While there may still be a few weeks left in 2010, there’s no time like the present to start thinking about 2011 – at what that might mean to your business. In fact, December is the perfect time to reflect on the past year and assess what worked for your business and what—umm—didn’t.

And since the New Year is a time for resolutions, it may be high time you sat down and made some. Goal-setting is vital for businesses – especially those with small payrolls and limited resources.

Setting goals is all about steering your business in the right direction, according to Inc.’s recent article on making and attaining business goals. Caution: we’re about to recommend some serious introspection! If you’re still with us, then think about the various aspects of business your company could use some help with.

Tips for Successful Business Goals

Inc. suggests the following categories:

• Service – Goals related to improving customer service satisfaction or customer retention.
• Social – Goals that focus on giving back to the community, through philanthropy or volunteer organizations, for example.
• Profit – Goals set to increase profits by a certain percentage.
• Growth – Goals related to the expansion of the company, through new employees, for instance.

Time for you and your business to get writing. Identify where your company may fall short within these categories, then brainstorm effective actions that can help improve them. Getting everyone involved will build the team morale and improve the chances of success. After all, the New Year comes only… well, once a year.