When I first started quarterly planning, it was this huge daunting task that I felt I should be doing as a business owner. After all, I’m supposed to be setting the tone and leading the charge around here!

Psst… I had no idea what I was doing and just started pulling out plans that sounded like a good idea, weren’t aligned with my overall goals, and to be honest, lead me nowhere. 

I’ve come a long way since then and I’m here to walk you through setting down a structured quarterly plan that is aligned to your long-term goals, your annual strategic plan, and so much more. From performance reviews to budgeting, crafting a marketing plan and establishing KPIs, I’ve got you. 

Reviewing Past Quarter’s Performance

Let’s take a walk down memory lane… But instead of pulling out our phones to look back in our photo albums, we’re looking at all the transpired last quarter in your business. 

At the very least, you should be keeping track of to-dos, projects, and what you’ve accomplished. I personally try and write down at least one thing per day that I finished, even if it’s small. This allows me to quickly look back on my accomplishments for my monthly and quarterly reviews. 

If you are tracking any metrics (and you should be!), this is the time to take a look at them and see if you spot any trends. Don’t forget that you’re looking at the really big picture, not just solely how many followers you grew by and how much money you’ve made. Here are some quick questions to ask:

• Where am I seeing growth?

• How does that growth correlate to actions I’ve taken inside my business?

• What trends am I noticing?

• What factors may have contributed to those trends?

• How can I recreate those successes?

• How can avoid the pitfalls?

Setting Priorities for Q1

Alright, time to roll up those sleeves! Pull out your annual strategic plan, your long-term goals, or any other goals you’ve set for yourself for this year. It’s time to start mapping out how you’re going to tackle them this quarter. Pick your top 3 goals that you’re going to focus on this quarter.

Keep it real; bite off more than you can chew, and you might end up feeling demotivated and frustrated! Focus on what aligns with your long-term vision and brings you closer to your business dreams. 

These are the goals that you’re going to prioritize when you create your monthly action plan. 

Budgeting and Resource Allocation

I’ll be honest - this is my least favourite activity when it comes to quarterly planning. But, if you’re biz is a roadtrip carrying you through to your goals, you need to know how much fuel you’ve got and where to fill up. Assess your financial health, forecast expenses (that’s fancy biz talk for look ahead to see what bills you need to pay), and allocate your financial resources. 

Prioritize areas that drive growth and consider potential risks. Remember, a well-planned budget isn’t restrictive—it’s empowering. It’s your financial game plan, so make it work for you.

Creating a Q1 Marketing Plan

When I create my marketing plan, I’m creating the backbone that will inform my editorial calendar for this quarter. The marketing plan is the link between my biz goals and the nitty-gritty, post-by-post details of the editorial calendar. 

Am I focusing on growing my social media audience or my email list? Am I looking to increase engagement instead? What about major events like launches or podcast guest appearances that are coming up this quarter? These are the kinds of questions I’m asking myself as I move into creating the marketing plan. 

So, you’ve got your priorities mapped out for the quarter, you’ve set your financial goals and budgets, and you’ve created your marketing plan. What’s next?

Establishing KPIs and Metrics for Success

Finally, let’s talk about KPIs—those magical numbers that tell you if you’re on the right track or need to adjust your course. Setting Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is like setting the GPS for your business journey. 

The first step is to look at all your priorities, goals and plans and ask yourself how you’re going to tell if you’ve met those goals? Those measurable points are going to be your KPIs. But those KPIs can be influenced by all sorts of different things. Those influencers are your metrics.

Here’s an example. Let’s say you want to increase your email list by X subscribers this quarter and you’ve decided to create 3 new freebies to entice people to sign up to your email list. Your KPI is going to be the total new subscribers to your list. The number of people who visit the landing pages for those freebies, as well as the number of people who convert to opt-ins are just two examples of metrics that drive this specific KPI. 

Hopefully, you’re already tracking some metrics in your business. If you’re using any kind of email service or social media scheduler then you likely have access to a host of metrics already. If not, the start of a new quarter is a great time to begin tracking metrics and setting KPIs. 

A quick closing note

A lot can happen in 3 months. Sometimes we blow our goals way through the roof and we give ourselves a well-deserved margarita. Other times, it feels like we’re fielding surprises like a little leaguer in the batting cage with an automatic pitcher that we can’t find the off switch for. 

So, while we all have good intentions, it’s important to build in an element of flexibility and adaptability into our quarterly planning. Pick no more than 3 big goals to work towards. Build extra time into your deadlines. And don’t forget to schedule down time as well. 

Cheers to clarity, confidence, and a little bit of magic this quarter!