How To Do A Simple Yearly Business Planning Process for 2026
Steal my Yearly Business Plan Template!
Here is your easy to follow 7 step planning guide for your business!
•••
This blog will take you about 10 minutes to read through.
If you’re short on time and would rather work with a 1:1 Marketing Consultant to help you build out your own customized marketing plan to ensure that your business growth is consistent and predictable, click here to learn more →
•••
The New Year is exciting and full of potential, and many of us will move into January with a fresh energy and renewed excitement towards our businesses.
The question is, what do you want to bring into 2026? And what do you want to keep out?
Will you refine what’s already working?
Or are you rethinking your entire business approach or product suite, to pave the way for something new?
Regardless of your goals, I want you to remember one thing…
As an entrepreneur, a founder, and a creative creator - you can do absolutely anything you want!
There is limitless potential and you can stretch your vision in so many ways. You just have to remove yourself from the day to day thinking, and begin dreaming big!
Some of you will step into your first $1,000,000 dollar year in 2026. Some of you will eliminate tasks, people and projects that aren’t working in order to rebuild a solid foundation. And some of you will keep riding the wave of 2024 because you’re seeing smooth, incremental growth - and that’s exactly what you want.
This Visionary Annual Planning Blog is your launchpad for a focused, productive, and intentional year ahead. Over the course of just two hours, this workshop is designed to give you a structured framework to reflect on where your business stands, learn from your accomplishments, and set a clear path for your next 12 months.
While we can only scratch the surface in this session, I hope you’ll revisit this process as often as possible. Eventually, it becomes like a muscle that you work on daily to keep it strong.
Here’s what I will cover in this blog post:
Step 1: Reflect on What Worked Last Year
Start by taking a retrospective look at the past year's triumphs. Identify the 20% of efforts that brought in 80% of your results.
Was there a specific process, a particular strategy, or a new initiative that gave your business a significant push?
Reflect on these and jot down your top achievements to carry these strengths forward into the new year.
Step 2: Say Goodbye to the Ineffective
It's easy to get caught up in the cycle of doing things because they’ve always been done.
However, if something isn't contributing to your goals, it might be time to eliminate, delegate or automate it. Be ruthless in assessing what isn't working, whether it's a time-consuming process, a non-profitable venture, or personal habits hindering progress.
Step 3: Cast a Vision for 2026
What are your aspirations for the new year?
Imagine if boundaries didn't exist, what would your business look like?
Use open-ended questions like, “Could you imagine if…” followed by, “Yes, and...” to help paint a vivid picture of your year ahead.
This is about dreaming big and setting the groundwork for inspiring, achievable goals.
Step 4: Develop Missions and Measurable Outcomes
Turn your visions into actionable missions.
Decide on at least three key projects or areas to focus on in the year ahead. Consider one cash-generating project, one experimental initiative, and one improvement in systems or operations.
Break these down into measurable outcomes that will give you clear, quantifiable indicators of success.
Step 5: Plan Your Financial Goals and Pathways
What did 2024 bring in terms of revenue?
Consider writing yourself a 'check' for 2026. What number would you like to see there, and what key actions will bridge the gap between your current and desired income?
Consider various revenue streams and plan how you'll achieve your financial targets.
Step 6: Establish Accountability and Support Systems
Surround yourself with people who motivate and challenge you. Identify who in your network can hold you accountable.
This could be mentors, business partners, or a peer group of like-minded entrepreneurs. Additionally, seek out educational resources to enhance your skills and drive toward your vision.
Step 7: Make a Commitment
Commit to your plan in writing.
Document your vision, missions, and how you plan to achieve them. This not only holds you accountable but also serves as a tangible reminder of what you aim to achieve.
To make the most of this planning processs, it’s important to build on some key foundational elements that you likely have a good understanding of as an entrepreneur. But, let this serve as a quick reminder.
Belief
You must have the utmost confidence in yourself and your vision, because in the early days (and forever) you are your biggest cheerleader, advocate and brand evangelist. Business is hard, but believing in what you’re devoted to makes it much easier!
Focus
The ability to prioritize what truly matters and ignore things that distract you from ‘the main thing’. Focus is a superpower in a world of distraction, and I would encourage everyone to reflect on what causes them to be unable to focus, and to ruthlessly eliminate or minimize those things.
Time Management
Running your schedule instead of your schedule running you. If you don’t have a system for managing your time, your days feel chaotic and reactive. Ask your ‘well-scheduled’ friends for tips if you’re still learning this skill, because time is a valuable business asset.
