As a small business owner, the decisions you make shape the direction of your entire business. Every yes, every no, every investment of time and money adds up.
And if I’m honest, I’ve made some bad decisions along the way. Projects I said yes to that I shouldn’t have. Investments that didn’t pay off. Time spent in the wrong places.
So this year, I’m changing how I approach decision-making. Not by working harder, but by building better habits and systems that lead to smarter choices.
Here’s what I’m doing differently in 2026.
Not taking feedback personally
This one took me a while to learn.
Negative feedback used to sting. A client complaint or a critical comment would sit with me for days.
But feedback is data. And data helps you make better decisions.
Now, when I receive negative feedback, I ask myself: is there something here I can learn from? Is there a pattern I’m missing? Is this pointing to a gap in my service, my communication, or my process?
Not all criticism is valid, but dismissing it outright means you miss opportunities to improve.
The same goes for positive feedback. When something works, I want to know why. What did the client value most? What made this project successful? Positive feedback reinforces what’s working, and that’s just as important as identifying what’s not.
Feedback isn’t personal. It’s a tool. Use it to get better.
Invest in the Right Systems
Systems are an investment and it takes a leap of faith to bet on yourself sometimes. I’d convince myself I could manage with spreadsheets, manual processes, and a bit of extra effort.
But that approach doesn’t scale. And it leads to decisions made under pressure, with incomplete information, when you’re already stretched thin.
This year, I’m committed to automating as much as possible. Even if it requires an upfront investment.
That means a proper CRM to track leads and client interactions. Automated invoicing and payment reminders. Scheduled social media posting. Streamlined onboarding sequences.
The goal isn’t to remove the human element from my business. It’s to free up mental space and time so I can focus on the decisions that actually need my attention.
When your systems handle the repetitive tasks, you have more capacity for strategic thinking. And strategic thinking leads to better decisions.
Track the Metrics That Matter
You can’t improve what you don’t measure.
I’m tracking the metrics that actually matter to my business. Not vanity numbers, but data that tells me whether I’m moving in the right direction.
That includes client acquisition costs, conversion rates, project profitability, and time spent on different types of work. It includes website analytics, email open rates, and where my leads are coming from.
When you have data, decisions become clearer. You stop guessing and start to make decisions that actually make a difference.
This doesn’t mean you need to track everything. Too much data is just as unhelpful as none. The key is identifying the metrics that align with your business goals and reviewing them regularly.
I’m committing to monthly reviews where I look at the numbers, ask what’s working, and adjust based on what the data tells me.
Keep Testing and Learning
The best decision-makers aren’t the ones who get it right every time. They’re the ones who learn quickly from what doesn’t work.
I’m adopting a mindset of continuous testing this year. Trying new approaches, measuring the results, and iterating based on what I learn.
That might mean testing a new marketing channel to see if it brings in better leads. It might mean adjusting my pricing structure and tracking the impact on conversions. It might mean experimenting with different ways of communicating with clients.
Not every test will succeed. That’s the point. The goal is to learn faster, fail smaller, and make each decision a little smarter than the last.
Business isn’t static. What worked last year might not work this year. The only way to stay ahead is to keep learning.
Better decisions don’t happen by accident. They happen when you build habits and systems that support them.
For me, that means:
- Using feedback as a tool, not taking it personally
- Investing in systems that free up time and mental space
- Tracking the metrics that actually matter
- Testing, learning, and iterating constantly
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress. Making slightly better decisions, consistently, over time.
That’s how you build a business that grows.
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