Finishing strong: how to use the next four months to grow your business [7 tips]

If fall crept in on you, you’re certainly not alone. Uh, it’s almost September?WTF??!! We’ve been doing a little bit of fall/winter prep. around here lately, but this weekend it really started to hit… Summer is over and we still have 2018 goals to accomplish!

It’s a great time to evaluate where you are for the year, take stock, and get working to knock out those goals before the holidays hit.

So, for our fellow business owners, we took notes on our team meetings this week and have an easy guide to follow to make sure you’re on track for year end. Here’s what we suggest:

1. Evaluate your communication & moral. We’ve talked about working with your spouse in the past, but a lot of the advice we have around communication and environment surpasses a personal relationship. This stuff transcends a marriage. We were starting to have communication breakdowns, so we took a time out and worked on communication first. You can have all the systems in the world, but if your work environment isn’t effective, nothing else matters. Take stock of your staff. Have you had a busy summer? Is everyone burnt out? It may be time to have a fun retreat or simply discuss any tension in the office. It’s amazing what an hour of commitment to relationships can do. Invest in your people and your sales will increase — it’s that simple.
2. Review your CRM. And clean it out! Yes, looking through endless contact lists is basically miserable. You want an intern to do it. You want anyone else to do it. But, you can’t outsource your contact (company, vendors, etc.) list. You know it better than anyone else, and it needs to be streamlined. If you’re sifting through pages and pages of information, you are wasting time every.single.day. Don’t let this problem fester any longer and clean out the system. Make sure everyone is logging calls, meetings, and information. This info shouldn’t be living in emails or legal pads. Your business is only as strong as your CRM; it needs to be efficient.
3. Research new systems to implement. It’s easy to fall into a comfort trap. When things are kinda working, it’s hard to change a system. However, technology is constantly evolving and you may be missing out on a huge efficiency opportunity while staying in your old habits. Review your systems annually and see if there’s a new option you’re missing out on. We’ve recently gotten on the Slack train and are loving it. We certainly aren’t early adopters here, but we saw an opportunity to improve our internal operations with the new offering. Embrace experimentation. If it doesn’t work, you will have at least learned something new.
4. Analyze your ideal clients. Are you wasting time with the wrong clients? This is a huge issue. You are losing money by working with less than ideal customers. You are missing the right leads for your business plan by spending time with the wrong people. Think about your ideal business and then adjust. Make sure you’re showing up where they are. Consider conferences, groups and community events where you can have the most impact. Focus your energy there.
5. Revisit your marketing message. So, you’ve thought more about your ideal clients, right? Now, are you marketing to them? We see clients with great messaging, but they’re pulling in people who aren’t their ideal audience. Really evaluate your messaging and adjust accordingly.
6. Track your financial goals & expenses. You have four more months — let’s knock it out! Do you have a long list of open deals? It’s time to start working your list and closing. Get calls on the calendar. Plan out the rest of the year with different projects. In addition to sales, check out your expenses. Have you been over-spending on a subscription you don’t really utilize? It’s an excellent time to evaluate your year-end financial goals.
7. Collaborate with your CPA. If you’re planning on investing in your company or making any year-end purchasing decisions, it’s time to reach out to your tax professional. Make sure you time your expenses, retirement plan contributions or health insurance changes to be most tax advantageous.

These seven steps will help you cross the year-end finish line in a positive way. Get going!

What else does your company do to refresh and reboot before ramping up for the year end?

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