Welcome to Quarter 4, 2022! The delightful season of hot drinks, crunchy leaves, and holiday stress - and a great time to get a head start on year-end for your business. Here are tactics and tools to set up now so that, this winter, you can actually unplug during family time.
Check out the links throughout for tools and resources that make it easier!
Review your progress
Where do you stand? Stay on course as you approach the year-end rush by taking stock of where your business stands now, 3 quarters into the year. Is the business operating in alignment with its goals and purpose?
If you have a team, connect with them! Ask for constructive feedback on your leadership, as well as on customer-facing matters. They probably spend the most time with your clients and can provide insightful feedback on relationships and processes.
Revisit your goals (and your pricing). How has your business performed so far this year? What are you proud of? What could have gone better? Is it time to raise your prices or change your package structure?
Celebrate, for real! Regularly take the time to celebrate your successes and give recognition, don’t just wait until New Year’s. What are you most proud of? What were some of the biggest wins in your business this year?
Make timely changes
What can you do this fall? Make sure your last few months of the year are the best they can be; finish your incomplete and time-sensitive 2022 action items. A good place to start is by reviewing your answers to the questions above.
Tidy up for your visitors, sooner than later. Contact info has a shelf life, and bad data can negate your efforts! Take a little time now to tidy up your contact lists and segments before hitting Send on your holiday marketing. On that note, open an incognito tab and Google your business – what shows up? Are your social media profiles and website displaying up-to-date info? Make any necessary changes before inviting your mailing list to check them out.
Check your calendar. Are you, or your team, taking days off? Put together an outage calendar so you can track who’s away, who their backup is, and which deliverables need completing before they go. If your office is closing at all, give your clients get ample notice and manage their expectations for your availability.
Prep for year-end
‘Tis the season for generosity. If you’re planning on giving gifts to your clients or team, shop early. You’ll have time to be more thoughtful, and things won’t have sold out yet!
Don’t get caught unawares at tax time. It happens every year, and every year you swear that next time you’ll start earlier. Well, here I am to hold you to that! Get your financials in order. Gather your receipts and organise them. Do it. Also, book a meeting with your Accountant so you can minimise your tax burden.
2023 is packed with opportunity! All of the items above will lead to a wealth of information, and you can use it to tie up this year’s loose ends and start planning for the first quarter.
Starting now, keep a notebook or note-taking app handy and jot down possible goals for your business as they float through your mind. Schedule an annual planning session to map out 2023’s projects and financial targets. Free-flowing brainstorming with the items on your list will make it more fun and creative!
The last quarter of each year is hectic enough for small business owners. By considering and acting on the recommendations above, you can save yourself some stress and late nights as the new year approaches. Say it with me - this year, we unplug and enjoy our holidays!
PS - Want to know which tools are best suited to you? Just ask!