Nine year end tasks to help you finish 2018 and get ready for the new year

Can you believe it? Tomorrow is the first day of November (or today, depending on where you live). Now, I know you are suffering from a major candy buzz after taking your, ahem, parent tax from your ghosts and goblins.

Pay attention, the end of the year is almost here!

You have two months to make 2018 the best year for your business. What do you have left to do?

I run a hyperlocal website and Monday night I sat down with my marketing directory as thought about and planned the final weeks of the year. We spent over two hours talking about content we need to created and campaigns to run.

Finish strong! That is what we are trying to do as we head into our final two months. Today I am going to mention nine year end tasks to help you finish 2018 and get ready for the new year.

Let’s get started, shall we?

1. Update your processes

Are you ready to take on more clients? You are if your processes are up to date. The final few weeks is a great time of the year to get your business processes in order.

Some of the things you can work on are your onboarding process, project management, and your lead generation. If you haven’t already, you may also want to shore up your WordPress development workflow. As Suzanne Scacca notes at Pagely,

Much of what you do on a daily basis can easily be preserved within a system of documentation. It’s simply a matter of taking the time to create a workflow documentation for your WordPress business.

Finally, another area to get squared away is your WordPress management (hint, hint). Set up your MainWP dashboard today to update your maintenance process.

2. Book projects for the first of the year

I think this is a huge task. This time of year gets a little hectic. Most businesses aren’t ready to launch a project. Therefore, take the opportunity to book projects for the first of next year.

Maybe you can offer an incentive to get them to book (more on that in a bit). Also, reach out to current clients to ask if they need anything when the new year starts. If you can book a project or two for the first of next year it can help keep you from scrambling to get the new year started.

3. Review and evaluate your business

Why not spend some time evaluating your business? You are likely going to spend some time looking at your business revenue for the year. Are there areas you can improve? Should you pivot or launch a new productized service?

This is a great time to think about these things. Sometimes, the end of the year helps us see more clearly as we prepare for the new year.

4. Set goals for 2019

After spending your time evaluating and reviewing your business, do the logical next step. The next step is setting goals for 2019.

Our goals help us take charge of our businesses and our lives. Decide to do things that matter by helping others strengthen themselves and reach their goals. As you see improvement this will help you become more successful. Business2Community 

If you decided to add a new product, then spend time setting the tasks to meet the goal. Setting goals for next year saves you the time in early January and helps you get a jump start on accomplishments.

5. Launch a holiday special

I know what you are thinking. Holiday specials are for retailers? True. However, you can take advantage of the momentum. Many WordPress software companies will launch specials to get users to upgrade or buy a premium plan.

How can you use holiday specials? Take a look at the various products you have that you sell. Maybe you sell WordPress site care plans. Why not reach out to past clients and offer a special to get them to sign up?

If you sell something that is repeatable, this can be a great way to get a buy into your products. Don’t let retailers and e-commerce companies have all the fun.

6. Plan content for the holiday season

If you decide to launch a holiday special, then it is a good time to think about content to advertise your special. You are likely going to create social media posts as well as emails to send your list.

Another option is to run Facebook ads to your holiday special landing page or create a Facebook Live video that reaches your audience.

7. Seek to learn during the holidays

We are usually slower when it comes to projects during the holidays, so it is a great time to brush up on skills. You can do this by reading books, taking a course, spending time with a network group or practice a new skill.

8. Send year end gifts for your clients

I like to send year end gifts to recurring clients. It is a simple thank you for doing business with me. You may as well.

When I send gifts, I like for them to be different. I have been known to send meat from our state’s most popular meat company. I have also been known to send treats and cookies. Gift giving shows your client how grateful you are for their business.

There are several ways to gift your clients for the holidays. Here are 15 Unique Gifts for Clients That Cost Less Than $40 Each.

9. Spend time with your family and friends

You only have one family. Too much work without spending time with your family will lead to an unbalanced life. It is good to help us recharge, embrace the love of family and friends, and ultimately helps with our own mental health.

Sometimes, we just need to detach ourselves from business and spend time with those in our lives who we care about and who support us.

Wrapping it up

This is the time of the year when it is easy to coast to the end. To be sure, we need to give ourselves time to enjoy spending time with our family and friends. This time of the year is full of holidays to enjoy.

But the end of the year is no time to coast. You can, however, choose to be productive in a different way. Planning, creating strategies, and reviewing your business is a great way to spend the final weeks of the year.

How do you end each year? What activities do you employ to finish strong?