This 'n' Data

By the numbers

MORE BUSINESSES feel confident about using social media to support business goals and create brand identity, according to the 2012 FedEx/Ketchum Social Media Benchmarking Study.

The research shows that, through social media, these companies believe they are particularly effective at strengthening relationships among customers, the general public, and partners and suppliers.

In addition, 85 percent of the companies who use social media to engage employees reported that employee participation in their organization’s social business efforts increased over the past 12 months.

These companies believe they are effectively using these strategies with employees in the social space to:

Setting SMART goals

Turning goals into a reality is a daunting task, but by taking these SMART steps, you can help yourself turn goals into reality

Specific – Turn vague goals into specific ones by giving them a clear focus. For example, instead of, “I want to increase my profits this year,” it can be “I want my profits increased by 5 percent by June 1.”

Measureable – Goals should be set in a way that you can track their progress. Sticking with the above example, every month you can see if your profits have increased and by how much. It’ll give you an idea of how close you are to achieving your goals, or how much progress needs to happen.

Attainable – Wanting to increase profits is one thing. Hoping to become a millionaire overnight is another. It is important to focus on whether or not your goal is something you can actually achieve. If you find you’ve been losing money for several months and you’re hoping to see a 5 percent increase, chances are you’re going to be disappointed.

Realistic – Make sure your goals are realistic for you. Increasing profits by 5 percent very well may be an attainable goal, but if you find that work is not getting done or you’re losing customers, then you’ll have a harder time achieving your goal. You may just need to spend an extra hour in the garden center every day, or hire a new salesperson to find new customers.

Timely – You know when you need to get product to the customer. You know when you need to order plants to make sure they get in the ground on time. You have deadlines and you know how to meet them, so apply that same skill to your goals. If you don’t set a deadline it may never get done. If you have a long-term goal, break it down into smaller ones with their own deadlines.

Adapted from www.topachievement.com

HOLIDAY SALES are expected to keep growing this year, building on increased consumer confidence. The National Retail Federation is predicting a 4.1 percent increase in spending this year, reaching $586.1 billion. Last year, sales grew by 5.6 percent.

This is the most optimistic forecast the federation has released since the recession.

“While moderate compared to what we experienced the last two holiday seasons, the forecast is a very pragmatic look at what to expect this year given the current rate of economic growth,” said NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz.  “There’s still some general anxiety amongst consumers when it comes to how the state of the economy is impacting their spending plans, but retailers can expect to see excitement around their promotions and plenty of bargain hunters both online and in stores in the coming months.”