FIRST THINGS FIRST: Q1 GOALS

The transition from December to January can be heavy for anyone, but it is especially so for small business owners. We leave the hustle and bustle of a joyous holiday season—one that is full of customer service greatness and fun—and head into a new business year. A brand new Quarter One.

As I am sure you know, the financial year is divided into four quarters, the first of those four running from January 1 to March 31. Every business goes about their quarters differently, so my first things first is to set up my Q1 my way. In all honestly, that’s a major reason why this First Things First is coming a little later, as I have been working on prepping a few of the following. Here’s what that will look like for me:

1.) SET UP MY EXCEL AND QUICKBOOKS

I use both Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks Self-Employed to keep track of my business. One of the things I need to do right away in Q1 is get the 2020 Excel ready to track all the things.

2.) SET UP SOCIAL MEDIA AND BLOG CALENDARS

I use a monthly calendar to create a plan for my content. Sometimes that content is created thematically, other times by necessity, but whatever its purpose it is one of the first things I do at the beginning of Quarter One. I initially start with just Q1, but then I look beyond to see what else I can expect (I am not too keen on surprises or being caught off-guard).

3.) SET UP GOALS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR

In my world, Q1 should flow into Q2 and then into Q3 before ending in Q4. For that reason, I like to set up my lists for each about what what I hope to accomplish in those three months. The major goals for the year? Submit to print publications with success, start two new segments of KLP (stay tuned for those), and blog at least three times a week.

That’s a very brief, very simple look, but a look nonetheless, and this is what I plan to fo first things first in January. What is your main objective for January?

First Things First is a personal blog series published at the beginning of each month to spell out goals, dreams, and ambitions…find previous FTF articles here!