Recently, I finally took my car in for a loooong overdue oil change. As expected, the maintenance tech went into a spiel about the importance of regular oil changes—blah, blah, blah. 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate the advice, but honestly, I’m more interested in my car just running smoothly than the nitty-gritty details of the maintenance part. So, as he went on and on, I couldn’t help but mentally check out. 

While I was politely nodding along, simultaneously giving an internal eye-roll, he continued to rattle on about filters, fluid levels, and other technicalities and that’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks—neglecting this one simple task was going to end up costing me more than just the price of an oil change. 

It was going to eat into more time, money, and energy than I had ever planned for. And I realized, this whole situation isn’t just about cars—it’s a lot like running a business 👀

It made me reflect on how we often ignore important tasks until they become urgent and overwhelming. Think about it—why do we treat January 1st like a grand event or procrastinate on taxes until the last minute?

Well, first off, it’s boring. Amiright? 

And secondly, life gets busy, and it’s easy to push things aside until they become unavoidable until we find ourselves stuck in a cycle of chaos and catch-up. 

But here’s the thing—it doesn’t have to be that way!

I’ve been down that road (mannny times) myself, and I know the frustration of playing catch-up. So, I want to share some simple AND practical checklists with you. These quarterly routines will help you stay organized and set you up for success in both your business and personal life. Trust me, it’s worth it to stay on top of things from the get-go.

4 Quarterly Checklists Every Business Owner Should Follow

01. The Business Operations Checklist

This checklist is super important for gauging how your business is doing currently, so you can decide on where you want to go next. 

1️⃣ Step One: Reflect 

The first step you’ll want to do is reflect on what went well this quarter and what you might need to improve in the future. 

I would start by asking yourself some important questions like: 

• What went well last quarter? Why?
• What didn’t go so well? Where can I improve?
• How happy are clients/customers? What are they saying?
• Any new trends to keep an eye on?
• Am I good on resources, or can I create something else valuable that people need?
• Do my current prices accurately reflect the level of work that I’m producing, or do I need to consider increasing my rates?

Remember, you’ll want to be honest with yourself during this reflection stage. It’s just for you, and being honest is the key to growth.

2️⃣ Step Two: Declutter and Organize

Next, get suuuuper organized. Doing a digital declutter every quarter keeps things under control. For instance, I go through every single folder in my Google Drive, either deleting, archiving, or organizing to keep it neat and tidy. 

Sounds a bit tedious, but I promise it makes your life easier down the road. Plus, losing important documents or running out of storage can be a nightmare, especially when managing client projects. So take the time to tidy up.

I’m a big believer that a clutter-free workspace equals a clutter-free mind. This applies to both physical AND digital clutter. If you’re old school and have physical files or office supplies that need some Marie Kondo-like attention, make sure you get crystal clear on what sparks joy so you can either organize or ditch the rest.

If you’re a digital girlie, like me, dive into your Google Drive, Dropbox, or my personal fave, Notion, and start organizing your lil heart out. 

Make sure that during this organization step, you’re not just organizing general biz docs and client projects, but that you’re also taking the time to get your finances in order and store copies of all your income and expense reports and invoices. 

3️⃣ Step Three: Goal Setting 

Goal setting is a HUGE step when it comes to business in general but especially when a fresh quarter hits. It’s the perfect time to reevaluate your big-picture vision and see how you can start reaching those goals. My favorite way to do this is by implementing the concepts I learned from the book The 12 Week Year. 

You can read a detailed breakdown of this goal-setting method in this blog post or download my FREE notion template to help you fast-track those goals. 

Business checklist recap:

✅ Do an honest reflection on the last quarter by asking some tough questions.

✅ Declutter and organize: Delete the junk, archive the old, and organize the rest

✅ Keep everything in one location like Google Drive, Dropbox, Notion, etc. 

✅ Organize all income and expenses and make sure you have copies or invoices/receipts in clearly labeled locations.

✅ Determine whether or not you need to increase your rates. 

✅ Set clear goals with actionable steps and deadlines for the new quarter.

02. The Website Optimization Checklist

The website optimization checklist is SO important. As a business owner, your website is your virtual storefront and should be working for you 24/7, so it’s crucial that you carve out some time to make sure everything is up to date and working properly. 

1️⃣ Step One: Reflect and Analyze Data

A great place to start is by reflecting on your website’s performance and analyzing key data using tools like Google Analytics. 

