We all know that is not easy to start a business, but nowadays, people are taking their entrepreneurial spirits to the web and creating online stores and yes, online businesses. Technology is getting further and the reality is, we can become entrepreneurs and start our small online business right from our home.
There are a lot of tips and advice available on the web about what we need to know or do before making the decision of having an online business, but the reality is, it is becoming easier to open an online market or platform and start selling products and a brand you believe in.
There are millions of products and services you can buy online, and let’s be honest, there will be many competitors and sellers who are offering the same product or service as you, but the difference between your business and the competitor’s business will determine which of you gets more customers, sales, and popularity.
If you want to start an online business and be better than your competitors, you should keep reading and note these useful tips and advice:
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Ask yourself what do you like to do, what can you do, and how good you are at doing that?
We’ve heard about numerous successful entrepreneurs who have built empires and they have something in common: they love and enjoy what they do. They just followed their passions and ideas and created something that people loved too.
If you enjoy doing something and you think that product or service could be something that our society would need or like, try it! You can start your own blog, website, or even get an account on a marketplace and start doing your own business. Remember that this might not be the best business of the year, but we need to start taking risks and decisions and learn from our failures. Think about it this way, what if your idea garners results and gives you the opportunity to grow and prosper? It doesn’t hurt to try.
Identify local needs.
This is an essential and you cannot start your business without doing research about the market and local needs. You need to know what the people are looking for in a product/service and what would be useful for them. Remember that everyone is trying to find life hacks and tips to make their lives easier. You also need to be specific and find something new (whether or not it is a product or a service) and something that people need but that not many people or places are currently offering.
You can easily start an internet search on forums, websites, news, etc. and identify people’s problems, likes, or needs. A good example of developing a product to suit people’s needs is the Uber app, which made ride-sharing a possibility for people in need of transportation.
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Good marketing plan and resources.
Remember that whether you plan to build a product-oriented or service-oriented company, you need resources for marketing and development.
There are multiple marketing plans, tools, and strategies and you might get lost in the beginning. You can start by creating and managing your business’s social networks, including some useful information and articles, great product photography, interaction with your audience, etc.
Work with trusted people.
Maybe you can start your own business by yourself, but as time passes, you will need some extra support. On the negative side, there are many known and unknown stories where people stole original entrepreneur ideas or money and investments! That’s the kind of people you should avoid from your goals and projects because they can be parasites.
Many small online businesses and companies start their own projects with co-workers, family members, really close friends, or even working in small offices – the commonality here is that the work is done with few but trusted people.
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Surround yourself with good people, people who share goals, and people who can empower and cheer with you on the success.
About Search Engine Optimization.
And if you want to take the next step, you can start looking for SEO strategies or creating some email marketing campaigns.
There are many companies that offer quality SEO services. Remember that a good SEO service provider would never spend your money purchasing links. Instead, a proper agency would take necessary measures in order to assist you with earning links instead.
Having a good and optimized website for your business is indispensable nowadays. That’s how people (customers) find you and it is also the way you will build credibility and confidence. Having a proper web design will increase your selling capabilities and will add an extra value to your company. It can also provide growth and big opportunities to help you survive in the future with e-commerce projects and strategies.
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Enjoy and have fun!
You might think that with all these new responsibilities, stress, and projects, the last thing you will be doing is having fun. But of course, you can have fun at the beginning and throughout the project. As the famous quote says, “If you love what you do you will never have to work.”
Taking your work to the next level means setting and keeping career goals. A career goal is a targeted objective that explains what you want your ultimate profession to be.
Defining career goals is a critical step to achieving success. You need to know where you’re going in order to get there. Knowing what your career goals are isn’t just important for you–it’s important for potential employers too. The relationship between an employer and an employee works best when your goals for the future and their goals align. Saying, “Oh, I don’t know. I’ll do anything,” makes you seem indecisive, and opens you up to taking on ill-fitting tasks that won’t lead you to your dream life.
Career goal templates’ one-size-fits-all approach won’t consider your unique goals and experiences. They won’t help you stand out, and they may not reflect your full potential.
In this article, I’ll help you to define your career goals with SMART goal framework, and will provide you with a list of examples goals for work and career.
Instead of relying on a generalized framework to explain your vision, use a tried-and-true goal-setting model. SMART is an acronym for “Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic with Timelines.”[1] The SMART framework demystifies goals by breaking them into smaller steps.
Helpful hints when setting SMART career goals:
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Start with short-term goals first. Work on your short-term goals, and then progress the long-term interests.[2] Short-term goals are those things which take 1-3 years to complete. Long-term goals take 3-5 years to do. As you succeed in your short-term goals, that success should feed into accomplishing your long-term goals.
Be specific, but don’t overdo it. You need to define your career goals, but if you make them too specific, then they become unattainable. Instead of saying, “I want to be the next CEO of Apple, where I’ll create a billion-dollar product,” try something like, “My goal is to be the CEO of a successful company.”
Get clear on how you’re going to reach your goals. You should be able to explain the actions you’ll take to advance your career. If you can’t explain the steps, then you need to break your goal down into more manageable chunks.
Don’t be self-centered. Your work should not only help you advance, but it should also support the goals of your employer. If your goals differ too much, then it might be a sign that the job you’ve taken isn’t a good fit.
If you want to learn more about setting SMART Goals, watch the video below to learn how you can set SMART career goals.
After you’re clear on how to set SMART goals, you can use this framework to tackle other aspects of your work. For instance, you might set SMART goals to improve your performance review, look for a new job, or shift your focus to a different career.
