It’s almost 2025. While everyone else is making vague resolutions to “grow my business,” you’re going to do something different.

You’re going to create an actual STRATEGY.

Not wishes. Not hopes. A real, executable plan that transforms your business in 2026.

Here’s your complete strategic planning guide to make 2026 your best year yet.

PART 1: FINANCIAL PLANNING

Set Revenue Goals (The Right Way)

Don’t just pick a number. Build from reality.

Step 1: Calculate Your 2024 Performance

• Total revenue: $________

• Total expenses: $________

• Net profit: $________

• Profit margin: ________%

Step 2: Set 2026 Revenue Target

Conservative Growth: 15-25% increaseModerate Growth: 30-50% increaseAggressive Growth: 75-100% increase

Example:

• 2024 revenue: $200,000

• Conservative 2026 goal: $230,000-$250,000

• Moderate 2026 goal: $260,000-$300,000

• Aggressive 2026 goal: $350,000-$400,000

Pick the growth rate that matches:

• Your market opportunity

• Your capacity to deliver

• Your willingness to invest

Don’t set goals you can’t break down into actions.

Reverse Engineer Your Revenue Goal

If your goal is $300,000 in 2026:

Break it down monthly:

• $300,000 ÷ 12 = $25,000/month

Break it down weekly:

• $25,000 ÷ 4 = $6,250/week

Break it down by product/service:

If you sell coaching at $2,000/client:

• $300,000 ÷ $2,000 = 150 clients/year

• 150 ÷ 12 = 12.5 clients/month

Now you have an ACTION:

“I need to close 13 clients per month.”

Next question: What does it take to close 13 clients?

• If your close rate is 25%, you need 52 leads/month

• 52 leads = ~13 leads/week

• How will you generate 13 leads/week?

This is planning, not wishing.

Budget for Growth

Common mistake: Setting revenue goals without planning the INVESTMENT required to hit them.

Growth requires investment in:

Marketing (15-20% of revenue goal):

• For $300K goal = $45,000-$60,000 marketing budget

• Spread monthly: $3,750-$5,000/month

Personnel:

• Can you hit your goal alone?

• Who do you need to hire?

• VA? Social media person? Sales rep?

Technology/Tools:

• CRM software

• Email marketing

• Scheduling tools

• Payment processing

Professional Development:

• Coaching/masterminds

• Training

• Conferences

• Certifications

Create your 2026 budget NOW:

Revenue goal: $300,000Investment: $96,000Net profit target: $204,000Profit margin: 68%

Now you know exactly what you need to spend to hit your goal.

Tax Planning for 2026

Make these decisions in December 2024 for 2025:

1. Business Structure

• Should you elect S-Corp for 2025?

• If profit will exceed $60K, probably yes

• File Form 2553 by March 15, 2025

2. Retirement Contributions

• Max out Solo 401(k) ($69,000 for 2024)

• Set up automatic contributions for 2025

• Plan quarterly contributions

3. Hiring Your Children

• If applicable, plan their roles

• Set up payroll by January

• Pay them throughout 2025 (not one lump sum)

4. Equipment Purchases

• What do you need in 2025?

• Plan Section 179 timing

• Budget for year-end purchases

5. Quarterly Estimated Taxes

• Calculate based on 2025 projected profit

• Set calendar reminders (April 15, June 17, Sept 16, Jan 15)

• Save 25-35% of profit automatically

Schedule your tax planning consultation in January 2025.

PART 2: MARKETING STRATEGY

Choose Your Marketing Channels (Focus Wins)

Most business owners spread too thin:

• Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest

• Blog, podcast, YouTube, newsletter

• Networking, ads, cold calling, referrals

You burn out. Nothing works well.

Instead, pick 2-3 channels and DOMINATE them.

The Focus Framework:

Primary Channel (60% of effort):

Where do your best clients hang out?

• Instagram for visual businesses

• LinkedIn for B2B

• Facebook for local services

• YouTube for education-based

• Email for established lists

Secondary Channel (30% of effort):

Complementary to primary

• If primary is Instagram, secondary might be email

• If primary is LinkedIn, secondary might be newsletter

Experimental Channel (10% of effort):

Testing new opportunities

• New platform

• New strategy

• Low commitment, high potential

Example Marketing Plan:

Primary: Instagram (60%)

• 5 posts/week

• 3 stories/day

• DM engagement 30 min/day

• Monthly: 20 posts, 90 stories

Secondary: Email Newsletter (30%)

• Weekly newsletter

• Monthly: 4 emails

Experimental: LinkedIn (10%)

• 2 posts/week

• Test engagement

• Decide by March if it’s worth more effort

This is manageable and effective.

