Top Operational Goals Every Small Business Owner Should Set for the New Year
January 18, 2025
The new year is a perfect opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in St. Louis, Wentzville, Chesterfield, and surrounding areas to refine their operations and set the stage for sustainable growth. By focusing on key operational goals, you can boost efficiency, drive profitability, and create a stronger foundation for success in 2025.
Here are the top operational priorities SMBs should consider and actionable steps to achieve them.
- Streamline Processes for Efficiency
Inefficiency can cost your business time, money, and momentum.
Whether it’s manual processes slowing your team down or outdated systems creating bottlenecks, these inefficiencies can hold back growth.
Here’s how to fix it:
- Audit your processes: Identify redundancies and bottlenecks.
- Invest in automation: Use tools like automated invoicing and project management software to simplify workflows.
- Set measurable KPIs: Track and improve productivity through clear benchmarks.
By streamlining your operations, you’ll free up resources and position your business for faster growth.
2. Strengthen Financial Management
Healthy finances are the foundation of sustainable growth.
For SMBs in competitive markets like Chesterfield and Wentzville, financial stability is critica
l.
Steps to strengthen your financial management:
- Analyze cash flow: Identify areas where costs can be reduced without sacrificing quality.
- Forecast regularly: Plan ahead to avoid surprises and capitalize on growth opportunities.
- Leverage fractional expertise: A fractional COO can offer expert insights to optimize your budget and ensure long-term stability.
Better financial control empowers you to make strategic investments and weather economic uncertainties.
Build a High-Performance Team
Your team is your most valuable asset.
Misaligned or disengaged employees can slow progress, but a motivated, high-performing team drives success.
Key actions to build team alignment:
- Define roles clearly: Ensure everyone understands their responsibilities and contributions to overall goals.
- Foster collaboration: Hold regular meetings to review progress and celebrate wins.
- Invest in growth: Offer training and development opportunities to retain top talent.
A strong, engaged team will help you deliver better results and build a culture of accountability.
Enhance Customer Experience
Delighting your customers leads to loyalty and referrals.
Providing a consistent, exceptional experience ensures your business stands out in St. Louis and beyond.
How to improve customer experience:
- Gather feedback: Use surveys or interviews to identify pain points.
- Invest in training: Equip your team to handle customer interactions with care and professionalism.
- Use a CRM system: Personalize interactions and streamline customer communications.
When prioritizing customer satisfaction, you build long-term relationships and generate repeat business.
Plan for Scalability
Scaling requires foresight and flexibility.
Many SMBs struggle to grow efficiently because they lack the systems to handle increased demand.
Steps to prepare for growth:
- Create a roadmap: Outline key milestones and strategies for scaling.
- Build flexibility: Allow room for adjustments based on market changes.
- Bring in a consultative COO leadership: A COO can guide your scaling efforts while keeping costs manageable.
With proper planning, you can scale your operations without sacrificing quality or overburdening your team.
Driving Success in 2025 with GrowthPath
Achieving these operational goals takes more than just good intentions—it requires expert execution. GrowthPath’s COO services help SMBs in St. Louis, Wentzville, Chesterfield, and surrounding areas achieve streamlined processes, stronger teams, and scalable growth.
Ready to take your business to the next level?
Let’s discuss how GrowthPath can help you start 2025 strong.
