In the latest part of his exclusive series of business building articles, Andy Savva looks at why setting goals and objectives can help you to realise this ambition.
Last time out I gave you all an example of the mission statement that I worked towards when I first opened Brunswick Garage and my opinions on why it was vital to have an end target to base my business’ development on. With that in place, it’s now time to think about setting the goals and objectives that will help you to achieve both your mission and vision statements.
Andy Savva is a former multiple independent garage owner who boasts over 30 years’ experience in the automotive repair sector. Over the next few months he’ll be sharing his advice with workshop owners who want to improve their business’ bottom line, but simply don’t know how to go about it.
What are goals?
Goals are a target. They will determine what your overall objectives will be to achieve the change required. They can be either short or long term and must be communicated to all team members to gain acceptance and buy in. Doing this will reinforce a togetherness and help you all to recognise what the expectations are, ensuring that everyone understands the rewards for success and the consequences of failure. It is, however, important to ensure that these goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timed-based (SMART).
What are objectives?
Objectives are the small steps you take to bring you closer to your goals. If your goal is to increase turnover by 15% within the next 12 months, you need a number of objectives to be enforced and carried out in order to achieve this. It could be that you want to increase your parts margins, improve your technician’s productivity, employ another technician, run a specific marketing campaign or invest in more tooling and equipment. The list goes on…
If you’d like to find out more about how Andy Savva’s consultancy services could be of benefit to your business email: andy@savvaautomotive.com.
How many?
The number of goals and objectives that you set is down to you, however they must reflect what you’re ultimately trying to achieve. Make sure they’re consistent with your shared values (something you believe in) and, as importantly, that they reflect the principles of SMART. Your customers and staff should be at the forefront of any decisions you make, and if you fail to work SMART then you’ll find yourself managing a number of things that don’t actually require your time.
Establishing your goals and objectives and ensuring that everyone within your team understands them properly will ultimately be crucial in the process of improving your workshop business.
