You may or may not be where you expected to be in your business by this time. Typically, success takes most business owners longer and costs more money than anticipated. Sure, you knew that it takes three to four years to begin showing a profit. But somehow you expected it to be different for you.

This is a good time to take a look at where you are, where you want to be and how you're going to get there.

Where Are You Now?
Begin goal planning with an honest self-evaluation of where your business is. Ask yourself the tough questions:

• Where do I stand financially?
• What is my market share?
• How much money do I owe?
• How many clients do I have?
• How much income is past due/bad debt?
• Does any single customer account for a large volume of business?
• What would happen if I lost that client?
• What skills do I most need to develop or hire out?
• Am I still excited about doing this?
• How many hours a week am I working? Is this acceptable?
• Do I have a mentoring relationship that is beneficial?
• What industry trends am I following/ignoring?
• What is my greatest achievement to date? Greatest failure?

Where Do You Want to Go?
Writing down your goals makes them more powerful. It gives them definition and provides a focal point toward which you can direct your energies. Begin by writing down your business goals. Make them specific. Don't just say you want to increase sales in five years; write down that you want to increase sales by 2 percent every quarter for the next two years. Imagine your goal as a measuring stick and the incremental goals as the dividing lines.

Prioritize them. What matters most to you short-term and long-term? Your goals may range from "get this done by Friday" to "in 10 years I want to be reporting $10 million in sales."

Set a time frame in which to accomplish them. Separate your goals from dreams or fantasies. It's essential that your time frame be realistic.

For example:

• I want three new clients in the next month.
• I want to have a new office space by the end of the year.
• I'll have two new talented and reliable contractors working with me in two months.

What Will it Take to Get There?
Your goals will not happen by magic. They need to be so ingrained in your business activities that you can evaluate next steps by determining whether they are in alignment with your overall goals. Keep a copy of your goals near your nightstand and in your wallet. You'll also want to distribute them among trusted members of your personal and professional network, so they can empathize with and support you along the way.

Incorporate business planning into your activities as a regular event, as well as honest evaluations about where you are. That will help you determine when something isn't working. Don't invest a lot of energy into trying to make the unworkable workable. Something better will turn up if you give it room to grow.

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