LESSON #14: Setting Goals for Your Business

By | July 18, 2008

In the previous lesson, we talked about getting a vision for your business.

A vision is the big picture of where you want to go. You need to have a vision, otherwise you won’t be motivated, and you won’t have a clear direction for your business.

However, a vision needs goals and plans to go along with it…

(Watch this video…)

Join my coaching club

Main points:

  • Vision vs. Goals. A vision is the big picture of where you want to go; a goal is a specific milestone that helps you get closer to your vision.

  • Important requirements for goals:

    1) they should be specific (measurable)
    2) they should be serious, but attainable
    3) they should have a deadline

  • For example: a goal may be to earn $10,000 of net profit before December 31st.

  • VERY IMPORTANT: Write your goals down, and keep them in sight.

  • (Story about the Harvard MBA graduates…) Those with written goals made 10X the income of everyone else combined.

  • I use a whiteboard… but a piece of paper is fine too.

  • You can have short term goals, long term goals, and everything in between.

  • Re-evaluate your goals periodically.

  • When you reach a goal, be sure to celebrate for a few minutes before setting the next goal.

    Action steps:

    1) Write down one goal, and put it somewhere near your computer.

    (Also please post it in the comments below)

    It should be specific, attainable, and it should have a deadline.

    Keep in mind that you will need to keep setting new goals for yourself as you build your business. As you continue with these lessons, it will become more apparent what your goals should be, so write them down frequently as you go through the process.

    Now you will need to develop a plan for reaching your goals, and I’ll be talking about that in the next lesson.

    As always, you are welcome to post your questions and comments below.

    Have a great day!

  • 878 thoughts on “LESSON #14: Setting Goals for Your Business

    1. Eduardo Alvarez

      Hi Eric, my short term goal is to find a keyword that has more than 3,000 searches per month and less than 13,000 competing websites. I will buid my site around that keyword to be ranked in the first page of google. I will do this by Nov 30, 2011

      Reply
    2. Jessie

      My first goal is to get my internet marketing business to start working for me asap. I am going to keep working with Eric’s lessons to obtain this as quickly as I can. I want to be making 100.00 per week by Dec 1 2011.

      Reply
    3. Tony

      My first goal is to finish all of Ericstips lessons and figure out what my first Niche will be to start marketing in.

      Reply
    4. Carrie

      *Goal#1 Finish Erics Tips Training Videos …
      Eric, I love your videos!!! You are amazing!!! 🙂
      *Goal#2 Make my 1st $dollar from internet marketing by the end of the month,
      Oct. 2011
      *Goal#3 Make $200/mo. by the end of the year, Dec. 2011.

      Reply
    5. Ron

      My first goal is to have got set up a website and started selling on the internet and this by December 1st 2011. Along the way I know I will be there for my wife throughout 24/7. Your lessons Eric are an inspiration in themselves – thank you and take care.

      Reply
    6. Senior Diva

      To have my website/blog design done by Dec 1, 2011 a short term goal.

      Reply
    7. Mark

      I would like to have at least one credit card paid off by Christmas by my online business.

      Reply
    8. Ruth Clark

      Today is November 29, 2011. I am setting a goal to have my website up and running by the week-end. I will continue to watch my training videos, one at a time, performing the action steps in order. I will not use any other training modules at this time (because the confusion is paralyzing me) and I will commit myself to small steps every day. I am planning to generate enough income (at least $500.00) to cover my costs thus far by the end of December, 2011.

      Reply
    9. Laura Scott

      Goal: pay off all my debt (student loan included) by December 31, 2012.

      Reply
    10. goh

      1st Goal: To slim down at least 10kg by 30 june 2012.

      2nd goal: to have own website by 30 june 2012

      3rd goal: to earn at least $1000 per month from ebay.

      Reply
    11. Leesa

      My goals are:

      1) to have my website/blog up and running by February 2012

      2) to generate a monthly income of $1K by June 2012

      3) to pay off hospital bills by June 2012

      Reply
    12. Timoteo Uelese

      Hi Eric,
      I am following and plan to earn $2,000 end of February 2012.

      Reply
    13. Todd Reis

      My initial goal is to have an internet business generating a solid and recurring income of at least $1000 a month profit by March, 2012. That will also allow me to spend less time running my ebay store and focusing more on internet marketing. I should then be able to pay off my car loan by June, 2012 and have at least $5000 in the bank.

      Reply
    14. violet

      Hi Eric Just have one minor goal which is to get organized. I am A.D.D. and find it so hard to stay with one thing. So I went to my neighbor who has a very clean home, she is organized. Her kids are well mannered. And she is a J.W. I asked how do you do it, and she told me that she lives by a schedule. She says she couldn’t do it unless she followed it.
      For example her week always starts where she gets up one hour before the kids. She showers makes her bed and gets breakfast ready.
      The kids make their beds and get dressed before meal. Then they are off to school she cleans up the dishes.
      Monday is her house cleaning day.
      Tuesday is her laundry day.
      Wednesday is a day she bake pies, cookies, enough homemade bread for a week for the family.
      The kids have their chores and deliver newspapers. Thursday is a day for something else.
      Friday she shops etc.
      So she is very disciplined. They both work. They don’t let their wants exceed their needs. She also uses coupons or flyers to plan the meals for the week. As they always have dinner together as a family.
      They take there kids out once a week to bowling swimming or recreation. And they occasionally entertain,even on their small income.
      Mondays is always been their family night together to discuss important family issues that need addressing. and a night to play board games and card games. “It’s easier to work around unforeseen circumstances when you already have a system in place.” She said.

