How to Grow your small Business

A new year or business anniversary is the ideal time to reflect on your achievements, evaluate your strategies, and set a strong foundation for your business for the year ahead. Success doesn't just happen by chance—it’s the result of intentional planning and consistent action. Here are nine actionable steps you can (and should!) take as an entrepreneur.

1. Revisit your business vision

A vision helps guide goals and decisions. If you already have an established vision, reflect on the goals you set at the beginning of the previous year:

• Did you accomplish them?

• Are they still relevant to where you want your business to go?

• Has your personal and professional growth influenced your aspirations—and if so, how?

For example, if you initially aimed to secure high-paying clients but over time discovered a passion for teaching web design, your vision may now include launching and selling an online course.

Write down your updated vision to act as your roadmap for the year ahead.

2. Reflect on your client relationships

Clients are vital to your business, so it’s crucial to nurture these relationships. Start by identifying the clients you’ve enjoyed working with most:

• Which projects have brought you joy and financial success?

• Which clients were most aligned with your values and vision?

• Who do you wish you worked with more?

• Who do you NOT want to work with?

Make a list of the clients you loved working with and email them before the year ends. Send a personalized message expressing your gratitude and updating them on your services/prices/offerings for the year ahead. This outreach can lead to repeat business, referrals, or even collaborations on larger projects. You may also want to reach out and introduce yourself to people/businesses that you would love to work with - sometimes people in your network don’t really know what you do or what you can offer them.

Pro tip: Schedule reminders throughout the year to maintain consistent communication and re-engage past clients. This habit can yield long-term benefits and establish you as a trusted partner to their businesses.

3. Determine if you need to pivot

As a small business you will constantly need to evolve, and staying stagnant can limit your growth. Reflect on your current business model and services:

• Do you see any patterns in the types of requests you receive?

• Are there new services or products that clients are looking to you to provide?

• Do you enjoy working with a specific audience, delivering a particular type of service, creating a distinct kind of product more than others?

For example, if you primarily bake sourdough bread, consider creating additional baked goods using your sourdough discard (e.g. cookies, muffins, crackers, etc) or expanding into hosting private sourdough baking lessons. Alternatively, if you feel like your bandwidth is stretched, consider specializing in a niche. A thoughtful pivot can position your business as a leader in the growing market.

4. Assess what worked and what didn’t

Conducting a year-end review is one of the most powerful ways to grow your business.

• What strategies brought in the most clients or revenue?

• Which processes felt cumbersome or inefficient?

Write down a list of actionable improvements and prioritize them for the upcoming year. For example, if offering a next day delivery brought in significant revenue, consider expanding the offering and refining your workflow. Conversely, if maintaining a blog felt overwhelming, decide whether it’s worth outsourcing articles or shifting your focus to another marketing strategy.

5. Stay ahead of industry trends

Market trends, the economy, and technology all evolve rapidly these days, and staying current is essential to your success. Spend time researching:

• Emerging industry trends and competitors

• Tools, techniques and products/suppliers that you frequently use

• Skills or features that set you apart

Invest in professional development through online courses or workshops. Staying on the cutting edge doesn’t just enhance your skills—it also makes you more marketable to high-value clients. For instance, learning how to approach a corporate sale and close a deal may open new doors for your small business.

6. Review client processes and communication

Your clients’ experiences play a crucial role in shaping your reputation and success. Take this opportunity to assess the effectiveness of your current client processes:

• Was your onboarding/ordering/shipping process clear and efficient?

• Did your consultation calls help establish trust and clarify expectations?

• Was your offboarding/after sales support process smooth and professional?

• Did you have a system in place to ask for testimonials or referrals?

For instance, if your clients asked the same questions during onboarding, consider creating a welcome packet or a resource guide to streamline the process. If feedback loops felt chaotic, explore ways to structure your communication and deliverables more effectively.

By optimizing these processes, you can save time, improve client satisfaction, and boost referrals and testimonials.

7. Check your mindset 

Behind every thriving business is a mindset rooted in resilience and abundance. Reflect on your mindset over the past year:

• Did you approach challenges with resilience and creativity?

• Were there limiting beliefs holding you back, such as fears about raising your rates or expanding your services?

From there, commit to cultivating a success-oriented mindset. This could include:

• Practicing daily affirmations to reinforce your confidence and worth

• Setting aside time for visualization or journaling to focus on your goals

• Engaging in practices that help you reframe setbacks as growth opportunities

• Booking in a quick coaching session with me.

By addressing your internal beliefs, you’ll be better equipped to take bolder, more decisive actions in the year ahead.

8. Commit to one big change for the year

If you could make one significant improvement to your business next year, what would it be?

• Launching a signature service/product?

• Scaling your income with digital products?

• Building a more robust online or social presence?

• Streamlining your business operations, such as client acquisition processes and design workflows?

Choose a goal that excites and challenges you, then break it down into actionable steps. If you want to create a new service, start by defining the product/offer, identifying your target audience, and outlining your marketing strategy. By focusing on one transformative goal, you can make tangible progress without feeling completely overwhelmed.

9. Set work-life balance goals

Your success as a small business owner isn’t just about revenue—it’s about maintaining a sustainable and fulfilling lifestyle. Reflect on your work-life balance in the previous year:

• Were you able to set boundaries between work and personal time?

• Did you schedule regular breaks and vacations?

Set specific goals for the year ahead to ensure your well-being remains a priority. This may include limiting client communication to specific hours, taking weekends off, or dedicating time each week to a hobby you love.

Remember: a well-rested mind is a creative mind. Prioritizing balance can lead to better work and happier clients.

10. Seek support if you need it

Preparing for a successful year means focusing on intentional actions that help you build the business and life you want. From refining your vision to nurturing client relationships and cultivating a success-oriented mindset, each action you take now can pay dividends in the new year. And if you are feeling stuck, need a thought partner to find clarity, or a confidence boost, then schedule a call with me.

Start small by scheduling a day to reflect and plan. Then, tackle each step one at a time. With a clear strategy and a commitment to growth, your small business is poised to thrive.

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This post is an edited version of A Web Designer’s Guide to Growing Your Business in 2025 that appeared on Squarespace’s blog by Sophia Ojha on 12/20/2024.