Some days, everything seems to stall, and other days, your business feels like it’s running on autopilot. Tasks get done, deals move forward, and you surprise yourself with everything you’re accomplishing.
Business momentum doesn’t come out of thin air. It isn’t about luck or speed. It’s about working smarter, with clear direction, energy, and the right resources.
So, how do you make sure your SME keeps moving forward even when challenges arise, cash flow fluctuates, or priorities shift?
Understand what drives momentum in your business
Few of us are passionate about making money alone. We need something more to spur us on, especially on those days we want to give up, which begs the question: what drives momentum in business?
- Vision and goals: Clear goals give you direction in your actions, so every step you take moves your business closer to where you want it to be. More on this shortly.
- Cash flow and financial readiness: If cash is tight, momentum is likely to stall. That’s why keeping up with your cash flow forecasts and statements is so important—so you know when money is coming in and going out, and when strategic financing may be helpful.
- Team and skills: Even the best goals are hard to reach without the right team. Having the right people in the right roles avoids momentum slowing down due to bottlenecks in execution.
- Processes and systems: Well-defined workflows make repetitive tasks efficient and reduce delays, accelerating progress and momentum.
- Market feedback: Listening to your customers is key to growing and evolving your business. It tells you what your audience is looking for, straight from the source.
Set clear, achievable goals
Without clear goals, it’s easy to drift, waste energy, and lose focus. And while we’ve all heard about SMART goals, the real power comes from setting SMARTER goals:
- Specific: Is your goal clear and defined? What challenges might you run into?
- Measurable: How do you know you’ve succeeded?
- Achievable: Is it realistically possible to achieve this goal?
- Relevant: What will achieving this goal mean for your business? Is it worthwhile?
- Time bound: Should you create a timeline? If so, how much time do you need?
- Evaluated: Are you on track? What’s working and what isn’t?
- Reviewed: Are you hitting a wall? If so, this doesn’t make your goal inherently flawed, it just means you need to re-think how you’ll achieve it.
SMARTER goals give you structure, but also flexibility, because things don’t always go to plan. You’re encouraged to reflect and adapt, so your business can keep moving forward even when challenges arise.
Prioritise goals that move the needle
It’s easy to lose momentum when you’re not sure which goals to focus on. You end up jumping between tasks without a real plan and risk spending too much time on low-impact activities.
To prevent this from happening:
- Create a list of all your ongoing and upcoming tasks.
- Analyse each task’s impact on your goals. Consider how they impact revenue, customer satisfaction, operational efficiency, or long-term growth.
- Score each task from high to low impact.
This way, you’ll have a clearer view of which activities truly accelerate momentum and which ones require the most effort relative to the results they deliver.
This prioritisation exercise also helps you make smarter financial decisions. Certain high-impact tasks may require extra capital to execute effectively. Identifying them ahead of time means you can plan your financing proactively, for example, by taking a short-term loan, rather than letting cash flow constraints slow your progress.
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Track progress and adjust quickly
We already know SMARTER goals are all about tracking and pivoting, so make sure you set aside time to do so.
Not only will it give you visibility on which initiatives are driving results and which aren’t, but it will also provide you with data for smarter business decisions, and strengthen your ability to respond quickly to challenges or opportunities.
Leverage your team and network
Your business can only move as fast as the people behind it. You need to invest in the right team, make sure you keep them motivated, and avoid overworking them—so tasks are executed efficiently and momentum is sustained.
Start by identifying key roles needed to execute high-impact activities. Then, look at your current team and ask yourself: who has these skills? Where are the gaps? From there, you can upskill, hire, or outsource.
Make sure, as well, that everyone knows their role and feels accountable for results. Weekly check-ins and clear delegation of responsibilities can help here.
Maintain momentum during challenges
Momentum isn’t just about starting strong, it’s about keeping your business moving forward even when obstacles arise.
Common challenges SMEs go through include:
- Cash flow fluctuations, for example due to late client payments or seasonal slowdowns.
- Market changes, like competitors, regularly changes, or shifts in customer demand.
- Operational bottlenecks, like staff shortages or supply chain issues.
- Unexpected events like economic downturns or natural disasters.
Developing contingency plans is one of the most powerful tools for protecting momentum. Start by identifying the areas where your business is most vulnerable. Then, prepare backup strategies to keep key operations running—for example, you can line up alternative suppliers or set up flexible staffing arrangements to cover absences.
It’s also a good idea to have the right financial resources in place, so you can act quickly rather than pause due to financial constraints. Think:
- Working capital loans to cover temporary shortfalls or invest in opportunities.
- Invoice finance to access cash tied up in unpaid invoices.
- Lines of credit for unexpected expenses or growth initiatives.
Celebrate wins and reinforce momentum
Finally, celebrate! Recognising progress will give your team energy to push forward and show everyone that what you’re doing is working. And this isn’t just for major achievements.
Small wins aren’t trivial; they’re the building blocks of sustained business momentum and need to be celebrated as such.
At the same time, find ways to link your wins to business growth and reinvest in growth:
- Profit-sharing or reinvestment in high-impact projects.
- Using extra revenue to fund equipment, marketing campaigns, or team expansion.
- Applying flexible financing to seize new opportunities highlighted by recent wins.
Ready to turn your momentum into real growth but need extra capital to seize opportunities? Valiant can help.
Our platform compares finance from over 90 banks and non-bank lenders, with a wide range of loan products to choose from. From there, we match you with the ones that work for your needs and current financials. We handle the application process and settle funding on your behalf, so your business can keep moving forward with momentum. Get a quote today.
