When you’re a small business owner, there are so many foundational decisions you put place simply to get your business up and running — decisions about the core of your business, the products and services your business offers, the process you bring your customers and clients through — and so much more.

As your business runs, it’s likely you’ll find that some of those foundational decisions aren’t quite serving your business as well as you had hoped. It’s a natural part of small business ownership that, as we become more familiar with our roles, our clients, and our businesses — we learn and grow, and need time to apply what we’ve learned so our business can reach new heights.

That’s why, today, we’re sharing 5 areas of your business that are worth revisiting — 5 areas we revisit at With Grace and Gold every year around our business anniversary. Revisiting foundational areas of your business can equip you for long-term success, so we’re excited to share our recommended approach!

In the busyness of small business ownership, it’s not always easy to set aside time for revisiting foundational areas of your business. Often times, making changes — especially changes to key areas of your business — means even more changes. But, at With Grace and Gold, we found that, if we were to press forward, knowing changes needed to be made, our business would drift further and further from where we wanted it to go. 

So, while time may be hard find or hard to set aside in the short-term, revisiting these areas of your business and solidifying the foundation of your business is beneficial in the long-term. 

5 Areas of Your Business Worth Revisiting

1. Your brand and your web design. Every year, Andra and I comb through every detail of our brand and web design and ensure every detail still aligns with our clients’ needs, our vision, and our goals. We ask ourselves questions like, “Could this be said more clearly?” Or “Is there a better way to show visitors this?” Our belief is: The sooner we know our brand and web design are still working for us, the sooner we can carry on and run our business. In the busyness of everyday small business ownership, it’s easy to overlook your own brand and web design — but it’s essential to be sure your online home is welcoming for your prospective clients.
2. Your products and services. This year, Andra and I removed 9 products from our website. We reflected on each of our products and services and determined there were 9 products no longer aligned with our hopes for the future. Revisiting your products and services can help you to ensure that you truly feel confident in every product and service you’re offering — that you’re showcasing your best work, that you’re providing the type of quality you’d like to. Are there any products and services you offer that are no longer aligned with your goals?
3. Your process. At With Grace and Gold, our client experience — our process — is ever-evolving. By revisiting our process every year, we’re able to better ensure that every step is carefully and thoughtfully put in place to help our clients journey through a seamless design process from beginning to end. We believe small changes can make a big difference, so updating the order of our process, or combining steps in our process, can make all the difference in creating an elevated process for our clients to journey through.
4. Your copywriting and message. Although the heart behind your business can remain the same, it’s likely that the way you talk about your business, your products and services, and your process has changed over time. It’s likely that, because you know more about your business and your art, you talk about your offerings in a way different from years past. Revisiting your copywriting and your message helps to ensure that you’re communicating about your products, services, and client experience in an open, honest, and authentic way. 
5. Your short-term and long-term goals. Lastly, revisit your short-term and long-term goals. Every year, Andra and I examine the past year and set goals for the year ahead. Sometimes, we plan to phase areas of our business out — and other times, we plan to create new layers in our business. Revisiting those short-term and long-term goals helps us to course-correct… to adjust our daily tasks, one-by-one, to slowly turn our ship, our business, toward accomplishing our most up-to-date goals. 

With the new year just around the corner, we hope today’s episode encourages you to set aside some time to revisit these foundational areas of your business. When you do, you can carry on running your business with confidence and purpose — knowing every detail has been carefully polished to uplift your clients and uplift your business.

Since 2014, With Grace and Gold has provided brand and web design for creative small business owners. Hire With Grace and Gold or shop With Grace and Gold’s pre-made designs and Showit website templates – and come away with an elevated brand and web design for your small business!

About Brand It, Build It Podcast, Hosted by Kelly Zugay

Hosted by Kelly Zugay, co-founder of With Grace and Gold, The Brand It, Build It Podcast is a leading small business marketing podcast for small business owners, creatives, founders and entrepreneurs. Enjoy weekly, actionable episodes to build a successful, sustainable small business from the inside out.