Business owners, founders, entrepreneurs, I see you!

You’re doing great and excited about 2024! Growth is happening and you see your business flourishing. This is all amazing, but do not forget to stop and smell the flowers because with growth comes additional risks and you don’t want to be caught off guard. Especially when things seem to be moving a mile a minute, it can be easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and forget to zoom out to see the big picture.

Now that 2023 has ended and you’re looking to 2024, check in with yourself and your business. Here are three steps to set-up your business for success this year.

Step 1. Check in with your vision. 

Why did you start your business? What is your North Star? 

Your North Star plays a key role in what decisions you make in your business and how you make them. Knowing you’re headed on the right path will empower you because you are reminding yourself of your purpose. You never want to risk losing your vision along the way! Start the year off by reminding yourself (and your team) of your North Star so that you set yourself up for success this year. 

Especially if you are facing key crossroads whether that is with channels you plan to enter, clients you are possibly taking on, events or conferences you are considering attending or significant investments you are planning to make, checking in with your North Star will guide you. Coming back to your vision will always help take you in the right direction.

For 2024, are you intentionally moving toward your vision or are you at risk for veering off path?

Bonus | Set a calendar invite every quarter to spend 5 minutes reflecting on whether or not you are aligned to your North Star.

Step 2. Review your business goals.

What are your overarching goals for your business? Do you know what 3-5 goals you are trying to achieve this year? 

Similar to how you check in with your vision, review with your goals for the year (or even the next 2-3 years). Having your goals top of mind will help you make business decisions much more confidently. You will know you aren’t at risk to make decisions that aren’t aligned to your goals. Attention and energy is finite, so spend it where it matters most and where it will move the needle for business success. 

As you grow and scale, it’s very common for leaders to fall victim to shiny object syndrome. You might think, oh that sounds great, or oh I like that idea, but  anything you add to your list will take away from the goals you’ve already prioritized for the year. And yes, even the items that only take 10 min, an hour or a few days, add up! Before you know it, you might have 50 goals you’re striving toward and only a few (or none) get done because you spread your business too thin versus prioritizing goals. You risk leaving you and your team feeling like they didn’t achieve enough because it was unrealistic to get it all done.

For 2024, are you clear on your top goals, or are you at risk for suffering from shiny object syndrome? P.S. It is ok to pivot a top goal, just be strategic about it.

Bonus | Set a calendar invite every month to spend 5 minutes reflecting on whether or not you are aligned to your top 3-5 goals for the year. 

Step 3. Think about your sleep.

What is keeping you up at night? What will prevent you from achieving your vision and goals? 

Now hear me out with this approach. This is about what is keeping you up at night. This is an easy way to figure out what is bothering you in your business. It’s a great exercise to identify what challenges and corresponding risks you are facing this year. Once you know what is keeping you up, you’ll want to understand why, what you can do about it, and who you need to involve to get you back on track toward business success and meaningful impact. You will then be able to sleep better at night knowing that you are working on your business in a way that is helping it. 

For 2024, do you see yourself sleeping well at night or are you at risk for too many sleepless nights?

Bonus | Set a calendar invite every week to spend 5 minutes reflecting on what is keeping you up at night and determine why.

There’s no way to predict exactly what 2024 has in store for your business, but by taking these three steps, you are preparing your business for a successful year! 

Thank you for reading this blog by Portecua Consulting. We specialize in a risk-first focus and we exist to empower you to build a beautiful business, one that is protected and optimized and well-positioned for growth and impact.

If you are ready to add a risk lens to your business, drop us a message today!

If you want to view the video that compliments this article, check out this video from our YouTube channel.

Disclaimer: The information contained within this blog is provided for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended to substitute obtaining advice directly from a professional.