Having everything under one roof falls under the “best of and worst of” categories for work at home moms. Working at home is flexible and allows for more time with the children while still connecting with a working life. At the same time, having so much going on at one place can make it tough to get enough of anything done. Having goals for your home-based business is key to your success.
Great, you say. But how do I keep up with these goals?
The simplest way to track your goals – or targets, as owners in some industries say – is using an old-fashioned three-ring binder. That’s what I do, and it works beautifully. Here’s the set-up.
Create one page for each goal you have. I work as a writer and a newly-established artist. I have “writing” goals
,” “art” goals, and “combo” goals, which use both words and images. I have several goals for each, as you probably have for your work, and keeping them all on one page would be tough. Instead each goal gets one page. At the top, simply write “Goal:” and fill in with what you intend to do.
Remember when setting goals that they should be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. If that’s too much to take in, remember to make your goals something you can do with a bit of work and something you can measure so that you know if you reached your goal. One of my art goals, for example, is to have at least one product in at least 7 stores by the end of 2009. That goal is at the top of the page.
I then break down the goal. What do I want to reach in half that time? One quarter? One month? I write each of those benchmarks with the monthly goal small and very precise. The page looks like this:
Goal: Have at least 1 product in at least 7 stores by end of 2009.
End of June: Have at least 1 product in at least 4 stores.
End of March: Have at least 1 product in at least 2 stores.
End of November: Have 1 item ready to begin showing store owners.
One you have your intermediate goals set up, you can jot notes on the page as you work on the project. So for November 29, I may have “competed first prototype of item.” On the last day of each month, check your progress against your timeline and set the next month’s goal. Using a 3-ring binder allows you to remove and add goals easily, which will make the process flow smoothly for you. By giving each goal its own space, you are free to make changes or jot notes as needed. Plus you can see your progress easily to know whether you are approaching your goal as the deadline nears.
By Brandi Rhoades
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