
- Reach out to your past brides and ask for a referral
- Network with other vendors in your area, and suggest a referral swap
- Advertise
- Up your social media game
- Follow up with all your enquiries
Once you have come up with the actions that will suit you best, its time to put them in your calendar and Get Them Done. Consistently taking action is the key to achieving your goals. It certainly won’t happen if you sit back and wait, the bookings don’t miraculously appear, you need to go out there and make it happen.
Step 6. Monitor your Progress.
Once you have an action plan, and you can stick to the action plan, you can monitor your results, and then adjust the plan if necessary. By setting measurable goals you will be able to monitor how you are tracking over time, and see how close you are to achieving your goals.
Step 7. Congratulations!
The last step is to congratulate or reward yourself for every success (no matter how small). Even something as simple as acknowledging your wins at the end of the day or week or having a chart with your brides listed, and numbered, and writing in a new name every time you receive a confirmed booking. This is a really important step, as watching your progress will really help you progress even more.
I hope that this was helpful, and has prompted you to go and list some new goals for 2018. Head on over to our Facebook Page and let us know your goals, and we can all keep each other accountable!
[1] Canfield, Jack. The Success Principles. London, Harper Element 2005