As business owners, it’s easy to reach the end of the year and feel like the holidays have arrived out of nowhere. The calendar fills, deadlines loom, and before you know it, December becomes a blur of activity, last-minute sales preparations, and unfinished plans.
Christmas and the holiday period can create strong momentum, or it can derail your focus completely. The difference lies in preparation. A holiday season without a plan often leads to stress, missed opportunities, and reactive decisions. But with structure and foresight, you can serve your clients well, protect your time, and start the new year from a place of clarity.
In this episode, we explore how to prepare your business for the Christmas break and holiday season, including:
- How to set clear intentions for what you want from the holidays
- Why structure and systems create space for rest and performance
- A practical framework to help you plan, communicate, and lead through the season
Why Holiday Planning Matters
Too often, business owners treat the holiday period as an afterthought. The year has been full, clients are still coming, and the focus is simply to “get through”. But without planning, you risk losing momentum, confusing clients, and exhausting yourself or your team.
Preparing early is about leading with intention. It allows you to make clear decisions now so you can finish the year strong and enter the next one with energy and direction.
A Practical Framework for Holiday Readiness
Here’s the structured process I guide clients through when preparing their business for the holiday season.
1. Set Your Intentions
Start by deciding what you actually want from the season. Do you want to:
- Increase sales before year-end?
- Maintain steady operations?
- Wind down and reset for the new year?
- Take extended time off while the business continues running?
Clarity here shapes every decision that follows. When you know the outcome you’re aiming for, you can align your actions and expectations accordingly.
2. Review Key Dates and Commitments
Grab your calendar and map out what’s ahead. Identify:
- Client deadlines and delivery cut-offs
- Team availability and leave
- Industry slowdowns or peak periods
These details reveal your true capacity. Planning around them prevents last-minute surprises and gives everyone, including clients, confidence in what to expect.
3. Plan Offers and Communication Early
If you plan to run a holiday promotion, special offer, or seasonal campaign, start now. Ask:
- What do my clients genuinely need during this period?
- How can I offer value, not just discounts?
- What’s the simplest way to communicate it clearly?
Prepare your messaging, schedule content, and communicate timelines early. This gives your business a steady rhythm instead of a December scramble.
4. Manage Expectations and Strengthen Systems
The holiday season often changes availability. Communicate these boundaries early, when you’ll be available, how support will work, and what timelines apply.
Then look at your systems. Automate what you can, schedule ahead, and ensure your team (or contractors) know their responsibilities. Good systems create freedom and reduce stress.
5. Lead with Focus and Balance
Not everything needs to happen before the year ends. Focus on what drives the most impact: the activities that protect relationships, revenue, and reputation.
Equally important, plan for rest. Taking time to recharge isn’t indulgent; it’s strategic. You can’t lead effectively without energy and perspective.
Looking Ahead
The holiday period isn’t a finish line, but a launch pad. The way you manage the final weeks of the year determines how you begin the next one.
Ask yourself:
- What’s one thing I can do this week to prepare my business for the holidays?
- Where do I need clarity, structure, or support?
With a clear plan and steady systems, you can serve your clients well, support your team, and take time to rest, all while setting up a stronger start to the new year.
If you’d like support mapping your holiday strategy, explore the Business Wisdom Vault for tools and templates, or book a one-on-one session. Let’s make this your smoothest and most strategic season yet.
Highlights
00:20 Holiday Business Strategy
01:10 Setting Clear Intentions for the Holiday Season
01:36 Planning Key Dates and Deadlines
02:04 Creating Offers and Promotions
02:38 Managing Client Expectations
03:08 Systemising and Automating Tasks
03:34 Focusing on Revenue Optimisation
04:09 Ensuring Rest and Appreciation
04:45 Preparing for the New Year
05:07 Tracking and Refining Strategies
05:36 Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Resources
Business Wisdom Vault
https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault
All content for Business Wisdom Podcast is the property of Clive Enever and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
As business owners, it’s easy to reach the end of the year and feel like the holidays have arrived out of nowhere. The calendar fills, deadlines loom, and before you know it, December becomes a blur of activity, last-minute sales preparations, and unfinished plans.
