January is the perfect time to set yourself up for a productive year. We asked three organisation experts – a virtual assistant, a business manager, and a business coach – to create a checklist to help you succeed in 2025.
While not exhaustive, here’s a list of things to get you started on the right foot this year.
Scheduling
- Calendarise your year
Put important dates into your calendar, including recurring events like meetings and networking events. Don’t forget personal milestones like birthdays and anniversaries and set aside time for working on your business.
- Block out rest time
Block out holidays and breaks, if possible, to reset yourself physically and mentally.
Clients
- Clean up contracts
Review your client contracts to ensure they align with your current services. If updates are needed, buy a new template or contact your lawyer. Send the new versions to your client for them to sign.
- Assess your client journey
Map out each touchpoint you have with your audience – from discovery to offboarding. Identify areas where you can improve the experience and boost client retention.
Financials
- Review last year’s financial performance
Set goals for revenue, profit, and expenses. Create a budget and review your cash flow projections. Consult your accountant if needed.
- Review pricing
Plan your pricing strategy for the year, ensuring it covers all business costs with projected increases and profit.
- Evaluate the performance of your current products and/or services
Consider retiring any unprofitable offerings and brainstorming new ones and incorporate customer feedback if possible.
Tech
- Review your IT needs and update or upgrade any software or systems
Assess and update your software, systems, and equipment. Include any new requirements in your financial plan. Strengthen cybersecurity to protect your data, back up important files, and cancel software subscriptions that are no longer needed.
Processes
- Review your processes for efficiency
Identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement and update if necessary. Invest in automation tools where you can. Determine tasks outside your expertise or capacity and make plans to delegate, outsource, or hire for support.
- Create and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Write SOPs or ‘how tos’ for all areas of your business and update any existing SOPs if your processes have changed. Use tools like Loom or AI to document processes efficiently. Organise this information into systems with flowcharts, scripts, or videos that align with your organisational structure.
- Update your templates
Review and improve any templates you use, such as email responses or client project outlines, to enhance the customer experience.
Tidying tasks
- Set up your office space
De-clutter and clean your office. Reorganise your desktop, desk drawers, and cables. Invest in storage solutions to keep your workspace tidy. Refresh your workspace with items like a standing desk, walking pad or plants to boost energy and focus.
- Tidy your email list
Remove inactive or bounced contacts from your email list. Send a re-engagement sequence to subscribers who haven’t interacted in the past six months.
- Digital cleanup
Update your passwords and use a password manager. Delete old apps and files from your devices. Organise your inbox with folders for the new year.
- Declutter your workspace
Streamline your tools and files. Simplify your filing system and clearly label folders. Apply the 4D principle to emails: Do, Diarise, Delegate or Delete.
Personal wellbeing
- Reflect on your business goals
Review last year’s goals and celebrate your accomplishments, big and small.
- Establish new goals
Set goals and/or intentions (however you like to mentally frame them) for the year ahead. Write a list of what you’d like to achieve to have an impactful and successful year. Break these goals down into smaller tasks that you can tick off each quarter.
- Set boundaries and stick to them
Evaluate your work hours, project timelines, and client communication habits. Identify areas where you’re overextending yourself and establish clear boundaries. Communicate changes to clients or employees, such as expectations around punctuality, cleanliness or respect.
Online presence
- Online directory listings
Audit your directory listings and update details for consistency across platforms. Look for new directories where you can list your business for better visibility.
- Audit your online content
Review your website, blogs, and social media for outdated content. Update details like the copyright year, bios, and profiles. Plan your content calendar and digital ad campaigns for the year.
- SEO
Claim and complete your Google Business Profile. Update keywords on your website, check site speed, and ensure all links are functional. Add internal links to improve navigation and visitor retention.
- Bank your content
Get a head start on the year by creating images, filming reels, and writing captions for the first few months.
This article first appeared in issue 47 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