Basic Operation
Solid systems like project management, team communication, and the right tech stack to support your growth. If you feel like there’s an area of your business that’s frantic (ex: bookkeeping) there’s likely a really affordable, easy to implement solution. Again, just ask a savvy friend or group of entrepreneurs.
Energy Management
Your energy is the personal fuel that keeps your business (& you) moving forward. We can talk all day about ‘time management’ but if you have low energy, you risk burning out and feeling a dull energy towards your commitments. Be conscious as to what brings you energy, and what steals your energy each day. Ruthlessly eliminate anything that is energy-stealing, or at least draw better boundaries in 2026.
I would recommend dedicating an extra hour within the next couple of weeks to review this process and everything you will write in today’s session. Then, get to work! Remember, action produces clarity.
Entrepreneurship is a dynamic, challenging road—so be sure to lean on this community and other founders in times of need! We all rise up, together. Nobody does this alone!
Are you ready to make 2026 your strongest business year yet? Let's begin.
The 7 Step Process for Annual Business Planning
Step 1 - Identify Low-Hanging Fruit for 2026
Reflect on ‘What Worked’ in 2024 for your business
Start by listing 3-5 actions, strategies, outcomes, wins or decisions that had the greatest positive impact on your business growth over the past 12 months.
Focus on what delivered the highest results with the least effort. The key here is to identify the “vital few” that brought the most significant outcomes.
You can break it down into these categories to get clarity:
For Fun: What brought you joy or fulfillment while running your business?
For Profit: What directly contributed to your bottom line?
For Client Upsell and Retention: What helped you build long-lasting, high-value relationships with your clients?
For Development: What helped you grow as a business owner or sharpen your skills? What did you attend or join that connected you with the right opportunities?
For Adding Value: What made the biggest positive impact for your customers? What do they rave about?
For Visibility: Which marketing efforts (digital or offline) produced the most traction? How did customers hear about you?
Identify the Common Trends
Review your list of ‘What Worked’ in 2024 for your business and look for common threads or patterns that made these actions successful.
Was it about a specific marketing effort, timing, a particular group of people you supported, or something about your delivery and passion towards something you spent time on?
Understanding why these worked will show you the principles behind your success and help you discover replicable strategies.
Ask:
What commonalities are there on the ‘what worked’ list?
Was there a specific audience, tactic, or mindset that tied them together?
Which systems or tools contributed to their success?
Did it involve being away from your computer? Behind the scenes? Planning? Executing?
Step 2 - Say Goodbye / Explore What Can Be Eliminated
Now that you know where the true value lies, ask yourself:
What does this clarity lead me to believe I could eliminate from my business? Look at areas of inefficiency, effort with little return, energy-suckers, or tasks that drained your time without much impact, something that felt grueling or a commitment you’ve been doubting lately. Commit to dropping 3 things:
Ask yourself how you’ll remove them…
Will you:
Eliminate them entirely?
Outsource them to someone else who can perform better or with less effort?
Delegate them to streamline your workload?
Write them down and make a commitment to act immediately.
Bonus Tip: Revisit this exercise periodically to keep clearing the path for what matters most!
Step 3 - Cast The Vision For 2026
Inside every entrepreneur is a bold and powerful vision—a vision that has the potential to become your guiding North Star as you continue to build and shape your business over the years to come.
This vision is more than just an idea; it’s a strategic compass pointing toward the future you truly want to create. In this case, towards an awesome 2026.
If you’ve lost sight of what you truly want from your business, where the demand is, and how you wish to impact the world then this is your opportunity to reconnect. You need a vision in order to set the right goals for 2026.
Start scribbling.
Examples:
Could you imagine if Oprah was our client,
Yes AND… We had a shoutout on a major TV network
Could you imagine if we served 50% of people in our community who need a Dentist
Yes AND… Other dental practices would be looking to us for innovation, customer services tips and clinic aesthetics
Could you imagine if we had a Top Podcast on the Alternative Health Charts,
Yes AND… We were being approached by the top health professionals to appear on the show AND we had consistent sponsors
Could you imagine if I donated $500 dollars to our local food bank after a successful course launch?
Could you imagine if...
Yes And…
Could you imagine if...
Yes And…
Could you imagine if...
Yes And…
Looking at your statements from above, now bring it to a realistic and/or slight stretch of a vision for the 2026 calendar year.
What matters is not having a PERFECT vision. That doesn’t exist. But as time progresses, you can update and evolve the vision to suit the current reality of your business. Never stop dreaming (big) about what’s possible. You just might surprise yourself!
2026:
The Year I / My Company _____ and _______
(Make sure the vision is less about you, and changes more lives than just your own)
Step 4 - The Plan
Let’s turn your vision into some missions for the upcoming 12 months. The missions will help you accomplish the vision!
