The question I ask every business owner before we plan a quarter has nothing to do with their goals and it’s the one that changes the plan.)
Last September, about an hour into the Q4 Profitability Planning Intensive, I asked the participants my anti-goal question. What do you want to avoid happening this quarter while you go after your goals?
I could see everyone taking a pause. Goals are relatively easy to determine but the real cost of working to achieve them is the part most people don’t consider.
To provide context, I shared my own example.
My goal – a certain revenue growth number in Q4.
My anti-goal – I wasn’t willing to give up most of my nights and weekends to achieve that goal.
Identifying the anti-goal changed my plan, mostly by what it took off.
Solo professionals often let 4th quarter just happen. October arrives, the client delivery work stacks up and holiday prep starts taking over. Life happens, as it does, and before we know it December is here.
The owners who finish strong make their Q4 decisions in September, while there is still a full quarter to act on them. That gives them an advantage and it’s available to anybody willing to sit down for a solid chunk of time to step back, envision the future, and craft the plan to make it real.
Where to start
When you do take the time to work ON your business, particularly when you consider the business development pillar of your business, start in the least exciting place in your business. Your own contact list.
Most of the revenue available to you between now and December 31 exists with people who already know you. A conversation you start in October with a stranger tends to pay off sometime next spring. A conversation with someone who has already paid you, already trusted you and already had a good result can close inside the quarter.
Three questions (plus the key bonus one) worth 15 minutes of your time:
Which of your current clients needs something you already offer but has never been told about it? Most of us have two or three.
Which past client‘s engagement ended well, but the client hasn’t heard from you since? An authentic and caring note from someone who remembers their business goes such a long way.
Which referral have you already earned and never asked for? You provided good, solid work. The person knows it but you’ve never made the ask.
BONUS QUESTION that makes the plan realistic and doable: What comes off your Q4 list to make room for those conversations? If you’re only adding, your plan becomes a recipe for overwhelm.
Your fourth quarter is going to happen either way. September is when you get to decide what it looks like.
Profitability Planning Intensive
Wednesday, September 30, 10am to 2pm ET, live on Zoom
We spend half a day on all five pillars of your business: Marketing, Services and what each one actually earns, including its pricing and margins, the Operations running behind the scenes, Finances, and Personal Management – how you manage and care for yourself, the true engine of your business.
You leave with one prioritized plan for the quarter, your timeline of when your action steps will be completed, plus the fillable PPI workbook and an AI prompt guide to make the entire planning and execution process easier.
Early bird pricing runs through September 18.
Save your seat: https://scatteredtostreamlined.com/profitability-planning-intensive/