Content Calendar for 2026

Plan quarterly themes:

Q1 (Jan-Mar): New Year/Fresh Start

• Goal setting

• Planning

• New beginnings

• Tax season prep

Q2 (Apr-Jun): Growth/Expansion

• Scaling strategies

• Hiring

• Systems

• Summer prep (if seasonal)

Q3 (Jul-Sep): Momentum/Mid-Year

• Mid-year review

• Course corrections

• Staying motivated

• Back-to-school (if applicable)

Q4 (Oct-Dec): Finishing Strong/Planning Ahead

• Year-end strategies

• Holiday prep (if applicable)

• 2027 planning

• Reflection

Within each quarter, create 8-12 content pillars.

Example for Q1:

1. Setting 2026 business goals

2. Revenue planning

3. Marketing strategy

4. Tax preparation

5. Hiring your first employee

6. Credit building in new year

7. Funding strategies

8. Client success stories

Each pillar = 1 blog + 5 social posts + 1 email

You just planned 32 weeks of content.

Lead Generation Goal

How many leads do you need monthly?

Work backwards from revenue goal:

• Revenue goal: $300,000

• Average client value: $2,000

• Clients needed: 150

• Close rate: 25%

• Leads needed: 600/year = 50/month

Now plan HOW you’ll get 50 leads/month:

Strategy Mix:

• Content marketing: 20 leads/month

• Paid ads: 15 leads/month

• Referrals: 10 leads/month

• Networking: 5 leads/month

Break down further:

Content Marketing (20 leads):

• Blog SEO: 8 leads

• Social media: 8 leads

• Email list: 4 leads

Now you know where to focus effort.

PART 3: OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE

Systems to Build in 2026

Stop doing everything manually.

Q1: Client Onboarding System

• Automated welcome sequence

• Contract/payment automation

• Onboarding checklist

• Client portal setup

Q2: Financial Management System

• Bookkeeping automation

• Monthly profit/loss reviews

• Quarterly tax preparation

• Clean books always

Q3: Marketing Automation

• Email sequences

• Social media scheduling

• Lead nurture automation

• CRM pipeline

Q4: Team/Delegation System

• Standard operating procedures (SOPs)

• Training documentation

• Quality control processes

• Performance tracking

One system per quarter = manageable.

Time Management Strategy

Theme your days:

Monday: Strategic Planning

• Weekly planning

• Review metrics

• Adjust strategy

• Admin tasks

Tuesday-Thursday: Client Delivery

• Coaching calls

• Service delivery

• Client communication

• Core revenue work

Friday: Marketing & Growth

• Content creation

• Engagement

• Networking

• Business development

This creates predictability and focus.

Hiring Plan

When to make your first hire (or next hire):

Hire when:

• You’re consistently at capacity

• Revenue supports it (hire at 50% of what they’ll generate)

• You’re turning down work

• You’re doing $15/hour work while charging $150/hour

Who to hire first:

Most businesses should hire in this order:

1. Virtual Assistant - Admin, scheduling, email management

2. Marketing/Social Media - Content, engagement, campaigns

3. Sales/Client Services - Lead follow-up, client management

4. Delivery/Operations - Service delivery, project management

2026 Hiring Timeline Example:

Q1: Start with 10 hrs/week VA ($15-20/hr = $600-800/month)Q2: Increase to 20 hrs/week if working wellQ3: Add social media person part-time (10 hrs/week)Q4: Evaluate if ready for full-time hire or additional specialist

Budget accordingly in your financial plan.

PART 4: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Invest in Yourself

Your business only grows as much as YOU grow.

2026 Development Plan:

Q1: Learn

• Read 1 book/month on business, marketing, or leadership

• Take one course on your weakest skill area

• Join a mastermind or coaching program

Q2: Network

• Attend 1-2 industry conferences

• Join local business organization

• Build strategic partnerships

Q3: Skill Up

• Master one new marketing channel

• Improve one operational skill

• Get certified in your field (if applicable)

Q4: Reflect & Plan

• Year-end review

• What worked, what didn’t

• Skills gap analysis

• 2027 development plan

Budget: $500-1,000/month for professional development

This isn’t an expense. It’s an investment with 10x+ ROI.