Essentially, you’re choosing 3 projects or areas of the business to prioritize and set goals around - all of which help you to inch towards the vision.
You can follow this structure to plot your 3 missions:
Money-Makin’ Project – A mission that you know will directly impact revenue, profit, or overall financial health.
Experimental Project – A new idea to test and try something different for your business. It should excite you, and be something that could lead to a massive leap (but it’s OK if it flops or grows slow)
Operations/Systems Project – A focus on improving systems, workflows, and infrastructure for long-term growth and to avoid overwork / burnout.
OR, choose another structure (sales, marketing, finance, ops) etc.
Step 5 - The Money
In 1985, Jim Carrey made an audacious decision: He wrote himself a $10-million check for “acting services rendered,” dated it 10 years in the future, and kept it in his wallet. Call it a coincidence, but in November 1995, Carrey found out he was cast in the movie “Dumb and Dumber” for — you guessed it — $10 million.
Step 6 - The Accountability
We take on the disciplines, mindsets and thinking methods of people that we surround ourselves with (whether we know them in real life, or not). Who are 3 people that you look up to for the way they run their businesses or for the mindsets and disciplines they’ve exemplified?
You can consider people who have excelled in areas like generosity, structure, time management, health, big sky thinking, boldness, value, marketing, strategy, growth, leadership, etc.
What skills am I lacking? Where do I need to upgrade? What is 1 thing I can do to bridge the gap between my own skillset and theirs?
Wander and Focus:
When, where and how do I plan to ‘wander’ in 2026?
When, where and how do I plan to ‘focus’ in 2026?
The type of commitments you’re making in 2026 require a level of health, energy, vitality, clear thinking and wellbeing that most people aren’t willing to strive for and maintain.
What are the health upgrades you’ll be committing to operate at peak state, 10/10 energy in 2026?
Step 7 - Declaration & Commitment
I, ______________________ (Insert Your Name Here), declare that I will commit to taking care of myself and the health of my business over the next 12 months.
I hereby promise to honour the goals I’ve created, which include (but are not limited to):
I commit to stepping into the role of Chief Visionary Officer (CVO) and will fearlessly (okay, maybe with a tiny bit of fear) take action on the strategies that excite me, grow me, and maybe even scare me.
If I feel lost along the way, I agree to refer back to this plan, check in with my mentors and peers, and remind myself, “Hey, I made this for a reason!” I also vow to celebrate my wins—big and small—because entrepreneurship doesn’t come with a full time cheerleader 🎉
Finally, I promise to accept my humanity when I stumble and go off-course, and keep the spark alive for the passion that started it all.
Signed this 23rd day of December 2024.
Signature:
______________________________________
(That’s you, the trailblazer!)
Here’s to the kind of success that you dreamed of when you said YES to your business, many months or years ago.
BONUS!
Choose your word of the year!
Write your word of 2026 here.
Ex:
Transform
Balance
Boldness
Create
Fearlessness
Purpose
Persevere
Freedom
Passion
Authenticity
Collaboration
Recharge
Mindset
Propel
Imaginative
Elevation
Planning for the year ahead is not just a business activity; it's an opportunity to align your work with your broader life goals. Remember, a well-planned year can lead to incredible transformations in your business and personal life.
And remember, if you ever feel stuck or need a fresh pair of eyes on your plans, don't hesitate to reach out to experts or peers (or you can DM me on Instagram - I am a Business and Marketing Coach with 10 years of experience, serving over 500 clients, and helping generate millions for my clients PLUS I love connecting with you!).
Happy Business Planning and Happy New Year!
•••
🚨 Before You Go!
I’m here to build and help you implement a step-by-step, customized marketing plan that takes your business from slow to stable, earning you a generous yearly income without ever having to set foot in the office again.
If I’ve learned anything in my 14+ years of marketing and business-building experience, it’s this: there are two types of solutions - core solutions to core problems and trending solutions to trending problems.
Trying to fix a core problem (such as bad SEO and your business not showing up in a Google search) with a trending solution (posting memes of Taylor Swift at the Super Bowl) won’t work.
When we work together, we first identify the challenge on our hands and then come up with the right type of solution.
Whether you’re dealing with a challenge around setting up your business, finding clients, or just want to know what to post on social media to start seeing fresh faces in your audience - I can help.
Apply for a free discovery call today →
•••
And while I have your attention, thank YOU for taking time out of your busy day to read this blog and to trust that I have something valuable to share with you!
To learn more about how I can support your Business & Marketing Growth Goals, click here.
*p.s. If you tell me ‘the blog sent you’ I’ll share a special discount code with you for 15% off any coaching package.