Have you tried starting your budgeting process with an income breakdown? For the 2026 marketing budget, start by looking at the current income.
I think it is helpful to be clear about the categories of work that are actually coming in at present and the revenue each one has produced. Note any services with high costs for acquiring clients or where expenses have eaten up a lot of profit.
Why This Matters
When you see a list of your income categorized in black and white, the path to profit may show itself more clearly. A couple specific types of clients and services might move the company towards income goals much faster. Others may be money pits.
A lot of small businesses plan expenses first and hope the income will follow.
You may want to try flipping that approach and look at:
Which types of work were most profitable this year?
Where did the easiest, most enjoyable projects come from?
Which projects drained resources or produced low-margins?
What would happen if you doubled down on what’s working. The team may put twice the energy into things they enjoy. It might be worthwhile to drop or at least not advertise for something that drains energy or finances.
The more you know the easier it is to make smarter decisions. When you know how last year’s decisions played out financially, a profit goal becomes real instead of theoretical.
This Week’s Action: Create an Income Budget
Print out an income by client report and if you can, an income by service list. Take a hard look at the jobs, contracts, and service categories you’ve completed so far this year. Create categories or reorganize your list if it will help you see what’s profitable.
In each category, look at the total revenue it generated and then ask yourself:
Which category could we grow by 15% or more in the first quarter?
What would that look like:
Selling a certain number of units or packages?
Adding one new client in your ideal segment?
Doing one additional project or service for three existing clients?
Does one path feel more achievable and more profitable?
Sometimes the answer has been right in front of you for a while. The point isn’t to create a perfect forecast. It’s to look at opportunities that currently exist inside your business.
If you can say “I just need two additional retainer clients” or “Selling an extra X to current clients would make our income goals for January,” then sales and marketing gets MUCH simpler.
If the path isn’t clear, talk to your accountant or I can can help you find growth options. If you are stuck, members of our Skool group can write a post to ask others about what they have tried in similar situations.
Money sometimes feels taboo, but you may find other owners and marketing managers as anxious to talk about income as you are.
REMEMBER: It’s almost always easier to get more from what you already have than to start something new. The numbers don’t lie, listen to them.
You’ve got this!
Carolyn
– Need help making a marketing plan that will generate revenue without destroying cash flow? Our Plan As You Grow – Done-For-You package helps clients implement marketing for just $1,500/month.
— Limited openings for January. Reply to learn more.
