Tag: business goals

Books for Aspiring Business Owners

by Sandra Hayes

If you want to become a business owner one day, then information is going to be your greatest asset right now. Learning from those who have already walked the path you’re starting can help your idea launch to greater heights.

Reading is an essential tool in the entrepreneurial toolbox. These books for aspiring business owners can help you to develop a strong foundation that leads you toward the success you want to build.

List of the Best Books for New Entrepreneurs

1. The 4-Hour Workweek

Timothy Ferriss captures your attention with this unrealistic title. He shows you why every moment has value when you start creating a new business. The modern marketplace is fast-paced and unforgiving. You’ll discover how to harness your mindset and working style to maximize productivity. If you expect instant gratification, then you’re going to be sorely disappointed.

2. The $100 Startup

Author Chris Guillebeau shows you in this book that it doesn’t cost much to start a business today. If you have resources to use, a home-based company can get going for $100 or less. That means you can begin a side-hustle while maintaining full-time employment to support yourself. Then keep investing in the new company until it can replace your current career.

3. The Startup Playbook

David Kidder takes you through the stories of the most successful startups and the entrepreneurs who created those opportunities. It’s like reading an entire book of case studies that provide information you can use in practical ways to get your business off of the ground. You’ll get a glimpse of the storms that are coming your way so that you can plan for any eventuality that happens.

4. Zero to One

Author Peter Thiel has successfully worked with partners to create billion-dollar organizations. His thesis in this book is that the most challenging step in the startup process is to go from 0 to 1. When you do something new then you’re walking in unfamiliar territory. Knowing what your strengths are or why your ideas are unique will take you to incredible heights if you put in the work to do it.

If you are starting a new business now or when the economy stabilizes after COVID-19, then try to read at least one book per week. The information that you’ll find on those pages can lead to practical experiences that give your startup resiliency when it needs it the most.

How to Establish Realistic Business Aspirations

by Sandra Hayes

Business aspirations are something that leadership teams around the world must leverage as a way to inspire themselves and others. This action involves setting goals that push the mission and vision of the company to become better than they are in the present.

The idea of pursuing business aspirations is that you’re going to start reaching for the stars. What gets in the way is the foundation from where the leadership team begins.

If the C-Suite wants to decentralize their role in making decisions, then a structure where these executives must make every final choice will never turn intentions into reality. That’s why a realistic approach to these goals must take place.

How to Set Reasonable Corporate Goals

Companies pursue their business aspirations every day. The firms that know how to set reasonable corporate goals are going to be the ones that see the most success.

It isn’t a secret that successful companies follow best practices that help to set the stage fir where anything becomes possible.

1. Make Each Goal as Specific as Possible

Business goals cannot be vague if you want growth. You must define an end goal, and then create a map of how to reach that eventual outcome. Create specific items to accomplish at each checkpoint.

2. Commit to the Goal-Setting Process.

Business aspirations fail when they only receive lip service. The entire company must commit to the process, staying motivated through each checkpoint until reaching the final destination. There must be a way to restrict procrastination and second-guessing choices to prevent delays from happening.

3. Go Public With Each Goal

It is easier to reach goals when there is a measure of accountability built into the aspirational structure. Invite individuals, teams, or other organizations to participate or audit the existing plans to determine if new best practices are possible. Then take the outside feedback received seriously to improve the quality of the work performed.

4. Set Firm Deadlines

When companies refuse to set deadlines, then the goals they attempt to reach almost always fail. Unless a specific date is in place that draws a line in the sand, the indication is that the business isn’t 100% committed to the stated outcome. This step puts the aspirations into their correct context.

When a company reaches a checkpoint successfully, then it should reward everyone in some way. This final step will help keep people engaged so that it is easier to keep pushing forward to the overall business aspirations.