It’s Time to Set Your Notary Business Goals for 2023

The end of the year is the time to set notary business goals for the upcoming year. Goal setting is a critical component of operating a successful notary business, but where do you start?

Begin by deciding what areas you want to focus on in the upcoming year. Break these areas up into categories such as financial, operations, marketing, or education.

Within each category ask yourself some questions. For example:

• What worked well last year?
• Where could I improve?
• What do I not want to do this year?
• What would I like to do differently this year?
• What do I need in to order to meet my goal?
• Who can help me achieve my goals?

Next, make certain your goals are SMART. SMART is an acronym coined by the world-famous management consultant Peter Drucker, who advises people to set attainable goals by ensuring that each goal be:  

• Specific (simple, sensible, significant) - Be clear about what your goal is and why you want to achieve it: who, what, where, when, and how.
• Measurable (meaningful, motivating) - Make certain you have a tangible way of measuring your goal.
• Achievable (agreed, attainable) - How will you get there?
• Realistic (reasonable, realistic, resourced, results-based) - Your goal shouldn’t be too hard or too easy. Instead, it should be just right.
• Time bound (time-based, time limited, time/cost limited, timely, time-sensitive) - Set an appropriate timeframe.

Make a plan and take action on it. Be certain to refer back to your goals frequently to make sure you remain on task. If something isn’t working, rework the goal and start over. Keep your goals someplace, such as on a dry erase board over your desk, where you can view them frequently.  Having that visual reminder helps keep you accountable. Don’t be afraid to reprioritize your goals according to the current needs of your business. Lastly, celebrate once you’ve achieved a goal.

The American Association of Notaries wishes you and your loved ones happy holidays and a prosperous 2023.