September often feels like a second January for businesses.
The summer holidays are winding down, teams are getting back into their usual routines and there’s a noticeable shift from slower summer days to a busier final few months of the year.
That makes August a useful time to pause, review what’s working and get your business ready for the final stretch.
Here are 10 practical things to do before September!
1. Review your priorities
Look back at the goals you set earlier in the year. What have you achieved, what has slipped and what is no longer relevant?
Rather than trying to rescue every unfinished goal, choose two or three priorities that will make the biggest difference between now and December.
2. Check your cash flow
Before the final quarter gets busy, take a look at what’s coming in and going out.
Check outstanding invoices, upcoming expenses, subscriptions and any larger costs you know are on the horizon. A quick cash-flow review now can help prevent unpleasant surprises later.
3. Chase outstanding invoices
If you have unpaid invoices sitting on your books, don’t let them become a September problem.
Review anything overdue and follow up with clients now. Getting your accounts up to date gives you a clearer picture of where your business stands financially.
4. Clean up your digital files
If your Downloads folder, desktop or shared drive has become a dumping ground, August is a good time for a clear-out.
Delete unnecessary files, organise important documents and make sure your team knows where things should be saved. And remember: syncing isn’t necessarily the same as backing up. Check that your important business information can actually be recovered if something goes wrong.
5. Review your subscriptions
How many business apps and subscriptions are you paying for?
Check your bank statements and software accounts for tools you’re no longer using, duplicate services or subscriptions that have quietly increased in price.
Before adding another app, make sure you aren’t already paying for something that does the job.
6. Get your marketing planned
September can be a busy month, so don’t wait until you’re back in the thick of things to decide what you’re posting or promoting.
Map out your key campaigns, blogs, newsletters and important dates for September and October. Even a simple content plan can take a lot of pressure off when things get busy.
7. Document something only you know
If there’s a task that currently lives entirely in your head, write it down.
Whether it’s how you raise invoices, manage a particular client or complete a monthly report, documenting the process makes holiday cover, delegation and future growth much easier.
8. Check in with your clients
September is a great opportunity to reconnect with existing customers.
A quick check-in can uncover upcoming projects, new requirements or opportunities to provide additional support. You don’t always need a sales pitch, a genuine conversation can be enough to restart the relationship.
9. Sort out your diary
Look ahead to the end of the year and identify important deadlines, events, busy periods and holidays.
Then block out time for the work that often gets pushed aside when things get hectic, such as business planning, bookkeeping or marketing.
10. Decide what you don’t need to do
Perhaps the most useful exercise of all: stop doing things simply because you’ve always done them.
If a task isn’t helping your customers, team or bottom line, ask whether it can be simplified, automated, delegated or removed altogether.
September doesn’t have to mean starting from scratch.
It’s an opportunity to take stock, make some practical changes and head into the final few months of the year with a clearer plan.
A little preparation in August could make September feel considerably more manageable.
Here’s to a productive reset and plenty of MOMENTUM for the rest of the year. 💙
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T: 01903 910546 or E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com