Can you believe that summer is almost over? As much as I’m a bit sad to leave those warm, dreamy summer nights behind- I’m also super thrilled to know that my favorite season is just around the corner. I love fall. It’s the most fulfilling seasons of all and I just feel like everyone gets a bit more serious about life when we feel like another year is slowly coming to an end. If you still want to improve your business in 2018, here are 10 business goals you should aim to complete by the end of the year.

#1 Go Self-Hosted

If you’re taking your blog seriously- self-hosting is the way to go. I know you’ve been postponing this for ages, but the time has come to get your own space on the internet & invest into a trustworthy web hosting package. No free wordpress.com blog or blog built on Blogspot can compare to having your own self-hosted blog. This might sound a bit technical, but with the right resources, you can even launch your self-hosted WordPress site in minutes! Read more about the benefits of migrating to WordPress over here or if you trust my word- go ahead and start a profitable, self-hosted WordPress blog in 5 minutes here.

#2 Get Professional Website Design

So you have followed our 5-minute tutorial to start your website, but it’s not looking real pretty just yet, huh? Don’t miss this step as this is very important.

In this visual era, you must take care of your blog’s design if you want to succeed online.

You have nothing to worry about! You don’t need to be tech savvy or have a great understanding of web design to make this happen.

I’ve been working with designing your blogs for years now and through my experience, I’ve learned to develop a scheme to help my clients choose an ideal layout for their blogs & take a look at these 10 tips for you all to follow when choosing an excellent theme:

1. Make sure your new theme represents your brand.
2. Stick to maximum 3 fonts per layout.
3. Social Icons must be clear & visible. Preferably displayed in more than 1 place within the template.
4. Consider how easy to it is to navigate around the theme.
5. Strive for simplicity. You can always include a funky logo or more colorful pictures if you need something more outstanding.
6. Your theme must be responsive. It’s not optional anymore.
7. Are step-by-step installation instructions included? We provide free installation services with all of our themes.
8. Make sure post width is suitable for your image sizes. Full-width templates work best if you shoot your images on DSLR. If you prefer smaller image sizes- look into the themes with sidebar area.
9. Look into unique functionality. Featured posts sliders, promo areas, unique categories display– you name it.
10. Your site should be easy to navigate, we all love then blogs that flow smoothly.

I hope you get the idea by now, huh? Check out KotrynaBassDesign website for easy to use premade blog designs or get in touch for custom services. We’re here to help!

#3 Set A Clear Niche

There’s a huge problem majority of the online creators make when they start out. They tend to blog about everything without setting a definite niche for themselves. Of course, one might say that that’s exactly what lifestyle blogging is all about, but I couldn’t agree. Even if you want to blog about your life in general, I know for sure that there are some particular areas that you feel more knowledgeable in. Setting the right niche for your blog can do wonders for your overall online success.

I used to blog about EVERY SINGLE THING and that kept me back from proper monetizing my blog. I have since realised that my passion is in teaching others about establishing successful online businesses. By determining my niche I now know what content works for my audience and what strategies I can use in order to monetise my online presence.

The next time someone asks you ‘so..what’s your blog about?’ you need to give them a clear answer. Also, you have to know that running a ‘beauty blog’ is too broad and it will make your journey a lot harder. Think what beauty products really rock your world, do you love supporting organic beauty brands or perhaps you’re all about luxurious beauty products? Find your niche and stick to it!

Read more: How To Find The Right Niche For Your Blog?

#4 Take Care Of Your Photography

Creating great images for your blog can take you from hobby online creator to a pro and as harsh as it might sound- nobody has time for bad pictures anymore! Lucky for you, there are ways!

I get questions about my photography constantly and the funny thing is- I’m not even that great at it, it’s all in the editing. Want to learn how to edit photos like a blogger? Read this post.

#5 Invest Into Your Business

I believe the first course I took cost me around $200 and damn that was scary! I wasn’t making a lot of extra money at the time, but I just had a feeling that it’s going to take me & my blog to the next level. I’m so glad I’ve listened to my inner voice! This was a huge game changer for me. As soon as I’ve started to really invest in my blog, my business blossomed and kept growing faster than ever.

We all know by now that blogging can not just be called just a hobby anymore. With so many people out there successfully turning their blogs into thriving brands & businesses, you should make no exception and start taking your blog seriously if you really want to make money from it and eventually take it full-time. Listen, you have to go for it, put yourself out there, be yourself & keep growing daily. Take online courses, hire a web designer, research best services and don’t be afraid to invest. The sky really has no limits when you’re a business owner, but you should really be ready to hustle!

I’m not saying you should go crazy in your first month, but the least you can do is invest your own time!

#6 Analyze Your Audience

I often send out a quick survey to my subscribers & seeing the results really help me put everything into perspective. By exploring the answers received I can actually see what my audience expect from me & the feedback always boost my confidence by quite a bit!

#7 Hire An Assistant

This is a note to myself, actually. I’ve been postponing this for far too long, but I have to admit this to myself- I can’t do it alone. I really need an assistant and I bet you do too. Sometimes, sharing your workload with someone else can be just the thing that will take your blog to the next level.

#8 Start A Newsletter List

Despite all the changes in the online world, we’re still using e-mails on the daily basis and creating a list of engaged newsletter subscribers is the best thing you can do for your growing online business. Read this post to find out why.

#9 Get Rid Of What Doesn’t Work Anymore

It’s important to learn to let things go when it comes to your business. This is why I’m slowly, but surely getting rid of the products and services that don’t sell anymore and try to no longer focus on marketing approaches that didn’t make that much of a difference. Instead, I want to really focus on one or two platforms and really push the popular products forward. I want to become an expert in certain fields rather now a little bit about everything.

You know what they say “when it’s time to grow, it’s time to let go”. I’m very grateful for each sale & opportunity that got me to the place I’m right now, but I feel like the time has come to work on something new and challenge myself even further. I want to let go of the things with the smile on my face and want to

#10 Change Your Mindset

This is a huge one, folks. Everything, seriously, everything that happens with my business is closely linked to my own feelings. When I don’t feel motivated- I might not blog as much, when I feel unsafe financially, I would go ahead and take too many projects upon and as much as I hate admitting this it isn’t great approach towards the business. This season, I want to make business-minded decisions & really think about the big picture. I now understand I’m not in this for a sprint, running your own business is like running a marathon. Maintaining the sprint pace during a marathon indefinitely is impossible. Even trying to maintain that sprint pace is a set up for burnout. I would much rather have a fulfilling year than have a super successful month and then be so exhausted and burned out that all I want to do is lie down on the floor and look to the ceiling. Thus, by the end of the year, I want to feel like I actually went for it, that I’ve done my best and challenged myself in all the new ways possible.

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Let me know what are YOUR goals for 2018!