Christmas and the holiday period can create strong momentum, or it can derail your focus completely. The difference lies in preparation. A holiday season without a plan often leads to stress, missed opportunities, and reactive decisions. But with structure and foresight, you can serve your clients well, protect your time, and start the new year from a place of clarity.
In this episode, we explore how to prepare your business for the Christmas break and holiday season, including:
- How to set clear intentions for what you want from the holidays
- Why structure and systems create space for rest and performance
- A practical framework to help you plan, communicate, and lead through the season
Why Holiday Planning Matters
Too often, business owners treat the holiday period as an afterthought. The year has been full, clients are still coming, and the focus is simply to “get through”. But without planning, you risk losing momentum, confusing clients, and exhausting yourself or your team.
Preparing early is about leading with intention. It allows you to make clear decisions now so you can finish the year strong and enter the next one with energy and direction.
A Practical Framework for Holiday Readiness
Here’s the structured process I guide clients through when preparing their business for the holiday season.
1. Set Your Intentions
Start by deciding what you actually want from the season. Do you want to:
- Increase sales before year-end?
- Maintain steady operations?
- Wind down and reset for the new year?
- Take extended time off while the business continues running?
Clarity here shapes every decision that follows. When you know the outcome you’re aiming for, you can align your actions and expectations accordingly.
2. Review Key Dates and Commitments
Grab your calendar and map out what’s ahead. Identify:
- Client deadlines and delivery cut-offs
- Team availability and leave
- Industry slowdowns or peak periods
These details reveal your true capacity. Planning around them prevents last-minute surprises and gives everyone, including clients, confidence in what to expect.
3. Plan Offers and Communication Early
If you plan to run a holiday promotion, special offer, or seasonal campaign, start now. Ask:
- What do my clients genuinely need during this period?
- How can I offer value, not just discounts?
- What’s the simplest way to communicate it clearly?
Prepare your messaging, schedule content, and communicate timelines early. This gives your business a steady rhythm instead of a December scramble.
4. Manage Expectations and Strengthen Systems
The holiday season often changes availability. Communicate these boundaries early, when you’ll be available, how support will work, and what timelines apply.
Then look at your systems. Automate what you can, schedule ahead, and ensure your team (or contractors) know their responsibilities. Good systems create freedom and reduce stress.
5. Lead with Focus and Balance
Not everything needs to happen before the year ends. Focus on what drives the most impact: the activities that protect relationships, revenue, and reputation.
Equally important, plan for rest. Taking time to recharge isn’t indulgent; it’s strategic. You can’t lead effectively without energy and perspective.
Looking Ahead
The holiday period isn’t a finish line, but a launch pad. The way you manage the final weeks of the year determines how you begin the next one.
Ask yourself:
- What’s one thing I can do this week to prepare my business for the holidays?
- Where do I need clarity, structure, or support?
With a clear plan and steady systems, you can serve your clients well, support your team, and take time to rest, all while setting up a stronger start to the new year.
If you’d like support mapping your holiday strategy, explore the Business Wisdom Vault for tools and templates, or book a one-on-one session. Let’s make this your smoothest and most strategic season yet.
Highlights
00:20 Holiday Business Strategy
01:10 Setting Clear Intentions for the Holiday Season
01:36 Planning Key Dates and Deadlines
02:04 Creating Offers and Promotions
02:38 Managing Client Expectations
03:08 Systemising and Automating Tasks
03:34 Focusing on Revenue Optimisation
04:09 Ensuring Rest and Appreciation
04:45 Preparing for the New Year
05:07 Tracking and Refining Strategies
05:36 Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Resources
Business Wisdom Vault
https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault
Conducting a Comprehensive Review of Your Business Plan
Business Wisdom Podcast
7 minutes 41 seconds
2 months ago
Conducting a Comprehensive Review of Your Business Plan
Too many business owners treat reviewing their business plan like a once-a-year obligation. But your business plan isn’t just a document to impress the bank or check a box: it’s your roadmap.
