March: The Grand Finale of the financial year and the best time to prepare for 2026–27

By Lyn Oaten, Co-founder

March is a special month. Not just because it hints at spring, lighter evenings and the odd brave daffodil, but because it marks the end of the financial year.

In business terms, it’s New Year’s Eve with spreadsheets.

More importantly, March is the ideal moment to pause, take stock, and start planning ahead so you can prepare for 2026–27 with clarity and confidence.

It’s your chance to close one chapter properly and make this year better than the last, with less stress and far more purpose.

Start with the end in mind: What does success look like?

Good planning ahead always starts with a deceptively simple question:

“Where do I actually want to end up?”

Too many businesses focus on tasks instead of outcomes and while tasks keep you busy, outcomes move you forward.

If you want to prepare for 2026–27 properly, you need a clear picture of what success looks like first.

Is it:

• More of the right clients?
• Better profit margins?
• Improved work–life balance?
• A team that reads your emails? (Let’s not rule out miracles.)

Once the destination is clear, planning ahead becomes easier and you can reverse‑engineer the steps needed to get there (like IKEA furniture, but with instructions that actually make sense and no leftover screws).

Personal goals come first (yes, really)

Your business should support your life, not compete with it and if you want to make this year better, your personal goals need to shape your business planning.

• Want more time off? Your systems and pricing need to support that.
• Want higher income? Your client mix and services must align.
• Want your evenings back? Delegation and boundaries become essential.

When you plan ahead with personal goals in mind, you avoid building a business that looks impressive on paper but feels exhausting in real life (like owning a Ferrari you’re too busy to drive).

Think short, medium and long term

To truly prepare for 2026–27, it helps to break planning ahead into realistic timeframes:

• Short term (0–6 months): Immediate actions that create momentum. Examples include improving cash flow, updating pricing, or outsourcing tasks that drain your time.
• Medium term (6–18 months): Projects that require consistency and structure. Think team growth, new services, or system upgrades that make this year better and the next one easier.
• Long term (18 months+): The big-picture goals. Buying premises, scaling the business, or finally achieving inbox zero (we can dream).

Clear time horizons stop everything feeling urgent and help you plan ahead without burning out.

Make every goal SMART

Planning ahead only works if your goals are actionable. That’s where SMART goals come in:

• Specific – Clear and focused
• Measurable – Trackable progress
• Achievable – Stretching, not unrealistic
• Relevant – Aligned with your wider plans
• Time‑bound – With an actual deadline

For example:

Your goal shouldn’t be “Get more clients”, it should be “Secure three new monthly retainer clients by 30 September through targeted networking and referrals.”

SMART goals turn intentions into action and action is what helps make this year better.

Review, reflect and recalibrate regularly

Setting goals is easy but sticking with them is where planning ahead really earns its keep.

Build in regular reviews:

• Monthly financial check‑ins
• Quarterly strategy sessions
• Mid‑year business reviews
• End‑of‑year reflections

These check‑points help you adjust course early, rather than realising in February that things drifted off track back in July.

Learn from the past but don’t live there

Reflection matters, but it shouldn’t turn into an archaeological dig.

You need to ask yourself:

• What worked?
• What didn’t?
• What did we learn?
• What will we do differently as we prepare for 2026–27?

Take the lesson, not the luggage.

Dwelling on mistakes doesn’t help you plan ahead but action does.

Final thought: March is your momentum month

There is never a bad time to reset, refocus and take a proper look at where you are heading.

With thoughtful planning, clear goals and regular reviews, you can move forward with more confidence and make the year ahead better, not busier, not more stressful, just better.

Because the best time to plan for the future was yesterday.

The second best time is now.

Get in touch with our team today for advice and guidance.