This week’s episode marks our final episode of 2021. Nearly two years ago, we started Brand It, Build It Podcast to share bite-sized, actionable ways that small business owners can brand and build their businesses. With over 90 episodes — with topics ranging from brand and web design to newsletter marketing and search engine optimization — we are so hopeful that you’ve been able to build and grow your business with one or more of these recommendations in mind. In our final episode of the year, I wanted to compile a few year-end to-dos… things I recommend doing before the year is over to ensure you’re kicking off 2022 from a place of purpose, strategy, and meaningful growth.

As 2021 comes to an end, you may be thinking about the ways your business can change, evolve, or grow in the new year. Whether you are on holiday break, taking a week away from your business, or you’ll be doing your business housekeeping in the beginning of 2022, I’m hopeful that today’s recommendations can play a role in your planning for the year ahead. Here are a few to-dos I don’t recommend beginning 2022 without…

• Don’t begin 2022 without knowing your definition of success. This year, we celebrated our 7 year business anniversary. Over the years, we’ve found — the seasons in which we’ve felt most successful, were the seasons when we committed to our business hours and experienced better work-life balance. When we did, we brought our best selves to our work, we served our clients wholeheartedly, and we produced our best work. When we focused on our unique definition of success — producing elevated, high-quality brand and web designs from which our clients can grow and succeed — and finding a balance between working on our business, working in our business, and resting, we experienced business breakthroughs and overall satisfaction. So, what is your unique definition of success? Is it a dollar amount? Is it a schedule? Is it sustainability and long-term growth? As you begin 2022, know your unique definition of success, and let your definition guide you as you make decisions surrounding and within your business. When you do, you can experience a greater sense of purpose and clarity in your business — and serve your clients and customers with more care, excitement, and enthusiasm.
• Don’t begin 2022 without reviewing your brand, web design, and online presence through the lens of your Ideal Client. Over the holiday break, over weekends, and beyond your business hours — your brand, web design, and online presence are communicating on your behalf. What is your online presence communicating? Is it truly working on your behalf and helping you to consistently book your Ideal Clients? Review your brand and web design through the lens of your prospective clients, and make adjustments accordingly. If you anticipate working with a professional designer, inquire right away. With many business owners ready to experience a fresh start, the new year can be a busy season for designers. If you anticipate purchasing a pre-made template, get started right away. That way, you can carefully customize your design and ensure every detail is rooted in your goals and long-term success. 
• Don’t begin 2022 without determining a newsletter marketing strategy you believe in. Over the years, we’ve seen and experienced how social media platforms have changed. The truth is, social media isn’t always a dependable place to build a business upon. Instead, we like to rely on the marketing resources we have more ownership over — like our website and search engine optimization, and newsletter marketing. For us, these assets within our businesses equip us to reach and communicate with our audience more successfully and more consistently than social media. That being said, we recommend determining a newsletter marketing strategy you can use on behalf of your business. Your newsletter allows you to serve your audience directly, communicate with your audience directly, and provide resources, education, and products your audience may benefit from. At With Grace and Gold, we write to our newsletter audience weekly and aim to provide as much value as we can within each newsletter. So, what could a newsletter strategy look like for you? Episode 016 shares 3 lead magnet ideas for growing your newsletter list, equipping you to get started today.
• Don’t begin 2022 without reviewing or paring down your offerings. In Episode 008, we asked the question, “Are you offering too many services?” This episode is one of our most-listened-to episodes, because it helps you to determine whether your current offerings are aligned with your long-term vision and goals — and with your clients’ needs and values. As a new year approaches, we believe it’s so helpful to review and pare down your offerings, to ensure you’re focused on the work most valuable to your business and to your audience. 
• Don’t begin 2022 without setting goals you believe in and feel excited about. Every quarter, Andra and I meet for a quarterly meeting to discuss ideas and goals we’ve formulated from week to week or month to month. These quarterly meetings allow us to check-in with ourselves and with one another to ensure we’re making changes and setting goals aligned with our unique definition of success. When the changes we make our rooted in purpose and strategy, we can get excited about completing the steps needed to achieve them. The beauty of being a small business owner is creating a business rooted in your unique approach, values, and definition of success — so be sure to set goals, document the steps you need to complete to achieve your goals, and celebrate the progress you make along the way.

We are so hopeful you’re excited to begin a fresh, new year in your business — and we hope today’s recommendations equip you to do so from a place of purpose, confidence, and peace of mind.

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.