Time to plan for 2024

Written By: John McCluskey, Managing Director of Whizdom, APSCo Director

As another year comes to an end, and Christmas and the holidays are just around the corner, many of us are focused on planning for the festive season.

Amidst this time of holiday hustle, it is essential for business owners and leaders to pause and take some time to undertake a stocktake of their business and prepare and plan for the upcoming year to get on the front foot for 2024. This time is a great time to do that with many businesses (excluding retail) slowing down preparing for the shutdown period.

Reflect on the last 12 months- what went well, what can be improved and consider the market and operating conditions both within and beyond your control. Is there anything you can do now before the end of the year to strengthen your business for the upcoming year? This might involve reviewing expenses, identifying key hires for future growth, or ensuring a successful final month of the calendar year.

Looking ahead to the next year; ask yourself if you are content with the current state of your business or if there’s a long-planned initiative on your radar that warrants your attention If nothing changes, nothing changes, right!

This could include reviewing business strategies, social impact, training, more time dedicated to self-improvement, attracting new clients, expanding services, or entering sectors Embrace the new year as an opportunity for fresh ideas and perspectives.

If you have had a challenging year, you are not alone Challenges are no excuse to accept more of the same A bigger business does not always equate to a better business Consider focusing more attention on those clients which value your contribution and service It may be time to move on from those high maintenance problematic clients which fail to recognise your efforts.

Establishing boundaries by sometimes saying no to bad business is the best decision you can make for your business, reputation, and your people.