The vast majority of small business owners are making plans for the totally wrong things in 2026. Here’s how to avoid it happening to you.
The winners play to win
The small business winners in 2026 will all have something in common. They will be looking at the year ahead and planning for the right things. You know? Like how to make a lot more money, with bigger profits, and maintain their outstanding cash flow position. That kind of stuff.
They’ll then invest in their business accordingly. So, they plan for success and invest for success and guess what? They achieve the success they’ve planned and invested in.
The majority
The majority will plan for the wrong things. This is regardless of their industry. They’ll look at 2026 and consider it as a success, if they manage to make a marginal profit. Some will see survival as a victory.
They’ll then invest in their business accordingly. So, they plan for borderline survival and invest in borderline survival and guess what? Yep… they get borderline survival.
Your 2026 plan
If you’re in that winning minority, well done. You’ll find lots of great ideas over on my creative thinking website.
For everyone else, here are a few suggestions.
De-Commoditize
This is the main suggestion. By itself, it can massively increase your profits and revenues. Decide to make your business meaningfully different from its competitors. Then find someone who knows what they’re doing to create it for you.
You’ll never need to compete based on price ever again.
Don’t shoot for survival
This suggestion seems obvious, yet many small business owners unconsciously make the mistake, anyway. Don’t focus on struggling, or plan for mere survival. Important: Miss your survival target by 1% and you fail to survive!
When sharing this with groups of small business owners, I ask them to consider the following: If you were focused on enjoying your best business year ever, and planning for it to happen, would your thoughts and plans look the way they currently do for 2026?
Ponder the full cost of lowering your wage bill
When laying-off staff members or reducing their hours, a lot of employers forget to weigh up 2 potentially massive costs.
Firstly, morale and motivation can plummet. This results in a poor working atmosphere, which can also get picked-up by your clients, customers and contacts.
Secondly, remaining employees may start looking for a stable job elsewhere. And it’s not the least valued who are quickly snapped-up, it’s your most valued. So, there’s the potential to lose your super-stars.
You’re in control
Our results in 2026 will be determined by.
- What we do
- What we choose to ignore
Not outside factors. Not the economy.
That’s because we already know that in 2026, some will have their best ever year. Other’s in the same industries, in the same areas, with the same economies, selling to the same profile of client or customer, will struggle or go broke.
The lesson here?
Don’t waste another year.
Plan for what you want.
Focus on ways to flourish.
Don’t follow the crowd.
If you do the above, I’m telling you, you’ll align everything for your success. So, give it your best shot.