4th Quarter Planning For Your Business

The barbecues have ended…

The yellow buses are back on the road…

Football season has started…

BUT I ask…what are you planning on doing this fall to prepare your business for a great 4th quarter?

1. Review your quarterly and annual goals. How are you doing? This is a great time to assess what has or has not been working for you the past 9 months. It’s not too late to achieve what you set forth this year. The point though is your efforts should all be geared towards achieving those goals! The other “stuff” will hold you back from your primary objective. 

2. Clean your desk. I know…I hear the groans from here! The truth is that a neat desk with a working system saves hours and hours of unnecessary time digging through an unorganized pile. It’s never too late to create a workable filing and desk system. Imagine one less thing to worry about when the hustle and bustle of the holidays arrives! 

3. Prepare for tax season. Valuable money and deductions go unclaimed when your books aren’t in order. Last year we were able to assist multiple business owners reduce their tax filing time, avoid penalties and avoid filing extensions, because we took on the responsibility of maintaining and keeping current business files, expenses and necessary filing data. If you’re not up to date with your bookkeeping, this is the perfect time to balance your checkbook and look for additional tax exemptions. A cash flow statement will allow you to understand where the money is coming from and where it is going. 

4. Marketing Efforts How will you talk to your clients and customers this quarter? What are their trending needs this time of year and how can you best assist them? Are you still in line with your marketing plan? For example: For our clients they are looking for end of year party planning, holiday shopping, wrapping, end of year tax preparations and ongoing filing needs. 

5. Decide how you can delegate more in 2014. As a business owner, entrepreneur or hard working individual, it is important to realize that you can’t do it all… In today’s society we too often say yes and not enough times say no! We are running businesses, volunteering our time in the community, joining the PTO, trying to spend as much time as possible with our children and loved ones…don’t forget about trying to exercise and live a healthier lifestyle. Next year (heck start now) allow yourself to work on the things that you do best. Outsource some of those tasks that prevent you from focusing on what’s most important. Whether you hire a cleaning lady, someone to file papers in your office, a bookkeeper or someone to run time zapping errands, there are services out there that have been put in place to allow you to achieve whatever it is you have put your mind to.