The way you operate in business defines your success or failure. Yet it’s easy to get into the habit of doing things the same way, even when it’s not the best approach. Before you start dreaming about 2027, I encourage you to take a deeper look at your current business to identify what isn’t working before setting goals for how you want to expand in the new year.
It’s easy to jump from one shiny idea to the next when things don’t turn out how you expect the first time. The problem with restarting over and over is that you never master anything, so each strategy ends up failing. Success takes time and rounds of revisions. Instead of throwing everything away and starting over, let’s clarify exactly what isn’t working so you know what needs an upgrade. It might be simpler than you realize to turn your business from a chaotic mess into a well-oiled machine.
First, identify the areas that feel most difficult right now.
We’ll dive deeper into each area soon, but it helps to get a feel for what to prioritize first.
What are you most embarrassed to show people about your business operations?
What drains you & your team’s energy?
What areas of your business have you been neglecting?
Next, I want you to dive into the following areas of business to identify what needs a tweak in your current operations.
Time Management
Our time is our most valuable resource. One of the hardest parts of working for yourself is that no one tells you what to do or when. You have to make the most of your time. Take a few minutes to audit your current schedule and decide whether to make any changes.
Where is my time actually going? - Write it out
What on this list drains your time & energy the most? Can you automate, simplify, or delegate this?
In your perfect world, where would your time go? Get as detailed with this as possible. Not just “30-hour workweek,” but how much of your work time goes to your own business, vs. retainer clients, vs. special projects. Look at your personal life, too. How much time do you need to hit your gym goals, work on your hobbies, cook dinner, spend time with family, clean the house, sleep, hang out with friends, etc.?
Once you know where you want your time to go, and what your perfect schedule looks like, it’s time to get serious about actually living your dream schedule! I’m all for flexibility, because time blocking isn’t for everyone. But try writing out what your perfect week looks like so you know when you’re on the right track. If you want to dive even deeper, check out my time management articles (1 & 2).
Project Management
Next up is project management! This is where you can think about where your projects and to-dos live, how you manage them, and any bottlenecks that need evaluation.
Where do you & your team tend to get stuck most in a project? (Planning, Tech setup, Creative, Approvals, etc.) How can this step be simplified?
What areas do you look at least in your task management software, and why? Can they be removed or combined?
Where do you feel the most stickiness or confusion about your to-do list and your team’s workload?
Now that you have a clear picture of what needs to change, you can make some updates so work can finally flow.
Client Experience
You should have a workflow map for each step in your client journey; if not, read this article and come back when you do!
Take out your workflow maps and answer the following questions:
What part of the process produces the most questions from clients?
What step do you procrastinate most?
What feels overly complicated? How can you simplify?
Make a note of everything that needs to be tweaked or updated, no matter how small, beside your workflow maps for reference.
Marketing & Visibility
Most businesses want to focus all their time/energy/money on this area of their business. Instead of pouring more energy into marketing, let’s see how we can shift and simplify in the new year by answering the following questions.
What do you procrastinate most when it comes to marketing your business?
What takes the most time/effort in your marketing?
What do you feel like you should do for marketing but dread doing?
Marketing is more about quality and consistency than being everywhere all the time. Let’s try releasing what doesn’t feel good, adding more fun to our marketing, and seeing what happens!
Rates & Finances
Dreaming up new offerings and revenue goals for the new year? Before you add something new, let’s think about what to release and/or revise.
Review your services
Do any of them feel uninspiring/out of alignment?
Do the rates feel like an equal exchange?
Where do you feel most confused about your finances & where your money is going?
After this audit, you probably have an idea of what needs to shift to streamline and simplify so energy can flow through your business. Take everything you wrote, and return to the top 3 questions to figure out what to prioritize. Now you’ve got a master list of things to tweak, to prepare for the expansion you’re ready for in 2027!
If you’re ending this audit feeling defeated because the problems are clear, but the solutions still feel like a mystery... it’s time for us to chat. Improving operational systems is my favorite thing to do! Book a free hour-long consult with me, and you will walk away with my full plan for how to improve operations in your business and options for how to make these changes with accountability and support!
