The New Year has officially begun, and now that you’ve clarified your personal mission statement, mapped out your priorities, and set aligned personal goals, it’s time to shift your focus outward toward the structure, systems, and strategy of your small business itself.
Your mission gives you direction. Your goals give you your momentum. But, your business reality determines how far those goals can take you. That’s why the next step in your planning process isn’t necessarily about adding more goals or “new year’s resolutions”, it’s about understanding your business well enough to choose the right ones.
Now that you’ve entered 2026 anchored in clarity and purpose, your business resolutions should support (not compete with) your personal mission. To do that, you need to identify what matters most for your business. Before choosing what to improve, launch, grow, or streamline this year, you need a clear picture of your business’s strengths, limitations, opportunities, and risks.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before deciding on new initiatives for your business:
- What parts of my business are performing well and can be strengthened?
- What areas are underperforming or causing friction?
- Where are the opportunities that match my resources and mission?
- What risks or challenges could block progress if unaddressed?
Answering these questions gives you a direction and ensures that you don’t set goals for your business that just look good on paper, but don’t move the needle. A SWOT analysis (examining your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a great way to give you an honest snapshot of where your business stands today and essentially helps you find the answers to the questions above.
A SWOT analysis is the simplest, most powerful way to understand your business from every angle. It helps you see:
- Strengths: What advantages or assets can you intentionally leverage this year?
- Weaknesses: Where does your business need strengthening to support your goals?
- Opportunities: What trends, partnerships, or unmet needs could help you grow?
- Threats: What external challenges should you prepare for or guard against?
Creating “new year’s resolutions” for your small business shouldn’t be about choosing random, feel good goals, you should be designing a strategic plan rooted in truth, clarity, and alignment.
Next week we will be diving deeper into how to conduct a full SWOT analysis and giving you the tools to evaluate your business with clarity and confidence. This process will help you refine your 2026 goals even further and keep your business growing with intention.
Here’s to a year of aligned decisions, focused action, and purposeful progress – one small step at a time!
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