Six New Year’s Business Resolutions to Make Right Now

Many people make New Year’s resolutions at this time of year, such as to lose weight, exercise more or take up a new hobby. However, this is also a good time to make some New Year’s business resolutions. Here are six business New Year’s resolutions to consider as you plan for 2026:

1. Revisit Your Business and Marketing Plans
Your business and marketing plans should be living, breathing documents. If you haven’t reviewed these plans lately, set aside some time early in the year to do so. Then update your plans to reflect changes in your business and industry that have occurred over the past year.

For example, how did your actual sales and revenue compare to projections? What are the latest industry trends that could affect your business? Could new competitors threaten your market share? Which marketing strategies worked well over the past year and which ones didn’t? Eliminate the strategies that didn’t generate results and plan on investing more in the ones that did.

2. Grow Your Professional Network
It’s easy to neglect networking when you’re busy running a business, but networking is a key to professional success. Be deliberate about meeting fellow business owners and other professionals who can help you expand your business and grow personally and professionally. For example, join industry and trade associations as well as local groups such as the Rotary Club or Toastmasters International to meet other like-minded professionals.

3. Set Realistic New Goals
Start by determining how well you did in achieving your 2025 business goals. Based on this, you can set new goals for 2026 that build on last year’s success or focus on areas that need improvement. Identify key performance indicators (KPIs) that are critical to your company’s success, such as sales, revenue, profits and retention (both customers and employees).

Once you have set new goals for 2026, you can make projections for the new year. Be sure your projections are based on accurate and realistic assumptions — don’t just project last year’s numbers into this year without considering changes in the broad economy and your industry. Refer to your projections throughout the year to see how actual performance measures up to your forecasts.

4. Start Delegating Strategically
Many business owners live by the adage, “If you want something done right, you’ve got to do it yourself.” But this can be counter-productive if you end up micromanaging projects and spending time on things that could easily be handled by someone else.

By delegating non-critical tasks, you’ll free up your time and energy to concentrate on more strategic initiatives that positively impact your bottom line. Identify tasks that a trusted employee could accomplish just as easily as you, as well as tasks that you don’t enjoy or find difficult, and hand these off to someone else. This will be a win-win for both you and your employees.

5. Invest in Technology and Automation
The latest technological advances are enabling businesses of all sizes to increase efficiency, reduce costs and boost profits. At the top of the list is artificial intelligence (AI), which is transforming some industries from the ground up. Invest in AI tools and software that can automate manual processes like invoicing, inventory management, payroll, customer support and more. Your initial investment in these kinds of technology can pay for itself many times over in the form of higher efficiency and lower costs.

6. Commit to Achieving a Healthy Work-Life Balance
This is a big challenge for many Type-A business owners and CEOs who have a hard time drawing the line between their business and personal lives. When taken to the extreme, an imbalance between your work and personal lives can result in stress, burnout, poor health (both mental and physical), relationship problems and an overall low quality of life.

The right work-life balance between is different for everyone, so think carefully about what’s best for you. Then devise a plan for how you’ll achieve this balance — and stick to it. The same goes for your employees: Encourage them to find the right work-life balance for themselves and their families and give them the flexibility to achieve it.

Concluding Thoughts
While you’re making New Year’s resolutions for things like losing weight and exercising more, also think about business resolutions you can make to improve your business. Set aside some time now to talk with your managers about the best business resolutions for your business in 2026. This time next year, you’ll be glad you did. Give us a call if you’d like to brainstorm some ideas for business resolutions.

Arthur F. Rothberg, Managing Director, CFO Edge, LLC