(The Cost of NOT Bringing in the Help Can Be Devastating)
Jim Collins famously said, “Get the right people in the right seats.” Simple and poignant—and its execution can make or break your team, and your company. As leaders, it’s not just our job to manage; it’s our responsibility to ensure that every person on our team is in a role where they—and their team—can thrive. This requires WAY more than hiring for skills—it demands intentional, ongoing assessment and a willingness to have hard but necessary conversations. In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of stepping back from the day-to-day grind to focus on strategic thinking and team assessment . One of the most critical questions leaders should regularly ask during this time is: Do I have the right people in the right seats? Most leaders genuinely want to treat their people well. They want to act with kindness and do right by their teams. But sometimes, that desire to care for others causes leaders to protect people—even when they are no longer a good fit. By sheltering someone who’s struggling or disengaged, we may feel like we’re being supportive, but in reality, we’re doing a disservice to both the individual and the team. A significant responsibility of leadership is to carefully craft—and re-craft—your teams. It’s to position people and teams to collectively do excellent work. As teams and businesses evolve, a role that was a perfect fit last year might no longer align with someone’s passions and strengths or with the needs of the business. Without regular attention to this dynamic, teams can drift into mediocrity—frustration builds, trust erodes, and performance suffers. In other words, when we protect or cover for someone whose performance or skills are lacking, we’re actually positioning them and the team for failure—or at the very least, stacking the deck against them. "...when we protect or cover for someone whose performance or skills are lacking, we’re actually positioning them and the team for failure..." I learned this lesson firsthand several years ago with an experienced leader on my team. They’d been in the role for quite some time and had done great work. But over time, their performance began to slip—and so did their team’s. They were disengaged, no longer driving their team’s development or bringing the energy needed to create results. I sat down with them for a candid conversation and asked: “Is this something you’re still passionate about? Is this something you still want to do? Can you still sign up for this mission?” Their honesty was refreshing—they admitted they were burnt out and ready for a change. Together, we explored what re-engagement could look like, whether in this role, somewhere else in the company, or at another organization altogether. "Leadership requires honesty, care, and a commitment to building an actual culture of excellence...which...demands focus and intentionality." Ultimately, we crafted a new position that matched their skills and passions as an individual contributor. It allowed them to excel in an area they loved without the responsibilities that had become a drain. This move also created an opportunity to bring in a new leader who was passionate and ready to drive the original team forward. It was a win-win—for the individual, the team, and the company. Leadership requires honesty, care, and a commitment to building an actual culture of excellence. It takes a commitment to curating great teams. It takes consistent reassessment of your team’s alignment with your mission. It’s a cyclical process that demands focus and intentionality. Do you have the right people in the right seats? If not, what steps can you take today to fix that? Because great teams don’t just happen—they’re built. And as a leader, it starts with you.
Have you ever been written off by someone—or worse, written someone else off—only to realize later that your assumptions were wrong? What might have been possible if you had looked at the situation differently? Our personal values are important. They define the behaviors we aspire to uphold as we go about living. One of mine, ‘Assume the Best’, is one I’ve found to be incredibly important when working with struggling leadership teams. Why? Because years of frustration and disappointment can trap us in ruts, reinforced by those we spend the most time with—sometimes knowingly, sometimes not. Because our understanding of others is limited to the narrow lens of our own experiences with them. Because I’ve been shown that same grace, and it gave me hope. But, not just because of these. Also… Because it acknowledges people are capable of changing and growing. Because sometimes I haven’t set someone up for success. Because sometimes they lack information, maybe even key information, that impacts their perception and decisions. I once worked with a senior leader who was highly qualified, deeply caring, and an incredibly hard worker. But despite their strengths, they had unintentionally become a roadblock for their team. Every new idea seemed to hit the same brick wall: “That won’t work because…” Slowly, their team’s energy and creativity drained away. I remember one particular meeting where their objections once again derailed a discussion. But as I listened more closely, I realized their resistance wasn’t about negativity—it was about their drive for clarity and perfection. This wasn’t someone trying to sabotage progress; it was someone who cared deeply but had no idea how their approach impacted others. Assuming the Best means calling someone to something bigger and giving them the opportunity to step up. It was time to lean in. What followed wasn’t easy. It required hard, candid conversations and a shared commitment to improvement. But this leader rose to the challenge. They shifted from blocking progress to championing it. Their team thrived under their mentorship, and they became a cornerstone of our success—fostering creativity and collaboration in ways that once felt impossible. For me, “Assume the Best” is an invitation to be curious. To pause and ask: Who is this person? What are they capable of? How can I help them rise? It’s a call to invite others to step up, build something greater together, and unlock the unique magic they bring to the table . Is your team stuck? Are you ready to unlock your next phase of growth? Let’s connect—I’d love to help.
I use a daily exercise to create intentionality around how I spend my time—it’s my “Top 3.” It starts the night before, at the close of my workday. When my to-dos are clear, I do a brain dump into an app called Focus3d . (Pen and paper work just as well.) From there, I highlight the three tasks that matter most—based on timing, risk, and impact. The next morning, I dive right in, starting with priority #1 and giving it my undivided attention. I tackle each task in order, taking it as far as I can before moving to the next. If something isn’t on my Top 3 list, it only gets my attention if its urgency and impact outweigh my current priorities. When unexpected demands pull me away, my Top 3 acts as a lens that helps me quickly refocus on what truly matters. If I finish all three, I move on to other tasks on my list. Unfinished items just roll over to the next day. Over time, things I once thought were important may fall off the list unfinished—and that’s completely okay. Why It Works This system helps me: Be Present Offloading tasks frees up mental space. I don’t spend energy trying to remember or stress over what’s undone. When I transition to personal time—like being with family—I can be fully present, knowing the work will be waiting for me tomorrow. Consistent Progress By focusing on what truly matters, I make steady progress toward my most meaningful goals, personally and professionally. Time Spent Where It Matters The Top 3 framework forces me to reserve my time and energy for high-value tasks that drive impact or mitigate risk. Less Noise, More Impact Filtering out low-value distractions creates space for more meaningful work. The bonus? The time saved can be reinvested into creative pursuits, family, or simply recharging for the next day. Your Turn How do you bring intentionality to your time? What would your priorities look like if you filtered them through the lens of timing, risk, and impact ? I’d love to hear what’s working for you—drop your thoughts in the comments or share your approach!
