Every business needs to know where it’s going (goals) and how it’s going to get there (strategy). Think of it like planning a road trip: - Goal = The city you want to reach. - Strategy = The route you’ll take to get there. **Without both, you just drive around wasting gas.** 1. Why Setting Goals Matter 🎯 - Goals give your team direction (everyone rows in the same direction). - Goals help you measure success (did we make it to the “city”?). - Goals keep people motivated (progress feels good). + Example: A bakery might set a goal: “Sell 100 cupcakes this week.” That’s clear, easy to measure, and gets everyone working together. 2. Strategy: Picking the Best Route 🗺️ Strategy is about choosing the best way to reach your goal. Businesses usually think about: - Cost Leadership → Be the cheapest (like Walmart). - Differentiation → Be the most unique (like Tesla or Apple). - Focus → Serve one small group really well (like a local vegan café). + Examples: If your goal is to sell 100 cupcakes, your strategy might be: - Offer a buy-one-get-one deal (cost play), or - Create a special flavor nobody else has (differentiation), or - Market only to kids’ birthday parties (focus). 3. Effectiveness: Did It Work? ✅ It’s not just about setting goals or making plans—it’s about checking if they actually worked. This means asking: - Did sales grow? - Are customers happy? - Is the team motivated? + Example: If the bakery tried selling “spicy jalapeño cupcakes” and nobody bought them, the strategy failed—even if it sounded exciting. 4. Build Your Own Strategic Approach 💡 Here’s how you can do it for your business: 1. Pick 1 clear goal → (e.g., “Get 5 new customers this month”). 2. Choose your strategy → Cost, differentiation, or focus. 3. Test it → Run with it for a few weeks. 4. Check results → Keep what works, drop what doesn’t. 👉 Your Turn (Challenge) In the comments, share: 1. One goal you want for your business in the next 30 days. 2. Which strategy you’ll use to reach it & why(competitive cost, unique offer, or focus on current strengths).

What is dropshipping? - You sell products online without holding inventory. - Customer orders → supplier prints/ships → you keep the profit. - You focus on design + marketing, not shipping or storage. Why it’s great for creatives: - No upfront costs. - Scales easily (1 order or 1,000). - Lets you focus on your brand instead of logistics. Why Bonfire? - Free to start, no inventory. - High-quality apparel customers actually wear. - Print-on-demand fulfillment + global shipping. - Fundraising tools for projects, launches, or tours. Bonfire makes it easy to turn your creative work into wearable merch that builds your brand and funds your projects. Stay tuned for when we cover dropshipping more in depth. There are lots of vendor options & Net30 is a way to develop strong vendor relationships while building credit! 👉 Start here with my referral link: Bonfire Signup

Need help with recording your monthly expenses?! We have you covered! Version 1 of our Budget Tracker comes with basic Revenue - Expense accounting to make it easier for you to get to the BOTTOM LINE with understanding your business! We will work through many variants as we bring in more experts but rest assured we will expand on the FREE-SOURCES we provide. We hope this helps to lift some of the accounting anxiety off of your shoulders! 🧾 Participate in the POLL below & tell us what Tools/Templates may benefit you based on what you are MOST WORRIED ABOUT in your business journey. This is where we 'Fill The Skill'