2022 Challenges
In 2022, we will be rolling out monthly challenges related to the main blog post. Join our community of small business owners and push yourself to get organized and motivated. Let’s keep each other accountable! When you complete any of these challenges in whole or in part, post it and tag us so we can share your success!
JANUARY: Sprucing Up Your Financial Life
1. Download all 2021 bank statements and file them (electronically or physically)
2. Get off of the paper junk mail train and opt out of credit card offers
3. Check your credit report
FEBRUARY: Finance and Relationships
1. Check those beneficiaries! Did you change your beneficiaries after you got married? Divorced? Had kids? ARE YOU SURE??? Don't forget any bank accounts, insurance policies, retirement plans, IRA's, etc that you may not think about very much.
2. Will. Make a list of assets you would want to distribute, who you want those assets to go to, and decide who will be your executor. Find an estate attorney and book a consult.
3. Life Insurance. Find an insurance professional who can guide you to the type and amount of insurance that works for you.
MARCH: Your “Board of Directors”
1. Identify 3-5 people who influence your values and choices. In light of Women's History Month, we encourage you to reflect specifically on women in your life, but obviously anyone can make up part of your board as well. They can be people you actually know or a celebrity / author.
2. Write a couple sentences (for yourself) about how they shape your choices and what values they represent.
BONUS Challenge: Send a text, email, or (GASP) handwritten note to a woman who has influenced you and thank her.
APRIL: Growth and Evolution
1. Pick one small habit to implement into your daily routine that improves your mental health, work / life balance or productivity.
2. Download our goal setting worksheet and map out strategies for accomplishing your goal. https://www.missoulabookkeeper.com/resources
3. Sign up for a Spring Strategy Session to discuss your finances and develop a plan for growing your business. Limited spots available. https://www.missoulabookkeeper.com/strategy-session
MAY: When Personal and Professional Collide
1. Identify your unique PERSONAL strengths & circumstances that are an asset to your BUSINESS life. What special strengths can you use to connect with your customers?
2. Schedule a weekly self-care timeout. Add it to your calendar and stick to it. Maybe it's time with a friend, a hobby, or just quiet time to relax and reflect.
3. Identify two things you can outsource to prevent burnout. Business examples may be marketing, hiring a virtual assistant, bookkeeping, or payroll. Personally, look at child care. someone to clean periodically, or hiring someone to cut the grass.
JUNE: Authenticity and letting go of things that no longer serve you
1. Make a list of the values that define your business strategy
2. Use social media to post about one of your struggles that customers can relate to
3. Identify something that is no longer serving you and phase it out. This may be a product, service, working relationship or process
JULY: Financial Red Flags
1. Go over your profit and loss report and balance sheet with your bookkeeper or CPA to identify potential problems
2. Take a hard look at your Cost of Goods Sold and decide if you need to make adjustments to pricing and sourcing of materials
3. Develop a plan for paying down your credit card debt. Download a worksheet to help you here.
AUGUST: Using Your Finances For Meaningful Change
1. Investigate at least one of your vendors, financial institutions, or investments to see what causes they support
2. Examine your pay structure, benefits, time off policies and staff appreciation. Are they ethical, thoughtful and in line with your values?
3. Give. Even if it’s just one dollar. Give. Even if it’s just one hour.
SEPTEMBER: Taking The Dread Out of Social Media
1. Commit to a concrete number of posts per week and what days you will post.
2. For at least one month, pick one large topic and build all of your content around it.
3. Set aside a block of time on your calendar to create content. Aim to do one week or 2-3 posts in one sitting.
OCTOBER: End Of The Year Check-In
1. Make an appointment with your CPA to discuss end of year considerations
2. Check with your bookkeeper to make sure they have all the info they need to finish out the books for the year.
3. Make any large purchases, plan bonuses, or make charitable donations before the end of the year.
NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER: We’re Making a List, We’re Checking It Twice…
1. Set a self care goal for 2023, like a once a week “date” with yourself.
2. When doing your holiday shopping, aim for at lest 20% of your budget to be at a local business.
3.Commit to giving at least one gift that is impactful. Examples are charitable donations, or gifts that have reduced environmental waste.
Thank you for your hard work! We hope you had a successful 2022!