We’re often told to follow our passions. But what if that’s the wrong advice? I’m passionate about a lot of things, most of which my younger self couldn’t have predicted. From running and playing music to woodworking, brewing beer, and even aquariums, my interests are as varied as they are unexpected. In fact, I often have to cull the list of things I devote time to because there are only 24 hours in a day. Yet, I don’t follow my passions. "...I don’t follow my passions." As a kid, baseball consumed my life. We were a baseball family. I played year-round, devoured games on the radio, and lived for every moment on the field. But, by my teens, I burned out completely. In the void baseball left, I found the freedom to try something new. That freedom led me to music and running—passions I never would have predicted. But here’s the thing: they didn’t start as passions. They started as simple curiosities, which grew as I invested time and effort into learning and improving. The better I got, the more the passion developed. "...they didn’t start as passions. They started as simple curiosities, which grew as I invested time and effort into learning and improving." When I first picked up a guitar, I wasn’t good—far from it. But I loved the challenge of learning something new. Slowly, I improved. The better I got, the more I enjoyed it. The more success I had, the more passionate I became about it. The same thing happened with running—it wasn’t love at first stride, but a curiosity that turned into something greater. So, the real discovery was that I could find passion in unexpected places as long as I sought opportunities to learn and kept an open mind. "...the real discovery was that I could find passion in unexpected places..." In part, this is why I detest the advice to ‘Follow your passions’. It assumes passion is something innate and unchanging. Except that mindset can trap people in a narrow view of their potential. It discourages exploration and can leave you feeling lost if the passion you chase doesn’t work out. Passion isn’t something you find—it’s something you create. So, I don’t follow my passions - I cultivate them. I look for things I can become passionate about. "...I don’t follow my passions - I cultivate them." Why? Because we become passionate about things we’re good at and have some success in. We acquire skills over time, but often limit our opportunities with the familiar. If we’re only exposed to a small number of things, we may never really discover the handful of things we were made for. Because acquired skills can often be applied across a plethora of opportunities, all it takes is the willingness to learn and an openness to something new. So, what advice do I give… Seek and embrace opportunities to try new things Constantly learn and discover new things Apply yourself to things you can become passionate about Whether in life or leadership, the most rewarding moments often come from exploring the unknown. By seeking new opportunities and staying open to discovery, we not only grow ourselves but inspire others to do the same. Passion isn’t a roadmap—it’s a result of the journey. If this resonates with you, and you’re looking for guidance on your journey—whether in life, leadership, or simply exploring what’s next—I’d love to help. Let’s connect and grow together.