Ask yourself:

• Which pages or content performed well in terms of traffic, engagement, and conversions?
• What are the main sources of traffic to your website? How can you leverage them further?
• Are there any noticeable trends or patterns in user behavior that can inform your strategy moving forward?
• How well is your website performing in search engine rankings? Consider doing an SEO audit to see where you can make improvements.
• Review current metadata, including titles, descriptions, keywords, etc., and make updates where needed. 

2️⃣ Step Two: Declutter and Optimize Content

Focus on optimizing your website’s content to enhance user experience and search engine visibility. You’ll also want to double-check all the technical aspects of your website to make sure everything is functioning properly. 

Here is what I recommend focusing on specifically: 

• Review and update your website content to make sure it’s still relevant (i.e. updating any images, copy, brand elements, forms, etc.)
• Optimize images by compressing file sizes for faster loading times and add or update alt text to improve accessibility and SEO.
• Make sure you’re branding and messaging is consistent across all pages.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of your calls-to-action (CTAs) and consider refining or adding new ones to encourage users to take action.

• Check for and fix any broken links or 404 errors to keep users from bouncing on your website—If you don’t already have a custom 404 page, I HIGHLY recommend creating one. 
• Double-check that your website is mobile-friendly and responsive across different devices and screen sizes. Sometimes mobile can get a lil weird with platform updates, so it’s important to make sure you’re checking it regularly. 

3️⃣ Step Three: Goal Setting and Action Planning

Again, you’ll want to set specific, measurable goals based on your reflections and data analysis, and then develop an action plan to achieve them. Think about what you want to achieve with your website in the next quarter… it doesn’t have to be a huge lofty goal. It could even be something as simple as updating all of your images after a new brand shoot. 

OR if you have plans of getting a whole new website in the new quarter, start figuring out the steps you’ll need to take to make that happen and create a list! For example, it could include things like researching the type of website designer you’ll want to work with….

annnnd hey, hi, hello, I can make that search a lil easier on ya 😉 Check out my portfolio or my services to see if you think we’d be a good fit! 

Website Optimization Checklist Recap:

✅ Reflect on your website performance using tools like Google Analytics.

✅ Optimize your content for user experience and search engine visibility.

✅ Address any technical issue for smooth functionality and performance (i.e. update 404 error page, any animated elements, check mobile, etc.)

✅ Update any new images or copy, keeping file size in mind to ensure fast loading speed. 

✅ If you’re in need of a new website, start doing research on designers and figure out what that process and timeline would look like. 

✅ Set specific goals and develop action plans to achieve them.

03. The Branding Checklist

Similar to the website checklist, the branding checklist is meant to help you do a quick lil audit to make sure your brand messaging and visual identity still represent you and serve your current stage in business. 

1️⃣ Step One: Reflect and Assess

Do you see a theme here? I’m always going to suggest you start with a reflection. Think about how your brand is being received across all platforms. 

Ask yourself:

• Are your brand values and mission statement being effectively communicated through your messaging?
• How well do your brand visuals, including logo, color palette,  typography, and images represent you? Do they resonate with your target audience?
• Are there any inconsistencies or gaps in your messaging across different channels? If so, how can you change that?
• Are you still happy with your branding or is it time to hire a designer for a refresh? 

2️⃣ Step Two: Declutter and Organize 

Again, decluttering is a huge aspect of setting yourself up for success in the new quarter. Focus on getting rid of any old or outdated social media graphics, and duplicates of any branding assets to avoid confusion, and keep them all in a folder so you know exactly where everything is at all times. This will make it really easy for you to find things when you need em. 

3️⃣ Step Three: Online Presence Audit

The main thing you’ll want to focus on in this step is making sure that you’re being CONSISTENT. 

Obviously, that word is nuanced, buuut by consistent I mean that you’re showing up in the same way across alllll your online platforms. That includes socials, your website, blog, newsletter, etc. 

Your tone of voice should sound the same. Your visuals should look the same. 

If someone finds you on Instagram, they should not have an immediate jump scare when going to your website—everything should be cohesive. Follow your brand guidelines (I beg of you). Honestly, I can’t stress enough just how important this is!! 

And of course, if you’re not feeling satisfied with your current branding and are in the market for a refresh, you know where to find me 😉

Branding Checklist Recap:

✅ Reflect on your brand’s messaging and visuals and make sure they’re still in alignment with you and your business goals. 

