The End-of-Year Business Review Every Entrepreneur Should Actually Do
By December, most business owners are sprinting, spiraling, or straight-up avoiding looking at the numbers. But here’s the truth: a year-end review is one of the most high-ROI, clarity-giving, stress-reducing rituals you can do as a business owner.
The problem? Most people do it backward. They open their Google Sheets, panic at their Stripe deposits, and call it a day.
Let’s do this in a way that actually sets you up for sustainable growth next year — not burnout, chaos, or copy-pasted goals you don’t even want.
1. Start With the Real Wins (Not the Instagram Ones)
I ask every consulting client this:
“What actually worked for you — not what performed the best online?”
Your most meaningful wins rarely show up on the analytics dashboard.
Things like: raising your prices, building a new system, firing a misaligned client, finally delegating, finally resting. These are the CEO-level shifts that move the needle.
Write down 10. Yes, 10. You have them.
2. Identify Your Bottlenecks Without Shame
Where did things feel heavy, clunky, or confusing this year?
Places to look:
• Your marketing consistency
• Your lead flow
• Your systems (or lack thereof)
• Your offers
• Your calendar
• Your boundaries
This isn’t about feeling bad — it’s about diagnosing the business, not the human running it.
3. Re-Evaluate Your Offers (Especially the Ones Draining You)
Every business has at least one “zombie offer.”
It’s technically alive, but it’s sucking the life out of you.
Ask yourself:
• Is this offer profitable?
• Is this offer aligned with where I’m going?
• Does this offer attract the right clients?
• Would I rebuild this offer from scratch today?
If the answer is no… it’s time to sunset, refine, or rebuild.
4. Look at Your Brand With Fresh Eyes
Your brand is a living, breathing thing — not a logo you approved in 2019.
Audit your:
• Messaging
• Website clarity
• Visuals
• Client experience
• Marketing content
Ask:
“Does my brand clearly communicate the level of work I do now — or the version of me from two years ago?”
Most businesses discover their brand has fallen behind their growth. This is fixable — and honestly, exciting.
5. Build a Simple, Clear Plan for Next Year
This is where most people overcomplicate everything. You do not need a 47-page strategy deck.
You need:
One primary goal (revenue or impact)
Three priorities to get you there
A simple weekly rhythm that keeps you accountable
Clarity always beats complexity.
