Keeping on Target: Small Business Accountability Partnerships

Small business accountability can be a wonderful thing when you are working towards achieving your small business goals.

Let’s face it, it is challenging to keep ourselves accountable for the goals we want to achieve.  This is where accountability partnerships can make a huge difference!

The Importance of Accountability Partners for Small Business Accountability

An accountability partner is someone who plain and simply holds you accountable to what you say you will accomplish. He or she will listen to your goals and help you prioritize and strategize ways to plan your day effectively.

Ideally, accountability partners speak daily and discuss their plans for the day. That evening, or following morning, the accountability buddies check in and report what they completed or did not complete.

Here’s what having Accountability Partner could do for you and your small business:

1) Motivate you when you feel you are going through a challenging time.

2) Encourage you to continue when you feel like throwing in the towel.

3) Inspire you to be more focused, especially when you see your accountability partner achieve something they set out to do – It inspires you to keep up your momentum to do the same.

4) It is like your business insurance.  If you don’t get something done and forget about it, you have someone to remind you of what’s most important.

How to find an Accountability Partner your Business

1) Think of people who are motivated and success-driven.  You’ll want someone who is reliable and who will really hold you accountable. A great place to find accountability partners are your local networking group and online forums or social networking sites.

2) Think of someone who might compliment your skills set . i.e. a savvy Internet marketer who has some experience in marketing that you don’t yet have. It is nice when you can exchange marketing tips and mutually benefit from each others’ experiences.

3) Find someone in your niche. Your accountability buddy doesn’t have to be in your particular online business or network marketing company but it does help if he or she understands what it takes to be successful in your business.  As long as your accountability partner is in your niche you’re good to go.

Tips to Get The Most of Your Business Accountability Relationship

1) Make sure you are both participating equally. Effort must be shown on both sides to make the partnership work.

2) Meet as often as necessary to help you keep on track. Whether it is  every work day, twice or once a week, your partner will assist you to be more consistent and productive in your business.

3) Talk about personal goals too. You will both want to make sure you create balance in your personal lives in order to be successful in your business because what affects you personally will affect you in your business.

4) Your partner should be someone you can trust. In the event you have things going on personally, you should feel comfortable speaking to your buddy about it – not necessarily at length, but on a level where they know you are not at 100% that day.

5) Don’t forget to Have fun – Having an accountability buddy also makes your journey to online success a lot more fun. You will begin to see how two people can co-create awesome experiences by brainstorming and keeping each other on task.

Having someone to connect with on a frequent basis who shares your concerns and experience really gives you the added fuel to remain productive and consistent in your business. It’s like having your very own accelerated program for online success.

Do you have an accountability partner already?

Do you have tips on how to make accountability partnerships more productive? Share them with us!

We appreciate you!

About The Author

Dali Burgado, also known as "The Dali Blogger" teaches creative entrepreneurs how to carve a web presence that connects with their Inner Guru and their target audience. Her first online marketing love is SEO. She's an avid connector on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. When she's not coaching or teaching, she's tweaking sites for Search Engine Visibility, working on her PHP and Javascript coding skills, Singing Opera, or learning about gardening. Circle Dali on Google+