✅ If things feel off, consider reaching out to a designer for a rebrand. 

✅ Declutter and get organized!

✅ Audit ALL your socials/ online presence to make sure things are cohesive and aligned. 

✅ Update or refresh profile images, cover photos, and bios to reflect any changes in your brand identity or messaging.

✅ Double-check any website/newsletter banners, social graphics, and other digital assets to make sure they follow your brand guidelines.

04. The Marketing Checklist

Ahhh marketing. The most complicated elephant in the room! Making sure you have a solid marketing strategy that you review quarterly is soooo important for the success of your business, so let’s get straight to it with some key things you can do to stay on top of it… 

1️⃣ Step One: Reflect and Strategize

No surprise here! Take a moment to reflect on your content marketing efforts from last quarter and strategize for the upcoming quarter. This is also a very important time to ask yourself some tough questions like: 

• How did your content align with your marketing goals? Did it resonate with our audience?
• What were your biggest wins? Any areas that could use improvement?
• Are there any trends or shifts in what your audience wants to see that you should incorporate into your strategy for the next quarter?
• How can you refine your content approach to better engage your target audience and drive conversions?
• Are there any platforms that you might consider ditching to focus on improving one in particular?

2️⃣ Step Two: Content Creation 

Content creation can feel like such a chore, especially if you’re spread thin between too many platforms. So this is an important thing to consider when moving into a new quarter. Also, you’ll want to consider how you can optimize your content creation process to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. 

Here’s what to focus on:

• Review the performance of your existing content and identify opportunities for repurposing or updating high-performing pieces—this is something I am currently in the process of doing with my blogs!
• Brainstorm new content ideas that align with your marketing objectives and what your community is interested in. 
• Create a REALISTIC and SUSTAINABLE  content calendar—remember you’ll want something that helps keep you consistent, but you’ll need to figure out what consistency means to you. Is it posting on Instagram 3xs a week or 1x? Make sure to outline your main topics, formats, and publishing schedules for blogs, newsletters, social media, etc. 
• If content is too overwhelming for you and you don’t have the capacity to stay on top of it, you might consider outsourcing! 

3️⃣ Step Three: Get Creative

Sometimes we think of “marketing” our business in a very linear format—I for one immediately think about social media as the main bread and butter for marketing, buuuut there are so many different ways you can get creative in marketing yourself. 

Here are some non-social media ways to market yourself:

• Leverage your email list to deliver your content directly to your subscribers’ inboxes—this will help you nurture those relationships on a different level.
• Try going to in-person networking events! Yes, they still exist! Haha. This is such a fun way to meet people face-to-face in your community and also a fun excuse to bring your brand to life by ordering some physical business cards to hand out! 
• Start a blog—okay, I know I’m super new to this myself, but I have to say, it’s been SUCH a fun way to market my services, build authority, drive traffic to my website, and honestly, just give myself another creative outlet!
• Consider reaching out to guest on someone’s podcast, or even on their email list or blog. This is a great way to leverage someone else’s community to market yourself. Obviously, you’ll want to make sure you’re communities are aligned, but it’s another creative way to get your name out there. 

4️⃣ Step Four: Monitor, Analyze, and Adjust

What can I say, this is pretty self-explanatory. You’ll want to keep an eye on those metrics to make sure your marketing efforts are paying off and see what type of content is or is not resonating with your community. 

Marketing Checklist Recap:

✅ Audit your content from the previous quarter, reflect on what did or did not perform well, and strategize for the future.

✅ Consider ditching some of the marketing platforms that are no longer serving you. ✅Optimize your content creation processes for efficiency and effectiveness—keep sustainability and consistency in mind!

✅ Get creative—try leveraging other communities to increase reach and engagement via guest podcasts, newsletter spotlights, blogs, etc. 

✅ Monitor, analyze, and adjust your content strategy based on data and insights.

And there you have it! The four checklists I suggest every business owner follow every quarter. It may seem overwhelming and a bit tedious, but I’m a firm believer in staying ahead of the game in terms of planning and keeping things organized. 

Besides, your future self will thank you when you get to the end of the year and see that you’ve done some routine maintenance on your business every couple of months! 

Did you like this post?

Then you’ll love the productivity category on my blog! 

Good on productivity, but struggling with your brand and/or website? I can help! Check out my services page to see if working together will be fit. 

Have a quick Q? Shoot me a DM on Instagram!