3 Things Every Business Owner Should Do Now

Can you believe it's October already? It feels like just a heartbeat ago, it was August and we were complaining about the heat. Now, the leaves are falling, the pumpkin spiced lattes are out in full force, the Christmas decorations are being dusted off (or already being hung up on Oxford Street!).

For many, our minds start wandering to Christmas, and it's tempting to think about winding down. There's something about these final 3 months of the year that cause our brains to go into hibernation, even if we are still out and about physically. As the memes circulating social media say, it is tempting to look at tasks and think "this seems like a problem for next year".

But for owners of small and growing businesses, now is not the time to hit the brakes. In fact, this is when you should start gathering steam and gear up for the new year. By taking action now, you are setting yourself up for success on the 1st January 2026, and you will thank your willpower for being ahead of the competition, when everybody else is coming out of business hibernation, having pushed tasks further down the line.

If you are an eCommerce business in particular, this golden quarter is vital to get right. Many businesses make over 25% of their annual sales in that 4-week period in December, showing just how valuable it is to ensure there are no hiccups in this final quarter of the year. And while many used the summer to get ready for the mayhem of Black Friday and Christmas, it is never too late to get your ducks in a row.

So if you're tempted to sit back, relax and wait for the rest of the year to pass by, don't. Here are 3 things every business owner should do in Q4 to set yourself up for 2026 success.

1: Check your website

We don't mean a huge overhaul (though if your website needs a refresh, why not check out our website redesign service?). We mean just making sure everything works. When you are busy running your business and frantic with the day job, your digital presence such as your website can fall by the wayside and get neglected. This means blog posts can be stale, prices can be outdated, links can be broken, all of which affect how potential customers and clients interact with your brand. After all, 75% of people judge a company's reputation based on its website, so if your website is full of outdated content and errors, you will likely lose these customers, which means losing future sales.

So take a few hours to thoroughly go through your website with a magnifying glass. Are all prices correct and up to date? Are all the links working and pointing to the correct webpages? Are your images current and reflective of the work you pride yourself in? This type of digital admin is tempting to kick further and further down the road, but if you force yourself to do it, you ensure your website--nowadays the first or second port of call for potential customers doing their research on whether to trust you with their hard-earned money--is in tip-top shape.

Short on time to do these checks yourself? We have plenty of services to give your website a health check: from affordable monthly maintenance packages to help look over your website while you're busy running your business to one-off website audits to spot issues and errors, we can take the stress off your hands so you can do the job that matters the most: running your own business.

2: Q4-proof your eCommerce website

This golden quarter of October to December is vital for all retail, no matter which industry or channel. It tends to drive the highest traffic because people are actively looking for bargains or gifts, and also the highest conversion because people have a strong intent to purchase, rather than casually browse like they do in the other months. This is why it is vital to ensure your eCommerce website is running smoothly, with as few purchasing obstacles as possible.

What do we mean? Make sure your checkout works. Check your navigation: is it easy for first-time visitors to find the products they need? Do your product pages show the right number of images and description to convert the viewer into a shopper? On an eCommerce website, customers cannot touch or feel the products, nor can they ask a shop assistant for immediate answers and feedback (unless you have a super-sophisticated AI assistant on your webstore), so it is imperative you provide all the information needed for the viewer to make an informed decision.

The best way to do this is to shop your own store. We may not all be eCommerce experts, but most of us have shopped on an eCommerce website before. What makes a good experience? What stops you from clicking Add to Basket? Never underestimate your own experience; what you feel is often what most other shoppers feel too. In addition, often the changes are minor tweaks that can be rectified in a day. No need to take your webstore offline for a major overhaul; sometimes just changing a few words can make all the difference.

If you want an expert to cast their eye on your webstore setup, we have over a decade of eCommerce experience, working with some of the biggest brands and retailers. From our eCommerce consultancy services to quick Conversion Rate Optimisation audits, we can pinpoint quick fixes that can be implemented today to ensure your best Q4 yet.

3: Plan your 2026 Business Strategy

The new year doesn't start a few weeks in. The new year starts on 1st January 2026. So now is the time to sit down, decide on what you want to achieve in your business for the year ahead, and discover what processes you need to implement in order to make those business goals a reality.

Most of 2025 has already been done. You already have your 2025 monthly performance to be able to forecast and plan for next year. One of the biggest worries of many small business owners is that the future is unpredictable; how do you plan for it? Here's a secret: even the big corporations don't always hit plans. But it's a useful guide to earmark particular strategic points of the year to pay attention to. For instance, Black Friday is always end of November. If you're an eCommerce business, when did you start to see increased traffic, with curious customers eyeing up potential bargain? Did your conversion rate dip because people are holding out for a discount? All these metrics can help you plan when you should send out your Black Friday teaser mailer to your mailing list, to keep them hooked to return on the big day. Most data points give a guide on future strategy; you just have to know where to look.

Want to plan your 2026 but not sure where to start? We can come onboard as consultants to analyse your data and develop insights and plans for key marketing and selling moments for the year ahead, or we can even join your team on an interim, fractional basis to help you execute projects and plans to achieve your goals.

We get it. As the weather turns cooler (and wetter in the UK!), it's tempting to curl up and push tasks off till next year. But in fact, this is the optimal time to reflect on the past year, and plan for the year ahead. By being proactive, you will be ahead of the competition when the clock strikes 12, and you will be ready to go when your competition is still emerging from their Q4 hibernation.

And if you need help or guidance, Mpowering Solutions is here for you, no matter what you need.

Want to get ahead of 2026?

Have we inspired you to take action this Q4? Want to get ready for 2026 but not sure where to start? Get in touch and let us know what help you need, and let's see how we can get you off to the best start for the year ahead.