Would you like your agency to be more profitable? Are you setting goals you just can’t seem to achieve? Goal setting is an important part of becoming a successful agency. But if you are not creating the right goals and don’t have the right tools, you’re never going to get there.

In today’s episode, we discuss:

• How to set achievable goals for your agency.
• 3 Ways to build a team to help achieve your goals.
• Why solid leadership is critical to your agency’s success.

Today I got to chat with Monica Louie, a Facebook and Instagram strategist who left the corporate world to have more flexibility and spend more time with her family. Since leaving her 9 to 5 job, Monica has blasted through some of the goals she set when she first began and developed a successful three-part business. Find out how Monica paid off over $120,000 of debt in just two years using clear goals and a lot of creativity.

How to Set Achievable Goals for Your Agency

We’ve talked about it several times, just how important it is to have a goal. Without a goal, it’s hard to find your north star. But the type of goal you set is important. As are the tools you use to achieve it. So how can you make sure you don’t fall short?

• Be specific about your goal. For Monica, her goal was to pay off all of her debt, including her mortgage, in 8 years. You need to have a specific goal and you need to have a timeline. If Monica had just said “I want to pay off my debt soon,” she probably wouldn’t have met that goal because there was no specific timeline to hold her accountable.
• Create a strategy. How are you going to get there? Monica and her husband had a garage sale and worked a lot of overtime to achieve paying off their debt. When you make a goal at your agency, it’s important to have a strategy in mind to help you get there. It’s okay to improvise and change things along the way, but you need to give yourself a plan and tools to make it to your goal.
• Be prepared to sacrifice. In Monica’s situation, they sold her husband’s car and motorcycle and did a lot of scrimping. For you, sacrifice might mean cutting a service that’s putting a financial strain on your budget or finding extra funds to reinvest in your agency. If you have a goal and the motivation to achieve it, you will find the means.

3 Ways to Build a Team to Help Achieve Your Goals

It’s futile to set a goal if you don’t have a team that shares your vision. Your team will be one of the biggest components of your success. But the hiring process isn’t always fun, nor is it easy. And job boards don’t usually pan out. So what do you do?

• Connect with like-minded people: A lot of Monica’s first team members came from the personal finance world, a world she was comfortable with and had experience with. Look to people in your field who might be good for your team.
• Reach out to your connections: There’s a good chance you already know someone who would make a good team member, or you know someone who knows someone. Reach out to your connections and tell them you’re hiring. For Monica, this meant telling her email list she had a few positions to fill.
• Know your focus. Again it’s all about your vision. If you don’t have a clear vision, your team won’t either. Communicate your vision and find people who have the same values you do in order to help you reach that vision.

Why Solid Leadership is Critical to Your Agency’s Success

Great teams come from great leadership. We’ve all had that one boss that made going to work a miserable experience. Great leaders have teams who support them and want to work for them. What does this look like?

• Invest in personal leadership skills. Some people are born a leader. Some are not. Take the time to invest in your leadership skills. Take classes, get feedback, find an advisor (shameless plug!) and be a better leader.
• Listen up! The number one thing your team wants you to do is to listen to them. Listen to what they want, what they need, and give them the tools to do their job well. When you provide the resources and support they need, they’re less likely to go somewhere else.

They say anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Make a goal, build a team, and take action to get where you want to go.

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