PART 5: QUARTERLY ROCKS (Most Important)

“Rocks” = Your biggest priorities each quarter

You can’t do everything. Pick 3-5 ROCKS per quarter.

Q1 2026 Rocks Example:

1. Launch new service offering

2. Hit $75K revenue

3. Build email list to 1,000 subscribers

4. Hire virtual assistant

5. Complete website redesign

That’s IT. Everything else is secondary.

Q2 2026 Rocks Example:

1. Hit $85K revenue

2. Launch group coaching program

3. Speak at 2 industry events

4. Implement CRM system

5. Reach 5,000 Instagram followers

Each quarter, focus ONLY on your 3-5 rocks.

PART 6: METRICS TO TRACK

What gets measured gets managed.

Monthly Tracking Dashboard:

Financial:

• Revenue

• Expenses

• Profit

• Profit margin %

Marketing:

• Website traffic

• Social media followers

• Email list size

• Engagement rate

Sales:

• Leads generated

• Conversion rate

• Average deal size

• Sales cycle length

Operations:

• Client satisfaction score

• Delivery time

• Team productivity

• Project completion rate

Review monthly. Adjust strategy based on data.

YOUR 2026 PLANNING CHECKLIST

By December 31, 2024:

☐ Review 2024 performance (revenue, profit, lessons)☐ Set 2026 revenue goal☐ Reverse engineer monthly/weekly targets☐ Create 2026 budget☐ Choose 2-3 marketing channels to focus on☐ Plan Q1 content calendar☐ Set Q1 Rocks (3-5 priorities)☐ Schedule tax planning consultation☐ Decide on business structure (S-Corp election deadline March 15)

By January 15, 2025:

☐ Complete full 2026 strategic plan☐ Set up metrics tracking system☐ Create quarterly themes☐ Plan Q1 marketing campaigns☐ Set up automation tools☐ Schedule quarterly planning sessions for whole year

By January 31, 2025:

☐ Hire or contract first team member (if planned)☐ Launch Q1 marketing☐ Implement client onboarding system☐ Join mastermind/coaching program☐ Start executing Q1 Rocks

THE QUARTERLY REVIEW SYSTEM

Every 90 days, ask:

1. Did we hit our Rocks?

• Yes: Celebrate, set bigger rocks

• No: Why not? What do we change?

1. Are we on track for annual revenue goal?

• Yes: Maintain strategy

• No: What needs to change NOW?

1. What worked this quarter?

• Do more of it

1. What didn’t work?

• Stop doing it or fix it

1. What do we need to learn/improve?

• Schedule training or hire help

30-60 minute review = massive impact

AVOIDING COMMON PLANNING MISTAKES

Mistake 1: Planning Without Execution

• Plans are worthless without action

• Schedule weekly reviews of your plan

• Adjust based on reality

Mistake 2: Setting Only Revenue Goals

• Also need: profit goals, client goals, impact goals

• Revenue ≠ success

Mistake 3: Trying to Do Everything

• Focus beats spread-thin every time

• 3-5 Rocks per quarter max

Mistake 4: Planning Alone

• Get accountability (coach, mastermind, partner)

• Share goals publicly

• Regular check-ins

Mistake 5: Not Reviewing Monthly

• Plans must adapt to reality

• Monthly reviews keep you on track

• Yearly plans with no check-ins fail

YOUR 2026 VISION STATEMENT

Complete this:

“By December 31, 2026, my business will:

• Generate $________ in revenue

• Serve _______ clients

• Have _______ team members

• Be known for _____________

• Allow me to _______________

I’ll achieve this by focusing on:

1.

2.

3.

And I’ll measure success by:

• _____________________”

Print this. Put it where you’ll see it daily.

THE FINAL WORD

2026 won’t automatically be better than 2024.

Better requires:

• Clear strategy (you now have the framework)

• Consistent execution (show up daily)

• Regular measurement (track what matters)

• Course correction (adapt when needed)

• Focus (say no to distractions)

You have the playbook. Now execute.

Here’s to your best year yet. 🚀

Want help building your 2026 strategic plan? Our business planning consultation walks you through goal-setting, financial planning, and execution strategy customized to your business.

[Schedule Planning Consultation →]