Five Ways to Prepare Your Business for 2026
As 2025 comes to a close, small business owners are juggling year-end deadlines, holiday demands, and planning for a successful 2026. This is the perfect moment to pause, assess your business, and take intentional steps to protect your company, strengthen your foundation, and position yourself for growth in the new year.
Whether you’ve had a year of incredible wins or faced unexpected challenges, these five practical steps will help you enter 2026 organized, compliant, and ready to execute on your goals!
1. Review Regulatory Updates and Confirm Compliance for 2026
Laws and regulations shift every year— and 2025 brought several important changes that may affect how your business operates in the District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, and beyond. Now is the time to confirm that your business is fully compliant as you enter 2026.
Key areas to review include:
• Local licensing and tax obligations
• Employment law updates for 2025–2026
• Contract and privacy obligations
2. Reflect on Your Wins, Losses, and Lessons From 2025
Reflection is a critical—and often overlooked—business tool. Taking stock of your business’s performance helps you enter 2026 with clarity instead of clutter. Conduct a “Year-in-Review” Audit and assess the following:
- What worked well?
- What didn’t work?
- What surprised us?
- What should we stop doing?
- Where did we exceed expectations?
- What goals were not met—and why?
3. Evaluate Growth Possibilities and Determine What’s Next
A new year brings new opportunities—if you plan for them. Evaluate where you want the business to go in 2026 and what resources you need to get there. Some practical steps to evaluate growth possibilities include mapping out your 2026 visions, identifying your most profitable and least profitable offerings, evaluating operational bottlenecks and assessing team capacity and talent needs.
4. Schedule Year-End Meetings With Your Professional Advisors
Don’t enter 2026 without the support of your advisory team. Now is the time to align with your attorney, CPA, financial advisor, and insurance broker.
5. Perform an Internal Legal & Operational Health Check
Every business should conduct a holistic year-end legal and operational audit to strengthen the company’s internal foundations. This includes reviewing contracts, corporate records, intellectual property, insurance coverage, and operational systems.
Start 2026 with Clarity and Confidence!
If you need help preparing your business for the new year, The SJS Law Firm is here to support you. Call (202) 505-5309 for a complimentary consultation.
