Any new year brings a renewed sense of motivation – temporarily at least!

No matter what your goals for the year, making strategic resolutions now, rather than just reacting to deadlines, can give your business a valuable head start to begin 2026 on the front foot and build resilience too. 

A year of Cash Flow and Financial clarity

One of the most impactful changes you could bring to your business this year is moving beyond simply tracking turnover and digging into the underlying numbers including profit margins and the all-important cash flow. 

  • Costs are going to rise in 2026

Millions of businesses will see higher employment costs this year due to rises in the National Living Wage and employers’ National Insurance contributions (NICs). Your accountant can advise on how to best mitigate these increases.

  • Take a zero tolerance approach to late payments

Chances are you are not a charity and late payments cost the UK economy billions annually. Look at your credit control processes and look to make changes if there is any slack. Chase overdue invoices professionally but instantly to ensure your cash flow, the lifeblood of a business, remains as healthy as possible. 

  • Update accounting standards

Changes to accounting standards starting in January 2026 mean that there may be incoming changes to how some assets are reported on balance sheets which could impact reported performance. Again, your accountant will be able to explain in more detail and will be prepared for this but it’s important to understand what’s happening.  

  • Governance checks

New identity verification rules for directors and persons of significant control are in effect at Companies House as well as other changes so this is a good time to check your records and listings to make sure they are up-to-date and compliant.

Embrace AI sensibly

AI is no longer the domain of large corporations. Significant improvements could be found for SMEs and associated workflows to help boost productivity and revenue.

  • Automate regular tasks if possible

Tools such as Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude can help generate ideas and can automate client responses and some bookkeeping tasks. Look to see what other processes can be automated to free up space and time for those involved.

  • Focus on high-value work

Businesses already using AI spend less time on repetitive tasks and more on growth-orientated activities which should be the way of things. Studies show that 78% of AI-supported SMEs are expecting revenue growth over the coming year.

  • Avoid mega-f AI ls

Like every new technology, evangelists will preach that it will solve every problem a business faces and many more but this just isn’t true. AI can be useful to solve specific problems and workflows but is not a catch-all miracle cure.  Inappropriately employed and at best it’s a glorified auto-complete or worse when it can hallucinate and literally make information up out of thin air. Allow staff to experiment with and use it as a tool for them, not a replacement. 

It’s easy being green

Sustainability has shifted from a nice label to having to be a core business priority that can not only win over eco-conscious customers and investors but improve staff wellbeing.

  • New legislation

From March 31st 2026, new laws require all businesses in England with ten or more employees to separate food waste from other recyclables and have dedicated recycling waste containers.

  • Reduce your footprint

Switching to LED lights and other energy-efficient appliances, using biodegradable packaging and going paperless where possible all lead to savings and also future-proof a business against stricter future regulations. 

  • Update facilities

Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) standards are tightening from 2026 so improved energy performance is critical. This has to be factored into any future refurbishments or moves. Even if more staff are working flexibly and remotely, the building still has a footprint.

Resolutions don’t need to be dramatic to be effective for businesses and people alike. 

Small, intentional changes applied consistently and monitored often create the biggest cumulative impact and by focusing on strategic foresight, positioning your business to treat 2026 as a year of opportunity rather than obligation could reap some big rewards.

Get in touch with us and depending on your aims and ambitions for the business, you might find out you have more options that you thought that you can deploy more quickly than you realise too.