It's time to celebrate 🥳

Making the most of Q4

Before we get stuck in to this week’s missive, I have some news…..

I have created the Not Your Average Business Community!

Being in business is crazy hard work, especially when it is just you, like it is for most of us micro business owners.

So I have created a space for us to come together while we work on our businesses.

For £10 a month you will continue to get my regular weekly newsletters, PLUS:

• A dedicated AMA ('Ask Me Anything') monthly newsletter .Each month you can drop me a question about anything to do with your business and I will write an exclusive newsletter answering as many questions as I can.

• An subscribers only podcast created just for this NYAB community tackling one of these questions in more detail, plus anything else that comes up.

• AND, a dedicated chat community where we can talk about challenges and how to help you move forward in your business.

It’s not that you are no good at business, or aren’t working hard enough.

You are a micro business in a world that was not created with you in mind.

So you follow advice that was not created for your kind of business, but comes from a corporate model, and you wonder why it doesn’t work.

If you feel like you are doing all the things and you are still not seeing the success you want to, join the NYAB community and let’s get real about the doing the things that actually work.

Hey you,

I’m not about to drop the ‘C’ bomb (🎄⛄ 🤦‍♀️) but as we head into this time of the year Q4 is just around the corner. The fourth quarter of the year, Q4 (or the period from October- December) can be a crucial time for micro-businesses, especially with the holiday season and planning for the coming year ahead…
 
Where Q1 (January to March) is all about the excitement and anticipation of the new year, Q4 is naturally more reflective and is a great time to review.
 
As a business coach I am a great believer in goals and targets (but you probably knew that…) because they set the direction and give us focus and motivation. So (with my own coach – yes dear reader, of course I practice what I preach!) I set myself targets each quarter and each month and in Q4 I get to reflect on my progress and start to think about what I may change or modify in the coming year.
 
Doing this is the only way I know if I have been successful on my terms and whether the strategies I have employed throughout that year have been effective.
 
And if that sounds a bit dull and like more work rather than less, remember that being more organised in your business, particularly when it comes to your finances, saves you so much time, and actually makes your life way easier. For me, it means I actually have time for myself to devote to resting and having fun!

 

Here are some tips to make the most out Q4 and get organised:
 

📆Plan Ahead 

Start planning your strategy for Q4 now. If Christmas is a busy time for you, think about what you need to put in place to increase sales. Plan your marketing strategy for the next few months and start to think about the new year.
 
While Christmas is not a busy time for me per se, December and January are when prospects are typically looking for business coaching, so I ensure that my content and marketing is geared to that.
 
If you’re a product business and Christmas is a crazy time for sales, ensure you have enough inventory to meet the increased demand during the holiday season. Monitor sales trends from previous years to make informed decisions about stock levels, this year.


📆Marketing Campaigns 

Could you develop targeted marketing campaigns to attract holiday shoppers? Use social media, email marketing, and paid advertising to promote your products or services effectively.
 
If January is a busy time for your business, plan for that now and be ahead of the curve!
 

📆 Refresh your website 

Now is a great time to reflect on how your website has been performing. Are you getting lots of traffic? Is that translating into sales? Ensure that everything is working as efficiently as it can be (I.e. No broken links, call to action and buy buttons all working) and monitor how visitors are moving around your site. Also think about your SEO and take some time to write some blogs, refresh content or update images.
 

📆 Engage with Your Audience

Okay, so you should always be engaging with your audience, but now is the time to show them some love if that has gone on the back burner. Interact with your customers on social media platforms by responding to comments, sharing user-generated content, and running contests, challenges or giveaways to keep them engaged with your brand.

 
📆Evaluate and Adjust 

One of the reasons why targets are so important is that they keep us focussed on the specific actions we need to take to move towards them. I will often ask clients, “if you want to hit X target in your business, what are the actions you are going to take each day, week, month to get you there?”
 
Continuously monitor your sales performance throughout Q4 and be prepared to adjust your strategies if necessary. Analyse what is working well when it comes to sales and marketing and which ones need improvement.
 

📆 Prepare for the New Year 

As you move into this part of the year, use it to reflect on your business performance and set goals for the upcoming year. Review your finances, assess what worked well, and identify areas for improvement to set yourself up for success in the new year.
 

📆 Don’t forget to celebrate!

 
Running a business is crazy hard! You have made it all the way to Q4 so celebrate what you have achieved this year. Make a list of all your wins, big and small and take satisfaction in crossing off the list all the goals you smashed, not just financial ones.
 
You may have had a major mindset shift, or brought in some much needed boundaries around your work. You may have ditched some clients that weren’t working for you and found some lovely ones instead.
 
Whatever it is, acknowledge it and celebrate it. You work hard and you deserve your success.
 
And as we head in to Q4 and start to think about 2025 (I know…..!) think about what you really want for you and your business and let’s talk! Book a FREE 90 minute Coaching Call and let’s take the next steps together. You don’t need to do this alone.