Part 2 of 3: This One Thing Will Build Your Business in the New Year — Evaluation

A thorough business evaluation isn’t just an end-of-year exercise; it’s a starting point. The insight you gain paves a practical roadmap for strengthening systems, improving performance, supporting your team and growing your business.

In Part 2 of our series on “Evaluation,” we explain the importance of reflecting on your business, either as a solo or group activity, and a process to use. We’ve also included reflection questions for eight key business areas to get you started.

Why Evaluate?

Every day, whether we are aware of it, we evaluate ourselves and our surroundings. Conscious evaluation encourages decision- and SMART goal-making with intent. It helps you identify areas of strength and weakness, align or realign company objectives with customer needs, and assess processes and performance. Overall, the evaluation process builds business and relationships. As entrepreneur and mentor Quint Studer says:

“It’s objective evaluations that give our hardwiring principles teeth and drive the organization toward results that last.”

First Things First

For the most effective evaluation, schedule a time and place that’s free from distractions. Prepare a list of questions in the areas of business you want to evaluate and gather any needed data. If others are joining you, share your agenda and desired outcome ahead of time. During the evaluation, encourage open and honest input.

Celebrate, Then Ask Questions

Before you discuss the questions on your lists, start on a positive note. List the successes of the past year — even the areas where you saw small growth — acknowledge those who contributed to the wins, and then celebrate! 

Getting Down to Business

Celebration was fun, but now the real work begins. Armed with your list of questions and agenda, work through each item. To make the meeting more efficient, share relevant before meeting (booking reports, claims summaries, customer reviews, time sheets, margins, etc.) and set a time limit for discussing each topic. If you struggle with boundaries, designate someone to help keep the conversation within the time allotted. 

Questions To Reflect On

This list includes suggested questions to reflect on in eight areas of business. If these questions don’t apply to your business or lead you to the information you seek, create others that do 

Operations

1. Did we perform as expected in 2025, and what drove those results?
2. Where did we experience bottlenecks, in scheduling, processes or equipment, and how can we prevent them?
3. Where could we improve efficiency, and what impact would it have? 

Team Culture

1. Do all employees understand and embrace our values, mission and processes?
2. How is team morale throughout the year, an what most affects it?
3. How well do we support, communicate, celebrate and retain employees? 

Technology

1. Do we have the right tools to meet client expectations, and are we using them fully?
2. What training or expertise do we need to improve our use of technology?
3. How has our tech helped or failed to help our business grow?

Financial

1. Where did we come under or go over budget, and why?
2. Did we accurately plan for seasonal fluctuations?
3. Where can we increase revenue and improve profit margins?

Customer Experience

1. How well do we communicate with our clients, and where can we improve our clarity and consistency?
2. Are we meeting (and, ideally, exceeding) the value and services we promise our customers?
3. What can we do to increase our rate of repeat business, reviews and referrals?

Quality Control

1. What issues arose during packing or loadout, and what caused them?
2. Do our employees have the skills they need to do the work correctly and efficiently? Do we need to hire additional staff to fill gaps?
3. Where can we update or strengthen our standards to better meet and exceed customer expectations? 

Market and Competition

1. Do we clearly understand and communicate what sets us apart from the competition?
3. Where can we expand our business: new niches, services, markets, audiences?
3. How competitive are our prices and services in the current market?

Sales and Lead Management

1. How well do we handle and follow up with cold, warm and hot leads?
2. Where are we dropping leads or delaying action, and how can we improve speed and consistency?
3. Are there any maximizing partnerships and opportunities, such as NationalExpress Move, which can pay us for our referrals?

One Last Thing

Before you adjourn the meeting, thank the participants (if alone, pat yourself on the back), explain next steps and schedule any additional meetings needed. Congratulations! You made it through the evaluation process. By intentionally looking back at your business over the past year, you have put yourself, your business and your employees on a path for a more successful new year.

As you move forward with new insights and idea, remember that taking even the smallest actions can turn your evaluation into meaningful growth for your business.