The 7 Things I Do Every December to Set My Business Up for the Year Ahead

I’ve been working a small enterprise for greater than twenty years. Over that point, I’ve developed some routines. One routine occurs every year presently. Throughout December, I’m wanting forward and pondering of the subsequent 12 months. I make my plans. I make just a few resolutions. I verify in with these essential. The precise particulars change every year, however the course of is similar.

Right here’s what I do yearly, on the finish of every 12 months.

Worker bonuses

Earlier than the 12 months is over, I attempt to be sure that all of my staff and contractors who influence my enterprise have been evaluated, related and obtain my appreciation. I ship money bonuses to every of them. It’s a discretionary bonus that I provide you with yearly based mostly on income and I’m cautious to be sure that the bonus is rarely lower than it was the earlier 12 months, until income are so unhealthy that I couldn’t afford to make the fee (which fortunately hasn’t ever occurred). Even in 2025, I’m doing these bonuses by guide verify, which I slip into a vacation card that features a private be aware and is intentionally delivered old skool within the mail. For just a few distant staff, I do the bonuses electronically, however nonetheless ship the cardboard.

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Worker evaluations

As a result of my enterprise is totally digital and plenty of of my individuals are situated all through the world, I’ve stopped doing vacation events. Nevertheless, I make it a degree to verify in earlier than the 12 months is over with all staff with a casual analysis simply to verify they’re getting good (and constructive) suggestions they usually know the place they stand going into the subsequent 12 months. I take this time additionally to ascertain just a few targets for the upcoming calendar 12 months (i.e., chargeability, income technology, shopper service scores, schooling certificates, and so on.) with every individual so they’re clear how they’ll be evaluated within the coming 12 months and might benchmark themselves.

Items

Proper after Thanksgiving, I draw up an inventory of individuals whom I wish to thank for doing enterprise with me through the 12 months. They’re purchasers, potential purchasers, suppliers, companions and folks within the media. I often ship sweets from Godiva or a present basket, and I maintain the finances to about $35 per individual. There are often about 50 folks on this listing, so you are able to do the maths. There’s additionally time concerned by my assistant to coordinate all of the ordering. Which implies there’s a value. But it surely’s price it. I begin with final 12 months’s listing and modify it. I get a number of pleasure in doing this. And I frequently hear again from folks saying thanks, and I do know it’s appreciated. It’s not a lot, however it’s a real gesture and jogs my memory of the people who find themselves actually essential for my enterprise.

Forecast

For a enterprise as small as mine, I don’t do a finances. However I do put together a forecast. That is a web-based spreadsheet and for my eyes solely. It takes me just a few days to work on every year presently. I revisit compensation and different prices to verify my annual overhead displays actuality. I decide particular quantifiable targets for my enterprise — chargeable hours, shopper undertaking completions, new media initiatives and consulting purchasers, new shopper income, and so on. — however I don’t make them extreme or out of attain. My spreadsheet takes into consideration an affordable estimate of the work I can count on within the coming 12 months and displays each direct and administrative prices related to that work, together with a projected web revenue for the 12 months. This manner, I’ve my numbers clear heading into the brand new 12 months and I do know what I’ve to attain.

Resolutions

New 12 months’s resolutions are corny. However they’re helpful. Right now of 12 months, I make resolutions. For instance, on this coming 12 months, I’m resolving to fulfill sure of my distant staff in individual as soon as 1 / 4, even when meaning me flying out to see them. I’m additionally resolving to lean deeper into AI in 2026 by assessing the capabilities I can leverage in my present software program (accounting, CRM, workplace) and investing in coaching for my folks to make use of it. I’m additionally going to lean closely into an AI Assistant to help me in all issues I do in my enterprise — proper now it’s ChatGPT, however Grok is coming in as a powerful contender too.

Additionally, I’m committing to taking up just a few initiatives which might be out of my consolation zone as a result of — regardless that I’m risking profitability and even my popularity — it’s the one option to develop, and it retains one’s thoughts very lively with new challenges. I attempt to maintain these resolutions to a small quantity in order that they’re achievable.

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Private targets

In addition to my enterprise resolutions, I do make just a few private targets for myself every year. That often revolves round sustaining a sure weight, exercising frequently, taking part in higher squash (don’t ask!) visiting a brand new nation (my spouse and I’ve been Airbnb-ing and dealing remotely three to 4 weeks in January in a unique nation every year over the previous few years and adore it) or taking a household trip or taking a course in one thing I like. These targets not solely give me one thing to sit up for but additionally maintain my head balanced between enjoyable stuff and work stuff.

Doc

A very powerful factor about forecasting, aim setting, and creating resolutions is accountability. None of this issues should you’re not holding your self accountable to your commitments. To that finish, I create a activity in my calendar utility to “verify in” on all of these items on the finish of every quarter. I’ve come to sit up for doing this when the duty comes up on my to-do listing for the day. It’s a option to remind me of all that I’ve deliberate to do within the present 12 months and provides me a reset as to the place issues stand.

By the top of the 12 months, it’s attention-grabbing to see simply how a lot I achieved and the way life like all of my targets had been. I maintain these duties in my historical past as a result of it’s additionally enjoyable to look again at what was on my thoughts 5 or ten years in the past. You’d be shocked at how trivial all of these “issues” that had been so essential again then are at present. It provides me perspective.

That is what I do yearly. That is my course of. It eases my thoughts. It provides me readability. It helps me look ahead. It helps me recognize what’s up to now. It helps me put together for the long run. In case you’re a enterprise proprietor like I’m, I strongly recommend doing one thing related. It really works.

I’ve been working a small enterprise for greater than twenty years. Over that point, I’ve developed some routines. One routine occurs every year presently. Throughout December, I’m wanting forward and pondering of the subsequent 12 months. I make my plans. I make just a few resolutions. I verify in with these essential. The precise particulars change every year, however the course of is similar.

Right here’s what I do yearly, on the finish of every 12 months.