The holiday season is officially here, which means the New Year is not too far behind. If you’re anything like me, it feels like 2012 has just begun—I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.

As 2013 approaches, we each have a golden opportunity to assess the current state of our businesses to make strategic adjustments to ensure the New Year is our best ever. Likely you know success doesn’t just happen. Success in business is achieved by having a clear vision, and by creating a detailed “road map” to turn the vision into reality. If you haven’t already worked out your business plan for 2013, here are several key questions to ask yourself:

1. Where do you want your business to be by the end of 2013? Get specific! What is your goal for monthly revenue? How many new clients per month? What is your target profit margin? Do you want to hire, or otherwise expand the business? Take as much time as you need to come up with a list of specific, tangible goals for 2013.
2. What will it take to meet your goals? Now that you have a list of goals, begin thinking about what it takes to achieve them. Take each goal, one at a time, and create a “to-do” list in order to achieve it. For instance, if your goal is to increase your revenue by the end of 2013, how many new clients do you need to acquire each month? Be specific, and be realistic. The idea here is to take big, ambitious goals and create realistic action plans for achieving each of them. For example, break down your large 2013 goal into smaller monthly goals. The smaller numbers will make it seem less daunting.
3. Do you have the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to achieve your goals? Whether you’re a seasoned pro or you’re just getting started, it’s important to learn all that you can from others who have gone before you. Whether it’s a friend with industry experience, a mentor you’ve known for many years, or a professional consultant, take advantage of the resources you have around you in order to achieve success. None of us can do it all by ourselves!

The New Year is right around the corner let’s make 2013 be your best year yet!