I started hunting in my 20s. I didn’t have anyone to teach me, so I did a lot of my own research and learned as I went. I was young, scrappy, and didn’t have a lot of money, and my gear reflected that. As a runner with a very slow resting heart rate, I very quickly learned how cold it was to sit still for hours in the woods in frigid temperatures. So logically I began layering up. Looking somewhat like the Michelin Man in camo, I’d wobble out to the woods, climb a tree using my climbing stand, and hunker down. One particular cold December morning, I teetered on the edge of hypothermia. It was no laughing matter. I almost didn’t have the strength to climb down the tree. What I 'didn't know' put me in a very dangerous position. Through additional conversations and research, I would later find out the very thing I was doing to protect myself was the very thing escalating me toward a potentially dangerous outcome. Fully layered with the wrong materials, I’d built up a sweat heading to the stand. Because of the lack of breathability and the wrong materials, the sweat stayed against my skin, negating the protection of the many layers I wore. "...the lack of breathability and the wrong materials, the sweat stayed against my skin, negating the protection of the many layers I wore." What started as countless layers of cotton is now just 3; wool base, fleece, and jumpsuit. Thanks to feedback from other more experienced hunters, my experience and comfort are now completely different. Counter-intuitively, especially when it’s really cold, I travel to my spot with minimal gear on, allowing myself to completely cool down before layering up in the stand. I now commonly sit comfortably for the entire day. I watch many small business CEOs wrestle with similar conundrums. They have a general idea of what needs to be done, but lack the experience and expertise to understand the pitfalls. Well-intentioned, they move forward, often causing more harm than good. "Well-intentioned, they move forward, often causing more harm than good. " But there are things every leader can do to dramatically increase their odds of success. Surround yourself with other leaders in similar positions and at a variety of points in their business journeys - The power of a trusted group with an expansive skillset can’t be overstated. It’s a resource you can lean on, candidly share details with, and trust to challenge your assumptions and fill in gaps in your expertise. Whether a formal group or not, EVERY leader needs to surround themselves with other leaders they can learn with. Get specific about what you’re trying to do - If you don’t have a north star, no amount of talented individuals can help propel you forward. Intelligence without a strategy and supporting culture is, well, just intelligence. Get specific about where you’re going and what you need to get there…because then you have something specific to discuss and get feedback on. Get intentional about going there - Define your path. Define the timeline. Define your successful outcomes. Measure them. Report on them. Be transparent with your supporting leadership group/mentors/peers to drive your own accountability. Leadership is hard, as is building a strong and growing business. You don’t have to have all the answers and you don’t have to journey alone. Remember—a successful future transaction starts now. Worst case, you hold onto it and end up with a stronger, more valuable, and more predictable business. If I can help, let me know.
If we slow down enough to observe, there are a lot of lessons we can learn from watching our kids. The ways they think, interact, absorb, try, and grow. The ways they explore, get curious, and resiliently rebound for another attempt. The ways they determine what’s important vs. what to let go. One such lesson I recently observed was around a few of the key ingredients required for building great sustainable teams. Over the weekend, following an end-of-year nail-biting season-ending game, my youngest daughter’s team found their way to our house to celebrate the end of their middle-school basketball careers. It was a tough season. They weren’t the biggest, strongest, or most talented. They weren’t dropping 3 from the outside or consistently driving the lanes, though the occasional 3 did find its mark. And, they didn’t have a deep bench. In fact, with only 1 sub, they weren’t even getting a lot of breathers. But week after week, game after game, they showed up ready to play. They showed up smiling. They showed up with heart. They showed up ready to take on whatever ‘goliath’ of a team lay in front of them. And somewhere, along the way, in the messiness of practices and hard-fought competition, they learned to battle together as a team. ...somewhere, along the way, in the messiness of practices and hard-fought competition, they learned to battle together as a team. And so, on Saturday night, after playing 2 games with 0 subs, the team gathered together to celebrate. 1st thing on the agenda, head to the kitchen and make cookies. (’cause who doesn’t love a good cookie!) With the recipe in hand and ingredients spread across the counter, they began. They read the directions, measured, added, and mixed the ingredients. They had ideas for improving the recipe, which led to disagreement, though they eventually coalesced around decisions and moved forward in unison, regardless of whose idea the change had been. They laughed...a lot. AND, eventually, the cookies made their way to the oven to bake. When the timer sounded and the cookies had cooled, this team was beyond proud of the result...and the cookies were devoured! From beyond the kitchen, I was privileged with a front-row seat. From beyond the kitchen, I observed as this group of young women demonstrated the magic that happens within a team when the key ingredients are present. From beyond the kitchen, I observed a team operating in unison, towards a common mission, with trust and belief. From beyond the kitchen, I pondered why something so simple is so often brushed aside and replaced by politics, power struggles, and drama. From beyond the kitchen, I marveled at how easy they made it look. ...I pondered why something so simple is so often brushed aside and replaced by politics, power struggles, and drama. What are the 3 key ingredients needed for the recipe of building a great sustainable team capable of consistently punching above its weight class? Mission - Mission provides the rallying cry. In this case, cookies. It’s the purpose and charge for this group of people and is part of their identity. It provides a common understanding of where the team is heading and what they're signing up for. Belief - Belief comes in 3 forms: belief in self, belief in the team, and belief in the mission. It opens the door for trust and permits us to engage. Without it, we have very little chance of succeeding. But with it, we can accomplish things beyond our individual abilities and aspirations. Trust - A common denominator of all winning teams is trust. Trust allows us to combine our skills and energy. In the aggregation, it elevates our contribution. But trust doesn’t come easy. Trust requires vulnerability with each other. It requires a willingness to take risks. It requires a willingness to try, to admit our shortcomings, and to lean into each other’s strengths to improve the output. Without trust, we waste our energy struggling to move forward while often making little progress. What is simple in concept is often so easily forgotten or lost as we navigate the complexities of our business, teams, and markets. But, simple as it is, the right team, comprised of the right ingredients, increases our likelihood of moving faster and successfully navigating the challenges we face. Does your leadership team encompass these key ingredients?
