If You're Not Planning for 2026, You're Already Behind

Katie Sheach
Sep 4
2 min read

While your competitors are scrambling to piece together their next quarter, you should be designing your 2026.

Yes, 2026.

And I know what you might be thinking: "2026? I can barely plan next week."

Exactly. That’s why you’re stuck reacting instead of leading and firefighting instead of building.

Most business owners plan 3–6 months and think they're done. That's foundation planning. Strategic planning starts where your quarterly plans end.

Your business Vs you 😂

The Hidden Cost of Short-Term Thinking

When you only think weeks ahead, you make decisions based on immediate pressure rather than their long-term impact.

You hire in a panic. You launch in a rush. You pivot every time the wind changes. And you miss opportunities, not because they weren’t there, but because you weren’t ready for them.

Take client acquisition, for example.

If you're only planning six months, you're chasing whoever shows up. But if you're thinking further ahead? You're already building relationships with the clients you want to serve in 2026. You’re developing offers that meet their future needs. You're positioning yourself as their obvious choice, before they even realise they need you.

That’s the difference between chasing work and becoming sought after.

The 2026 Advantage

Strategic planning isn't about guessing the future; it's about engineering it. It’s about laying the groundwork today, with systems, offers, people, and positioning, so you’re ready to scale while others are still flapping around trying to keep up.

Start here:

What does your business need to look like in 2026 to serve your vision?
What team will get you there?
What delivery model will scale without burning you out?
What relationships should you nurture now so they become revenue-driving partnerships later?

These aren’t vague hypotheticals. These are the foundations of your next-level business.

Your 2026 Readiness Audit

Before you can plan your 2026 strategy, you need a brutally honest look at where you are right now:

Team: Do I have the people to grow with me, or just the ones who helped me get here?

Offers: Am I selling what the 2026 market will want or still serving yesterday’s needs?

Operations: Could my systems handle double or triple the volume? Or would they collapse?

Delivery Model: Am I building something scalable, or just trapping myself in a time-for-money hamster wheel?

Be honest. The problems you overlook today will become the emergencies of tomorrow.

Strategy as Evolution (Not Overhaul)

Real strategy doesn’t mean burning everything down and starting again. It means shaping what you already have into something scalable, aligned, and future-proof. Your 2026 business should feel like a natural evolution of your current strengths, not a total identity shift.

That growth comes from decisions you make today. One deliberate step at a time.