Smart Business

(ARA) - For many small businesses who weathered the economic storm in 2009, 2010 represents a new beginning to return to growth and jump-start projects put on hold during the recession. Goal setting will be critical to help small businesses get back on their feet, map out their business plans and prioritize what they wish to achieve in the upcoming year.

Accomplishing these goals once workers are back into the daily grind, with deadlines looming and clients calling, is easier said than done. They will be more likely to achieve success with some structure, support and accountability.

If you are a small-business owner or manager, there is a new Web site that can help get you on track for 2010. The Staples stickK to it! Business Challenge is a free, online tool that can assist in developing business goals for the year, and more importantly, gives professionals an easy formula to ensure success. Users can register at www.staples.com/goals and participate for free to receive encouragement from fellow colleagues to keep commitments on track. The platform even offers incentives toward reaching goals in the form of EasyPoints, redeemable for Staples products that can also help achieve success in the workplace.

Some goals on the Web site that you might consider to get your employees or career moving in the right direction include:

* Get organized - Eliminate paper clutter and reduce the amount of time it takes you to find important information. Having a good organizational program - whether it's a filing system or more efficient computer software - will help your office reduce wasted time and energy.

* Promote career development for yourself and your employees - Set a time line to update your resume, or start setting up informational interviews through networking. Make a commitment to talk to your boss about opportunities available within your company.

* Maximize your bottom line with smart tax preparation or better money management - There are many ways your company can keep more money in the business, so take a good look, line by line, to see what can be trimmed out of your budgets.

* Green your office - More and more companies are looking at easy ways to help the environment. Printing green, recycling or using environmentally-friendly cleaning products are three simple ways to start making your office more eco-friendly.

* Improve office communications with better technology - Look into whether wireless networking, better lighting or even better furniture can help increase productivity and improve communication among workers and clients.

"Setting goals is important for any business owner to do, and the New Year is a perfect time to sit down and create professional goals," says John Giusti, vice president of small business marketing at Staples. "Staples wants to improve the lives of small businesses by giving them this easy platform to ensure success."

Other tips for setting goals come from stickK.com co-founder Ian Ayres, author of "Super Crunchers: Why Thinking-by-Numbers is the New Way to be Smart," a New York Times best-seller:

* Be specific in setting your goal. Make sure it will be easy to tell whether you succeeded or not.
* Be reasonable. Choose a goal you can accomplish.
* Invest in tools. Ensure that you have the proper resources and tools to achieve your goals
* Choose a referee and get support. Let someone else verify that you keep up with your commitment and have friends on the sidelines cheering on your progress.

Courtesy of ARAcontent
 

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Revised: February 01, 2010.