We’ll cover examples of ways to use SMART goals to meet short-term career goals in the next section.
Why You Need an Individual Development Plan
Setting goals is one part of the larger formula for success. You may know what you want to do, but you also have to figure out what skills you have, what you lack, and where your greatest strengths and weaknesses are.
One of the best ways to understand your capabilities is by using the Science Careers Individual Development Plan skills assessment. It’s free, and all you need to do is register an account and take a few assessments.
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These assessments will help you determine if your career goals are realistic. You’ll come away with a better understanding of your unique talents and skill-sets. You may decide to change some of your career goals or alter your timeline based on what you learn.
40 Examples of Goals for Work & Career
All this talk of goal-setting and self-assessment may sound great in theory, but perhaps you need some inspiration to figure out what your goals should be.
For Changing a Job
Attend more networking events and make new contacts.
Achieve a promotion to __________ position.
Get a raise.
Plan and take a vacation this year.
Agree to take on new responsibilities.
Develop meaningful relationships with your coworkers and clients.
Ask for feedback on a regular basis.
Learn how to say, “No,” when you are asked to take on too much.
Delegate tasks that you no longer need to be responsible for.
Strive to be in a leadership role in __ number of years.
For Switching Career Path
Pick up and learn a new skill.
Find a mentor.
Become a volunteer in the field that interests you.
Commit to getting training or going back to school.
Read the most recent books related to your field.
Decide whether you are happy with your work-life balance and make changes if necessary. [3]
Plan what steps you need to take to change careers.[4]
Compile a list of people who could be character references or submit recommendations.
Commit to making __ number of new contacts in the field this year.
Create a financial plan.
For Getting a Promotion
Reduce business expenses by a certain percentage.
Stop micromanaging your team members.
Become a mentor.
Brainstorm ways that you could improve your productivity and efficiency at work
Seek a new training opportunity to address a weakness.[5]
Find a way to organize your work space.[6]
Seek feedback from a boss or trusted coworker every week/ month/ quarter.
Become a better communicator.
Find new ways to be a team player.
Learn how to reduce work hours without compromising productivity.
For Acing a Job Interview
Identify personal boundaries at work and know what you should do to make your day more productive and manageable.
Identify steps to create a professional image for yourself.
Go after the career of your dreams to find work that does not feel like a job.
Look for a place to pursue your interest and apply your knowledge and skills.
Find a new way to collaborate with experts in your field.
Identify opportunities to observe others working in the career you want.
Become more creative and break out of your comfort zone.
Ask to be trained more relevant skills for your work.
Ask for opportunities to explore the field and widen your horizon
Set your eye on a specific award at work and go for it.
Career Goal Setting FAQs
I’m sure you still have some questions about setting your own career goals, so here I’m listing out the most commonly asked questions about career goals.
1. What if I’m not sure what I want my career to be?
If you’re uncertain, be honest about it. Let the employer know as much as you know about what you want to do. Express your willingness to use your strengths to contribute to the company. When you take this approach, back up your claim with some examples.
If you’re not even sure where to begin with your career, check out this guide:
Lying to potential employers is bound to end in disaster. In the interview, a lie can make you look foolish because you won’t know how to answer follow up questions.
Even if you think your career goal may not precisely align with the employer’s expectations for a long-term hire, be open and honest. There’s probably more common ground than they realize, and it’s up to you to bridge any gaps in expectations.
Being honest and explaining these connections shows your employer that you’ve put a lot of thought into this application. You aren’t just telling them what they want to hear.
3. Is it better to have an ambitious goal, or should I play it safe?
You should have a goal that challenges you, but SMART goals are always reasonable. If you put forth a goal that is way beyond your capabilities, you will seem naive. Making your goals too easy shows a lack of motivation.
Employers want new hires who are able to self-reflect and are willing to take on challenges.
4. Can I have several career goals?
It’s best to have one clearly-defined career goal and stick with it. (Of course, you can still have goals in other areas of your life.) Having a single career goal shows that you’re capable of focusing, and it shows that you like to accomplish what you set out to do.
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On the other hand, you might have multiple related career goals. This could mean that you have short-term goals that dovetail into your ultimate long-term career goal. You might also have several smaller goals that feed into a single purpose.
For example, if you want to become a lawyer, you might become a paralegal and attend law school at the same time. If you want to be a school administrator, you might have initial goals of being a classroom teacher and studying education policy. In both cases, these temporary jobs and the extra education help you reach your ultimate goal.
Summary
You’ll have to devote some time to setting career goals, but you’ll be so much more successful with some direction. Remember to:
Set SMART goals. SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, and Realistic with Timelines. When you set goals with these things in mind, you are likely to achieve the outcomes you want.
Have short-term and long-term goals. Short-term career goals can be completed in 1-3 years, while long-term goals will take 3-5 years to finish. Your short-term goals should set you up to accomplish your long-term goals.
Assess your capabilities by coming up with an Individual Development Plan. Knowing how to set goals won’t help you if you don’t know yourself. Understand what your strengths and weaknesses are by taking some self-assessments.
Choose goals that are appropriate to your ultimate aims. Your career goals should be relevant to one another. If they aren’t, then you may need to narrow your focus. Your goals should match the type of job that you want and the quality of life that you want to lead.
Be clear about your goals with potential employers. Always be honest with potential employers about what you want to do with your life. If your goals differ from the company’s objectives, find a way bridge the gap between what you want for yourself and what your employer expects.
By doing goal-setting work now, you’ll be able to make conscious choices on your career path. You can always adjust your plan if things change for you, but the key is to give yourself a road map for success.
