Q4 Business Planning: Your Month-by-Month Game Plan to Finish Strong

In the last quarter of the year, it's crunch time for business owners. With the holidays, kids off of school, visits with family, travel, now more than ever it's essential you keep your eye on the prize and maintain momentum.

To help you finish the year strong, here’s a quick month-by-month guide to business planning for October, November, and December.

October: Plan and Prepare

This is your setup month. Use October to lay the groundwork and get ready for the season.  Here's three areas you can concentrate on.

• • Marketing Strategy: Plan and finalize your end of year marketing campaigns.
    TIP: While your competition may be of the mindset that "no one is buying," so they stop marketing, your customers ARE buying! Keep your foot on the gas and create campaigns that bring more value to current customers and create urgency for existing and new customers.

• • Inventory Check: Ensure you’re stocked up and ready to meet demand, or prepare your team for service rushes.  Now would also be a great time to analyze which products are the most profitable and the most popular.

• • 2024 Budget: Start drafting next year’s budget based on your performance so far and plan for new projects, investments or hires you want to make in the first quarter.  

November: Execute and Optimize

November is all about putting your plans into action and making adjustments on the go.

• • Launch Promotions: Kick off holiday sales, monitor performance, and optimize campaigns.

• • Monitor Cash Flow: Keep your spending in check to avoid overspending during the holiday rush.  Refer to your budget on a weekly, if not daily, basis depending on how often you transact.  

• • Team Engagement: Check in with your team to keep morale high as things get busy in the business and in their personal lives.  
    TIP: Consider team-building activities and/or a small gesture of gratitude to keep morale high.

December: Wrap Up and Reflect

Close out the year on a high note, while prepping for 2025. 

• • Maximize Sales: Use urgency-driven promotions to drive year-end sales.  You can even ask your customers if they'd like to pre-pay.

• • Tax Planning: Make final financial decisions to optimize your tax situation.
    TIP: Talk to your accountant about any last-minute opportunities to save on tax liabilities. Whether investing in new equipment or maxing out retirement contributions, you've got time to make moves!

• • Celebrate Wins: Reflect on the year’s successes, recognize your team’s hard work, and start setting your goals and priorities for Q1 2025.

Final Thoughts

Break Q4 into these monthly focuses—prepare in October, execute in November, and wrap up in December—and you’ll set yourself up for a strong finish to 2024 and a confident start to 2025. If you're not sure how these work in your business, set up a complimentary call so we can strategize what's best for your business and goals.