Is it just me, or does the last quarter of the year always seem to move twice as fast as the rest?
One minute you’re making plans for fall, and the next you’re juggling holiday promotions, wrapping up client projects, and wondering how January is already around the corner.
And while it’s tempting to put everything off until the new year, there are a few things worth tackling before you close out your calendar.
Not because you need to squeeze more productivity out of the next couple of months, but because a little preparation now can make a big difference in how you start the next year.
Here are five things I’d recommend getting off your business to-do list before the end of the year.
1. Give Your Website a Quick Audit
When was the last time you actually went through your website as if you were a potential client?
Not just checking that it looks good, but clicking through the pages, reading the copy, and making sure everything still makes sense for where your business is today.
A lot can change in a year. Your services might look different, your pricing may have increased, or you might be attracting a completely different type of client than you were in January.
A few things to check:
- Are your services and pricing up to date?
- Do your photos still represent your brand?
- Are your portfolio and testimonials current?
- Do all your buttons, links, and inquiry forms work?
- Is it clear what you offer and how someone can work with you?
- Does everything look and function properly on mobile?
You don’t necessarily need a full website redesign. Sometimes updating a few key sections is enough to make your website feel more aligned with your business.
If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve also shared 5 Website Tweaks That Instantly Improve Conversion, which is a great place to begin.
2. Clean Up Your Systems and Client Experience
You know those little things in your business that you’ve been meaning to fix for months?
The outdated email template. The onboarding process that has one too many steps. The inquiry form that asks questions you don’t actually need answered.
Now is a great time to take care of them.
Your client experience isn’t just what happens when you’re actively working together. It’s everything from that first inquiry to the final deliverable.
And the smoother those steps are, the less time you spend answering the same questions, tracking down information, or manually doing things that could be automated.
Take a look at:
- Inquiry forms and automated responses
- Proposal and contract templates
- Welcome emails and onboarding materials
- Scheduling and payment processes
- Project management workflows
- Offboarding emails and testimonial requests
One of my favorite ways to approach this is to think about the questions clients ask most often.
If you’re constantly explaining the same thing, there’s probably an opportunity to make that part of your process clearer.
You don’t have to overhaul your entire system. Pick the one or two things that create the most friction and start there.
3. Refresh Your Marketing Materials
Your marketing materials should reflect the business you’re running now, not the version of your business from two years ago.
And I’m not just talking about your logo or brand colors.
Think about the photos, graphics, service descriptions, email templates, and other content you’re using to show up online.
Are they still aligned with your brand? Do they reflect the quality of your work? Are they helping you attract the right people?
A few places to review:
- Website and social media photography
- Instagram bio and profile images
- Service guides and pricing PDFs
- Email newsletter templates
- Portfolio and case studies
- Brand graphics and promotional materials
This is also a good time to look ahead at what you’re planning to promote in the first few months of the new year.
If you’re launching something new, introducing a service, or planning a campaign, what content will you need to support it?
Getting those pieces organized now means you’re not scrambling to create everything the week before your launch.
And if your brand photos no longer feel like you, this is a great opportunity to start planning your next session.
If you’re thinking about updating your imagery, my Essential Guide to Brand Photography for Small Business Owners walks through how to create photos that actually support your business and marketing.
4. Look at What Actually Worked This Year
Before you start making big plans for next year, take a little time to look at what happened this year.
Not just the numbers, although those are important.
I’m talking about the projects you loved, the services people kept asking for, the marketing that brought in inquiries, and the things that took way more energy than they were worth.
Sometimes the most useful business decisions come from recognizing what you don’t want to keep doing.
Ask yourself:
- Which services or products brought in the most revenue?
- Which projects did I genuinely enjoy?
- Where did most of my inquiries come from?
- What marketing efforts actually brought results?
- What felt unnecessarily complicated?
- What would I like to do more of next year?
- What am I ready to stop doing?
And don’t forget to acknowledge what went well.
It’s easy to move straight into planning the next thing without giving yourself credit for everything you’ve already accomplished.
You might discover that you don’t need a completely new strategy. You just need to spend more time doing what’s already working.
And if you’re looking for ways to get more out of the content you’ve already created, check out my guide to repurposing blog content instead of constantly starting from scratch.
5. Make a Realistic Plan for the New Year
I’m all for setting goals, making plans, and starting the year feeling motivated.
But I’ve also learned that an overly ambitious to-do list doesn’t automatically make for a productive year.
Before you fill your calendar with new projects and ideas, think about what you actually want your business to look like.
Maybe you want to book more of a particular service. Maybe you’re ready to launch something new. Or maybe your biggest goal is creating more breathing room in your schedule.
Whatever it is, start with a few clear priorities.
Here’s what I’d focus on:
- Choose three main business goals for the first quarter.
- Identify the services or products you want to promote.
- Map out important launches, promotions, and dates.
- Plan your content around those priorities.
- Schedule time for your own business projects.
- Leave some flexibility for the unexpected.
And here’s your reminder that you don’t have to have the entire year figured out by January 1.
A plan should give you direction, not make you feel like you’re already behind.
A Little Progress Now Goes a Long Way
You don’t need to spend the last few months of the year completely reinventing your business.
In fact, I’d encourage you not to.
Instead, take a look at what’s already working, clean up the things that aren’t, and make a few intentional updates that will help you move forward.
Maybe that means finally updating your website. Maybe it’s simplifying your client onboarding process or getting new brand photos on the calendar.
Whatever it looks like for you, remember that the goal isn’t to do everything.
It’s to make your business a little easier to run and a little more aligned with where you want to go.
Need a Little Help Checking Things Off Your List?
If updating your website, refreshing your brand, or creating new imagery has been sitting on your to-do list for longer than you’d like to admit, I’d love to help.
At Liveaday Creative, I help businesses bring their online presence up to speed through strategic brand design, websites, and photography.
Whether you need a few strategic website updates, a fresh set of brand photos, or dedicated time to finally tackle that growing to-do list, we can figure out what makes the most sense for your business.
