27 Oct 2026
Are You Planning for the Business You Actually Want?
It’s business planning season! Time to pull out the planners, review the numbers, set those revenue goals, and start dreaming about everything we’re going to accomplish next year.
But before you decide you’re going to double your revenue, triple your client roster, and launch three new offers…
Can we talk about whether you actually WANT all of that? 🤔
Because there’s a difference between planning for the business you have, planning for the business you want, and planning for the business somebody on the internet convinced you SHOULD want.
In this episode of Solopreneur CEO, Carin and Marcia are talking about strategic business planning, setting realistic growth goals, and why your revenue targets are only one piece of a much bigger picture.
It’s easy to look at the numbers and decide you want eight coaching clients every month. But what happens when you get to four and realize you’re already stretched thin? What happens when you double your revenue but don’t have the systems, time, or energy to deliver the experience your clients deserve?
Sometimes the answer isn’t to push harder or think bigger. Sometimes it’s to rethink what growth should actually look like for YOU.
And that means taking a more holistic approach to business planning.
As solopreneurs, our businesses don’t exist separately from our lives. Our health, relationships, family responsibilities, personal priorities, and the seasons we’re moving through all influence what we’re realistically able to accomplish. When we create business plans without accounting for those things, we set ourselves up for frustration, guilt, and that familiar cycle of moving the same unfinished goals from one month to the next.
We’re also talking about the pressure to scale. Just because someone tells you that you could serve 30 clients a month doesn’t mean that’s the business you want. Maybe three to five clients is your sweet spot. Maybe your current revenue goal is enough to support the lifestyle you want. Maybe growing bigger would actually move you further away from the freedom you started your business to create.
Do you really need to think bigger? Or do you need to get clearer about what enough looks like for you?
Of course, having a vision matters. We believe in setting goals that stretch you. But those goals also need to be supported by your business model, your capacity, and the systems required to make them happen.
That’s why we’re digging into what effective quarterly business planning actually looks like. It’s not just writing down an exciting revenue number and hoping everything works out. It’s reviewing your offers, client delivery, marketing, lead nurturing, conversion process, and the actual steps required to achieve your goals.
If you want to double your revenue, what needs to change about how your business operates? If you want more clients, can your current systems support them? And if your goals require more time and energy than you have available, what needs to shift before you pursue them?
We also share how we’re approaching our own planning retreat, why planning alongside other business owners can be so valuable, and how to turn aspirational goals into practical action plans.
Because the goal isn’t to create the most impressive-looking business plan.
It’s to create a plan you believe in, have the capacity to execute, and actually WANT to live with once it succeeds.
🎯 Ready to plan your next quarter with us?
Our Q1 2027 Strategy Planning Workshop is happening December 11!
The workshop is included for Success Secret Society members, and we’re opening registration to solopreneurs outside the membership who want support creating an intentional, actionable plan for the new year.
Join our FREE Solopreneur CEO community at thesolopreneurceo.com to access the calendar and register.
Let’s build a business that works for your actual life, not just one that looks good on paper.
