← 2027 planning
No plan yet?

Start here.
Keep it to one page.

A plan doesn't have to be a binder. It's a few clear choices, a handful of numbers, and a regular time to check in. Here's how to get there, and a look at how far it can go once you're ready.

The questions Planning timeline One-page plan Where it can go Book a plan review

1Answer the questions

Seven areas, a few questions each. You don't need to answer all of them. Start with the ones marked "On the card." If two or three are hard to answer, that's where to spend your time.

DDirection and goals
Where you're headed and why3 questions
  1. What has to be true next December for 2027 to count as a good year?
  2. What do you want the business to look like in three years? Does 2027 move you toward it?
  3. What's the one thing you'd regret not doing next year?
CCustomers and market
Who you serve and how you win them3 questions
  1. Who are your best customers, and what do they have in common?
  2. Why do customers pick you over the alternatives, including doing nothing?
  3. Which customers or jobs cost you more than they're worth?
$Money
Sales, margin, budget and cash3 questions
  1. What were your sales in 2026, and what would a good 2027 look like by month?
  2. Which costs are growing faster than sales?
  3. How many months of expenses could you cover if sales slowed down?
PPeople and capacity
Who does the work, and whether there's room3 questions
  1. What would your team say are next year's top priorities?
  2. Who owns each priority, and do they know it?
  3. Is there room to do new things, or is everyone already full?
OOperations and tools
How the work actually gets done3 questions
  1. Which three things will you do, and what will you stop doing to make room?
  2. Where does work get stuck, redone or depend on one person?
  3. Which tools do you pay for that nobody really uses?
WThe outside world
What could change outside your walls2 questions
  1. What could change outside your walls (costs, rules, customers, tech) and break the plan?
  2. Which of those would hurt most, and what would you do first if it happened?
MMeasuring and reviewing
How you'll know, and when you'll check3 questions
  1. How will you know by spring if it's working, while there's still time to change course?
  2. What two or three numbers will you look at every month?
  3. When will you check in on the plan, and who's in the room?

2Give it a timeline

For a business whose year runs January to December. It takes a few hours a week for about six weeks, not a retreat.

Late October
Look back

What worked in 2026, and what drained you? Pull your sales and costs by month. Ask your team the same question.

Early November
Set direction

Decide what has to be true next December. Pick three priorities, and what you'll stop doing to make room.

Mid to late November
Put numbers to it

A sales goal by month, a rough budget, and who owns each priority. Rough is fine. You'll adjust as the year goes.

Early December
Pressure-test it

What could break the plan? Share it with your team and listen to what they push back on.

By mid-December
Finish the one page

Lock it, share it, and put the monthly check-ins on the calendar before the holidays take over.

January onward
Use it

A 30-minute check-in each month: plan versus actual on your key numbers. A bigger look each quarter. By spring, decide what to keep and what to change.

Already late? A one-page plan in January beats a perfect plan in March. Fiscal year doesn't start in January? Shift every step so you finish about two weeks before your year begins.

3Put it on one page

XLSX
One-page plan template

Your direction, three priorities with owners and dates, what you'll stop doing, key numbers by month, and the risks to watch. A second tab tracks plan versus actual each month. Opens in Excel or Google Sheets.

Download the template

4Where it can go from here

You don't need any of this to start. But planning can go a lot deeper, and it helps to see the whole map, so you can decide what's worth doing yourself and where help pays off.

Monthly forecastingUpdating your outlook each month based on what's actually happening.
BudgetingFrom a rough number to approaches like zero-based budgeting, where every cost has to earn its place.
Leading indicatorsNumbers that move before sales do, like quotes sent or repeat orders.
Plan vs. forecast vs. actualSeeing where you meant to be, where you're heading and where you are.
Scenario planningA good, expected and bad version of the year, and what you'd do in each.
Using AI to do the heavy liftingForecasts and monthly watch lists without the manual work, once your data is in shape.

Planning already? Stress-test your plan →  ·  2027 watch list →

Not sure where to start? 30 minutes, free.

We'll work through the questions together and turn your answers into a first draft of the one page. Owners and anyone building a plan for their team are welcome.

  • A clear first draft, even if you came with nothing written down
  • An honest read on how much planning your business actually needs
  • No pitch deck, no pressure
Want the next templates when they're ready? More planning templates are on the way. Leave your email below if you'd like them when they're ready. It's optional: everything on this page is free to use either way.