      So my goal is write a schedule down on what day I will do what, and try to stick to it.She also mentioned that it can take sometimes three weeks to get into a good routine, which requires self discipline.

      She advised me not to expect perfection from myself, because no one is perfect and we all make mistakes. She knows my attention is terrible.
      She helped me quit smoking.I quit in three weeks and have never looked back. Sometimes in goal setting it helps to have someone backing you up even when you feel like a failure. When you write things down, your more prone to stick to it.
      So That is what I will be doing as a short goal.Because if we get little things done, we won’t get discouraged and quit. One vital step can sometimes start off very small. Who wants to give up before you start.
      So I am going to buy myself a calendar and put on it days I do laundry days I shop and if I can’t always follow it I won’t give up, I will try again. That way I can schedule other dates around the important ones. dates like doctor appointments. Instead of allowing other appointments interfere with my life. that way I can have more time to learn about internet marketing. I need time set aside to do that. But first I have to get my own life-style organized.

      Reply
    15. Margaret

      My first business goals is to make $3000.00 a mouth ooline starting march 1, 2012

      Reply
    16. Linda

      My first goal is to earn an extra $2000 within the next 30 days! I´m not sure that I can do it from my business but I think that I can get them selling from ebay! I simply need them to get back on track!

      Reply
    17. Rknlc

      Our goals short term are to have a new blog up and running by 2-1-12
      We have the domain in place with godaddy (1-23-12)and we will have it set up with hostgator by 2-1-12 using the word press.org platform. I am studying the “How To Make Money Selling Other People’s Stuff in 3 Hours or less each week” along with Eric’s Tips and it is an awesome combination for information and directions. You Guys and epecially you Eric are a godsend for us in our IM endeavor.
      Thank You For All You Do:
      Rknlc

      Reply
    18. Kacy

      My short term goal is to start generating income from working online. I am currently learning about cpa marketing and would like to have my first hundred dollar days (consistently)within the next 2 months which should be by 3/30/12.

      Reply
    19. Laurie

      Hi Eric
      My first goal is to set product engine by the end of this week.
      I am having problems with the learning however in one of your lesson you said it takes someone17 times of viewing before they get the concept
      I am starting to get the concept slowly.
      My second part of my goal is to send my son on holidays in May.

      Reply
    20. Emmanuel

      This is by far the most useful and the most well done blog I know. Eric you are not talking about stereos, boats, cars, etc.. (though it might be fun!) but you talk about the most real of real: people. I am tired of “stuff” and consumerism I want the real thing for me of for my loved ones. Life is too precious. Thanks. I am going right now buy a white board!!

      Reply
    21. Lawrence

      Well I reached my goal and just finished my ebook on jan,26th my next goal is to finish my video lesson product teaching how to crate video lessons, on April 1st so im marketingthe ebook from now until mid march. It should only take me 2 weeks to finish video product . This,is my right now goals

      Reply
    22. Marija

      Hi,
      My goal is finished the training course with Eric and be active at the task recommended. Short term learn the videos instructions for Amazon affiliate(in 1 week)made by AmaSuite.
      Thank you Eric I trust your guiding. Marija

      Reply
    23. Derek Perkins

      my goal is to nave a marketing system setup by April to start having an online business that will bring in a monthly income.

      Reply
    24. mark winget

      GOAL: 1. MAKE FIRST SALE BY 3/30/2012

      PLAN: 1.LEARN WHAT IT TAKES TO CREATE,UPLOAD SALES PAGES,FOLLOW UP LETTERS,AUTORESPONDER LETTERS ETC.

      Reply
    25. Queen Woods

      Eric,
      You are making me remember all the things I stopped doing. Thank you!
      My immediate short term goal is to complete my website in an organized way, with SEO, sizzling content- articles, videos, software and monetized by March 10, 2012. By April 1 my site will be bringing in at a minimum of $1000.00 a day.

      Reply
    26. michael

      My goal for the year is my website should be my own
      I should have defined my niche
      My website will be generating income.

      Reply
    27. kamkwong

      hi eric. I am new to internet marketing, My original goal was to build a membership website for post secondary college students to opt in as online tutors for a small fee *$20 per year. i would teach them how to create a personal profile on their subject of expertise and then educate them on how to earn a living as an online tutor. my goal was to utilize the membership funds and then market the website to foreign high school students in another country aka china looking for tutors in english, math, science, biology, medicine engineering, business or any subject they wish. once the students register on my website. I will act as a broker and forward the potential clients to tutors in North America. I was wondering if there would be angel investors interested in this concept and if there would be experts to show me on how to get stsrted.

      Reply
    28. Ken Helmke

      My first goal is to launch a website that promotes an affiliate product by April 30, 2012.

      Reply
    29. Sutha Harahn

      My goal is finish the lessons and set up the online commission based business and make my first $100 by 31/07/12.

      Reply
    30. Jason

      I am new to online marketing so my first goal is to get through Eric’s videos. Once I have a better since of direction and what to expect I will start making goals on income and timelines.

      Reply
    31. Eric

      My goal is to start making enough money say 500-1000. per week to pay bills before unemployment runs out.

      Reply
    32. sergio hernandez

      My goal is to make my first 1,000 by May 31st 2012

      Reply

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    The maximum upload file size: 50 MB. You can upload: image, audio, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here