In this episode, we look at how a business plan keeps you on course, including:
What to consider during a business plan review
How to reassess your goals and mission
When to reset your strategic priorities
Why a business plan needs reviewing
Like any good map, a business plan needs checking to make sure you’re still on course and to warn you when the landscape changes. Reviewing regularly keeps you aligned with your goals, your values, and the market you serve.
Revisit Your Vision, Mission, Goals and Milestones
Start with your “why”. Why does your business exist? Who does it serve? What impact do you want to make? Has your mission evolved, or have your personal goals shifted?
Sometimes new clients emerge who better align with your values. Other times, you might have drifted away from your original path. If your mission is off, the rest of your plan will be misaligned. This is the foundation.
Next, look at your goals. Are they still relevant, measurable, and realistic with current resources and market conditions? Review your annual and quarterly goals: what’s been achieved, what’s still in progress, and what needs adjusting or dropping altogether.
This isn’t about failure, it’s about refinement. As Confucius taught, adaptability and learning matter more than clinging to unattainable targets.
Assess Financial Performance
Your business plan must be grounded in financial reality. Review revenue trends, profit margins, expenses, cash flow, and pricing structure. Are you meeting your targets? Are your offers priced for both value and sustainability? Can your pricing hold up in shifting market conditions? Look for ways to improve efficiency and reduce waste.
Remember: your business should serve you, not keep you stuck in survival mode.
Re-evaluate Your Ideal Client
Over time, your audience can shift. Have you lost sight of who your ideal client really is? Who are your best clients right now, and what problems are they bringing to you? Are your current offers still the best solutions for them?
Often, when businesses drift from mission or values, they also drift from their ideal client. Realignment of your messaging, offers, and delivery ensures smoother sales, fulfillment, and retention.
Evaluate Your Offers and Delivery
Now, take a hard look at your product or service structure. Which offers are selling well? Which have become a drain? What delivers real value, and what just adds noise? Maybe you’ve outgrown a service.
Maybe your strongest offer needs a refresh. Or maybe you’re spreading yourself too thin. The goal is simplification and alignment. Your offers should move clients forward and drive business growth.
Check Marketing and Sales Alignment
Marketing and sales are where many business plans grow outdated. Ask yourself: Is your message still clear and relevant? Are you attracting quality leads, not just volume? Is your sales process converting at the rate you need? Market shifts, evolving trends, and changing customer behavior can all impact your results.
What worked two years ago may not work now, so review, refine, and adapt.
Operations and Team Check-In
This is often overlooked but critical for sustainable growth. Do your systems still support your goals? Is your team clear on their roles? Where are things breaking down?
This might be the time to document new SOPs, adopt better communication tools, or restructure your team. Even if you’re a solo operator, you still need systems. Strong operations keep your plan viable.
Identify New Opportunities and Risks
As you review, look forward as well as back. What new opportunities have emerged in the last six months? What risks are more visible now? Competition, technology, or shifting buyer behaviour?
A resilient business identifies where to innovate and where to protect against disruption. Build these insights into your plan so you’re always ahead of change.
Reset Strategic Priorities
By this point, you’ll know what’s working, what isn’t, and where the gaps are. Now, reset your strategic priorities for the next 90 days and for the year ahead.
Choose no more than three high-impact priorities and build your quarterly plan around them. Update your business plan to reflect your real direction. A business plan is not a static document, it’s a living guide for decision-making.
Highlights
01:05 – Revisit your vision, mission, goals and milestones
02:39 – Assess financial performance
03:25 – Reevaluate your ideal client
04:03 – Evaluate your offers and delivery
04:42 – Check marketing and sales alignment
05:18 – Operations and team check-in
05:57 – Identify new opportunities and risks
06:34 – Reset strategic priorities
Resources Mentioned in the Podcast
Business Wisdom Vault https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault
Unleashing Your Business Plan's Full Potential
https://www.enevergroup.com.au/staying-path-determined-business-plan/
The Key Components Of A Great Business Plan
https://www.enevergroup.com.au/the-key-components-of-a-great-business-plan/
Business Wisdom Podcast
As business owners, it’s easy to reach the end of the year and feel like the holidays have arrived out of nowhere. The calendar fills, deadlines loom, and before you know it, December becomes a blur of activity, last-minute sales preparations, and unfinished plans.
