As we look ahead to a new year full of hope and ambition, we asked our small business community what’s on their radar for 2026.
I am an MAAT with 16 years of experience as the MD of an accountancy practice and have been following Informi for years, as it is part of our beloved AAT. Three things I aim to do and advise others to do as well.
- Learn to use AI or get left behind. There is a significant productive shift in how tasks are being done. This includes writing emails and letters, creating content and videos, reviewing contracts, analysing data, developing PowerPoint presentations, conducting market research, and much more. Learn and implement. Free courses from Google and Microsoft are available. Whether you use the Microsoft or Google business ecosystem, integrate it and stay ahead of the game.
- Become more productive. Detach from distractions such as social media, email, and phone notifications, and utilise focused work periods as the Pomodoro technique suggests. Strive to tackle essential tasks well before they become urgent. Concentrate on one task at a time until it is complete. Remember to decline helping others when you need to safeguard your time for ongoing urgent tasks. Allocate time in your diary to carry out the essential work each week. While all this may sound straightforward, implementing it can be a real game-changer.
- Learn to teach and teach to learn. Start reading business books written by industry experts. As I am a practising AAT accountant, I recommend books by mentors such as Heather Townsend, Reza Hooda, Will Farnell, James Ashford, Simon Chaplin, and many others. For accountants in practice needing guidance, turn to mentors who have laid out their processes step by step in their books. Then begin implementing the actions and encouraging those around you to do the same. This approach applies across all business sectors and many business books. Start reading, learning, implementing, and making changes to improve your business. Then pass on this knowledge by teaching others. The effects will compound; just a 1% improvement repeatedly will lead to substantial gains by the year’s end.
Buhir Rafiq, Accountant | Tax Advisor | Virtual Finance Director at Total Books Accountants
My 2026 plans revolve around consolidating my current portfolio, welcoming more research, compliance and marketing-oriented projects, and reinforcing long-term client partnerships. I will also continue developing educational content and insights on AI-informed workflows to support both PMs and vendors.
Gabriela Kouahla, English–French↔Romanian Certified Bilingual Translator
More analogue connections, less reliance on digital. Spending my energy working on my strengths, as opposed to wasting more time fighting with the algorithms!
Lucy Patterson, Design Thinking & business innovation consultant, coach & trainer
I actually love networking (once you’re past the initial awkward part, it’s pretty fun), but I have slowed down with it recently, getting stuck into client projects and routine. So next year I’m focusing on more networking and targeted outreach online and in-person networking. I already have a few conferences in the diary, and key criteria for me are that I am either a.) meeting potential clients or b.) learning from my peers.
Keeren Flora, Podcast Production | Content Writer | Communications for Science and Innovation
Cold email outreach. I’ve had enough of the rollercoaster of opportunities that rely entirely on my availability and ability to show up. My mission for 2026 is to stabilise my business with a reliable, well-fed pipeline of perfect-fit opportunities. And I’m doing that with semi-automated cold email marketing feathered in with the human stuff I love and know (networking, LinkedIn, DM).
Helen Dibble, Helping B2B leaders stay on target with marketing bandwidth on flexible terms
A big change for me in the business has been moving from free webinars to a structured paid event series with sponsors.
This is a granular example, but the bigger theme for me has been less and better. More structure, more work into everything we do meant really looking at every single thing that required my attention and being ruthless with how to make it better.
It has allowed us to strike great partnerships and also make some profit from events, which means we can keep offering scholarships and launch free programs for entry-level marketers.
Hire more freelancers and offload more work so I can have more time and headspace to work on the business. At the moment, I’ve plateaued, and this will be the way to progress!
In 2026, I want to tidy things up and let go of the projects that drain energy or go nowhere – I’ve already started doing this. That will give me more space to focus on what I actually enjoy: teaching and coaching, instead of admin tasks. I also want to grow the projects that have turned out to be both profitable and satisfying. And yes, maybe put a bit more attention on profitability overall.
2025 was my year of experimentation, so I’ve got lots of newness coming up in 2026. My plans include:
- Launching Human Skill School: I’ve delivered workplace training on human skills for three years. Many individuals have been in contact to ask if they can work directly with me, so I’ve reworked the human skills curriculum to make this possible. Excited to be working across both B2B and B2C soon!
- Moving from short-form content to long-form content: I’m craving nuance, depth of thought, and want to move away from contributing to the way we collect tips here and there as we scroll. I’ll be creating one weekly piece that sparks one conversation across my channels.
- Monthly in-person conversation series: I trialled a career-focussed event series this year called ‘Let’s Talk…’ It brings people together to experience the connection we’re all craving in this digital world. People loved it! Now I’m looking for a sponsor to help make monthly events possible.
My 2026 plans include a whole overhaul of my brand and website. It feels like now is the time to invest in my business and in how I present what it offers.
Sophie Greenwood, Strategy & Planning Specialist for small businesses and freelancers
I’m moving away from a 3-tier model;
Old model (three offers): Membership / Group / 1:1s
New model (one offer): Group + VIP 1:1 upgrade
EEEEP xoxo
Jess Bruno, 🏁 Content that gets your clients to the finish line
I recently closed my limited company after a tough year in business and have launched myself as a consultant/freelancer (Sally Day Consultancy & Training). I plan to focus more on consultancy/training next year, which is a bigger focus than my previous services. I’m also exploring the opportunity of starting my own greeting card business as a second revenue stream, which is exciting!
