At Future B2B, Residential Systems’ parent company, the fiscal year 2025 finishes at the end of September. So, for the past month or so, all our brands have been pedal to the metal, trying to finish the year strong. Yes, we push the pedal hard all year long, but there is that extra sense of urgency as you near the end of the year to pack in what you can and tie up as many loose threads as possible.
I know you know what I mean.
The majority of dealers have their end of their fiscal year match the end of the calendar, and though we have barely entered fall, now is a good time to make a plan for the remaining months. Take it as a cautionary tale from this admitted procrastinator…
We have covered current year-end goals and following-year planning in many articles, and if you find this story online (which you have), I will link to a bunch of them (and I did), but let’s take a quick look at some tried-and-true best practices.
For starters, let’s look at inventory and make sure you are well-stocked through the end of the year. This would be a good time to check in with your distributors and make sure they will have what you need when you need it. In turbulent times, nothing can be taken for granted.
With major holidays coming up, meet with your staff to make sure you’ve got all the coverage you need. Not only do you need to contend with their days off, but with clients wanting projects done before guests visit for the holidays, you may need to be strategic with your techs.
Speaking of those holidays, if you haven’t already, plan out whatever promotions you plan on offering, whether it be Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or simply a year-end special.
December is also the right time for customer appreciation campaigns. Do you have a plan on how you can tell your best customers how important they are to you? Personal notes are always nice. Real personal — keep AI out of it!
Hopefully, that will get you out of this year, but what about 2026? Now is the right time to analyze what worked in 2025 and what didn’t. Examine your marketing, your training, your systems… Deep down, you know what isn’t working. No time like the new year for a fresh start.
And Katye McGregor Bennett would not be happy with me if I did not mention getting to work on your 2026 marketing plan. As she wrote in last November’s “5 Steps for Creating an Effective Marketing Plan”: “Rather than waiting for mythical ‘free time’ or until the new year arrives, taking action now allows you to align your efforts with your revenue goals and take advantage of opportunities while supplier budgeting cycles are still in play.”
I am sure you are aware of all these things, and I am not looking to be a nag, but I hope you see this as it is meant to be: A quick reminder to start your end-of-year processes now before the remaining months of 2025 slip away from you.
Take it from your friend, the procrastinator.