Christmas and the holiday period can create strong momentum, or it can derail your focus completely. The difference lies in preparation. A holiday season without a plan often leads to stress, missed opportunities, and reactive decisions. But with structure and foresight, you can serve your clients well, protect your time, and start the new year from a place of clarity.
In this episode, we explore how to prepare your business for the Christmas break and holiday season, including:
- How to set clear intentions for what you want from the holidays
- Why structure and systems create space for rest and performance
- A practical framework to help you plan, communicate, and lead through the season
Why Holiday Planning Matters
Too often, business owners treat the holiday period as an afterthought. The year has been full, clients are still coming, and the focus is simply to “get through”. But without planning, you risk losing momentum, confusing clients, and exhausting yourself or your team.
Preparing early is about leading with intention. It allows you to make clear decisions now so you can finish the year strong and enter the next one with energy and direction.
A Practical Framework for Holiday Readiness
Here’s the structured process I guide clients through when preparing their business for the holiday season.
1. Set Your Intentions
Start by deciding what you actually want from the season. Do you want to:
- Increase sales before year-end?
- Maintain steady operations?
- Wind down and reset for the new year?
- Take extended time off while the business continues running?
Clarity here shapes every decision that follows. When you know the outcome you’re aiming for, you can align your actions and expectations accordingly.
2. Review Key Dates and Commitments
Grab your calendar and map out what’s ahead. Identify:
- Client deadlines and delivery cut-offs
- Team availability and leave
- Industry slowdowns or peak periods
These details reveal your true capacity. Planning around them prevents last-minute surprises and gives everyone, including clients, confidence in what to expect.
3. Plan Offers and Communication Early
If you plan to run a holiday promotion, special offer, or seasonal campaign, start now. Ask:
- What do my clients genuinely need during this period?
- How can I offer value, not just discounts?
- What’s the simplest way to communicate it clearly?
Prepare your messaging, schedule content, and communicate timelines early. This gives your business a steady rhythm instead of a December scramble.
4. Manage Expectations and Strengthen Systems
The holiday season often changes availability. Communicate these boundaries early, when you’ll be available, how support will work, and what timelines apply.
Then look at your systems. Automate what you can, schedule ahead, and ensure your team (or contractors) know their responsibilities. Good systems create freedom and reduce stress.
5. Lead with Focus and Balance
Not everything needs to happen before the year ends. Focus on what drives the most impact: the activities that protect relationships, revenue, and reputation.
Equally important, plan for rest. Taking time to recharge isn’t indulgent; it’s strategic. You can’t lead effectively without energy and perspective.
Looking Ahead
The holiday period isn’t a finish line, but a launch pad. The way you manage the final weeks of the year determines how you begin the next one.
Ask yourself:
- What’s one thing I can do this week to prepare my business for the holidays?
- Where do I need clarity, structure, or support?
With a clear plan and steady systems, you can serve your clients well, support your team, and take time to rest, all while setting up a stronger start to the new year.
If you’d like support mapping your holiday strategy, explore the Business Wisdom Vault for tools and templates, or book a one-on-one session. Let’s make this your smoothest and most strategic season yet.
Highlights
00:20 Holiday Business Strategy
01:10 Setting Clear Intentions for the Holiday Season
01:36 Planning Key Dates and Deadlines
02:04 Creating Offers and Promotions
02:38 Managing Client Expectations
03:08 Systemising and Automating Tasks
03:34 Focusing on Revenue Optimisation
04:09 Ensuring Rest and Appreciation
04:45 Preparing for the New Year
05:07 Tracking and Refining Strategies
05:36 Final Thoughts and Next Steps
Resources
Business Wisdom Vault
https://academy.enevergroup.com.au/bundles/BusinessWisdomVault