A key pillar of emotional intelligence (EQ) is your ability to bring others along in the conversation. Your ability to not just understand those around you, but help channel the collective group towards a common mission that builds something great. In practice, because our EQ can either help us or hurt us, it’s important to understand that it’s not just our ability to understand ourselves and those around us that matters. It is also our ability to allow that understanding to impact our behaviors and, ultimately, impact our effectiveness. If culture is what we allow , and our EQ impacts both the behaviors that flourish and are suppressed, then our EQ has an oversized impact on our culture. In my early 30s, I ran the operational and technical teams for a small scrappy company. We had big dreams, large aspirations, and aggressive timelines accompanied by a few significant constraints; money was tight and people and systems were scarce. Despite the restrictions, we charged ahead at a ferocious pace, working to build an innovative company that, at the time, led the way with customer experience-centric solutions that gave unheard-of access and visibility across their systems. And...it was during that time that I began to gain a reputation as the ‘no’ guy. We were a young company with some highly creative folks who were constantly thinking of new ideas like services, functionality, and potential market segments. We had a team of intelligent leaders looking to grow the business. We had outside investors pushing for value creation, which resulted in an increased return on their investments. As the operational leader responsible for discerning where and how we utilized our time, skills, and money, I was often approached with new ideas. As the operation leader responsible for the allocation and execution of those resources against our strategy, I would assess the ideas, weigh the impact, and make decisions. And my answer was often ‘no’ or ‘not right now’. I began to gain a reputation as the ‘no’ guy. Actual decisions aside, I remember a very visceral feeling of opposition that would creep up over and over during this process. It was like getting orange juice from an orange. The first time I am asked to get more from what we have is like the first time you squeeze a freshly cut orange. It’s plump and juicy, and the liquid freely flows. The next time, though, is not as easy. There’s still juice, but it takes a little more work and a little more pressure to squeeze it out. You get some, but not as much. At each subsequent attempt, the amount of work increases and the resulting juice decreases. It just gets harder and harder. And that’s how I felt. As each new idea emerged, as our team accomplished bigger and bigger feats, I put the onus on myself to continue finding new ways to create incremental value from our existing resources. So, when approached with a new idea, I was already putting pressure on myself to deliver something I couldn’t actually deliver. It felt like it signified a failure on my part for which I had only 2 choices; work harder OR say no. ‘Yes, and...’ allowed me to keep them in the conversation, ...bring them along in the decision-making journey, ...and help assess resources, priorities, risks, and benefits to determine whether or not a path forward was warranted. That’s when a colleague pulled me aside and said, “Dominic, you’re not wrong, but every time you resist and say ‘no’, you shut down the conversation. You become the resistance. You create stress. Why don’t you tweak it just a bit and say, ‘Yes, and here’s what it will take’? You’re still saying the same thing, but you’re conveying your thought process along with a potential path forward. Then, it’s up to them whether or not they want to pursue it.” Talk about a light bulb moment. ‘Yes, and...’ changed the conversation. ‘Yes, and...’ allowed me to keep them in the conversation. ‘Yes, and...’ allowed me to bring them along in the decision-making journey; an invaluable teaching tool for growing leaders. ‘Yes, and...’ allowed me to help assess resources, priorities, risks, and benefits to determine whether or not a path forward was warranted. Ultimately, it’s an ROI decision based on our company’s identity. (Purpose/Mission, Vision, Value, Goals) So, what goes into ‘Yes and’ in practice? Current priorities - How should this new thing compare with existing priorities? Timing - What’s the urgency? Can it wait or does it need to be tackled now? Teams - If we utilize the people we already have, how could we tackle this? What if we outsourced or hired additional people? Money - What will it cost to tackle this now? Later? Does the cost increase with time? Risk - What risks do we take on if we tackle this now? If we wait? If we don’t do it at all? Benefits - What benefits do we gain by tackling this now? If we wait? People - How well do I know and understand our people and their skills, passions, and motivations? How would you rate yourself at bringing others along in the decision-making journey? Are you stuck on repeat with the conversation ending ‘NOs’?