Back-to-School Evaluation for your Freelance Business

Using School’s Start as a Cue in Your Business

You can’t miss it.  Back to school ads for clothes, school supplies and dorm room needs have invaded many retail stores.  Even grocery stores hawk back-to-school lunch and snack supplies.

It’s a time of transition.  The weather doesn’t feel like it’s truly changed yet.  Even so, it feels like there is a shift.  An awareness that fall is just around the corner and winter shortly after.  Do you feel it too?

Freezing and canning produce will give way to getting ready for winter.

Though my kids have finished with school, I still find myself refocusing this time of year.  I do that in several ways:

• Reorganizing my desk
• Decluttering wherever I can
• Reviewing projects and life in general

It feels good to consolidate. Refreshingly, clear spaces open room for clarity all the way around.

Just as summer’s end brings a shift, our businesses also need attention.

Benefit from a Refresher

We grew up accustomed to a fresh start when school started.  Working for ourselves, we don’t have the benefit (or curse, depending) of quarterly or annual employee reviews.  School’s start is an excellent cue to review our businesses to make sure we are on track with our short- and long-term goals.

It’s been over eight months since New Year’s goals were earnestly written down with a generous dose of optimistic inspiration.  You may be on track to accomplish your goals.  You even may have conquered your list already.   Or you may be like me:  very little has gone according to plan.   

Decisions need to be made to consider next steps from here.

Realigment Questions

Perhaps these questions I’m asking myself will help you get back on track as well:

General

1. What are my core values? 
2. What are the New Year’s and current goals?
3. Are my actions reflecting those values and goals?
4. Am I doing things that take me away from actions that move me forward?

Business

1. Is my record keeping ready for taxes?
2. Do I like how my business is going?
3. Is it time to shift gears?  New project or focus?
4. What should I do to update my website?

Marketing

1. How is my marketing going?
2. Do I want to do some special projects like an ad in a yearbook?
3. Do I need to make some shifts to accomplish my goals this year?

Expenses

1. Do I need to acquire electronics right now during the sales?
2. Do I need to take advantage of office supplies on sale?
3. What do I want to do for Christmas for client appreciation?

Personal

1. How do I want to plan for the holidays on the home front?  Travel?  Do less?
2. What sort of yard and building maintenance should be done before winter?

Not Too Early

I know it feels way too early to think about holidays and end-of-year tasks.  Yet if you aren’t on track, early consideration may be the difference between smooth accomplishment, neglect, or outright failure.   

  

As my business grows, I’m sure some of my questions will change.   Perhaps some good questions about clients and workload, as Tom Ewer asks would benefit you.  They are not a big enough deal for me yet as I’m not sure I’m ready to outsource. 

Either way, getting back on track when school starts is much better than waiting until New Years.  Wouldn’t you agree?