Cash is king, tidying the path before January
Why: For UK SMEs, Q4 isn’t a nice-to-do, it’s where survival meets opportunity. Late payers, seasonal dips and higher finance costs make working capital the single biggest near-term risk.
How: Run a 13-week cash forecast this month. Stress it for a 30% hit to receipts and a 10–14-day payment delay. Call your top 10 debtors now, agree dates, not hope. Revisit credit terms and consider small early-pay incentives.
What: Build a one-page contingency: the minimum cash you need to keep people paid and suppliers working for 60 days. If you don’t have that number by Friday, make it the priority.
Customers first. Map demand, then pick your bets
Why: Winning 2026 starts with the customers you keep and the niche you double down on. MDs who scatter effort lose traction. Q4 is the time to learn fast from the people who pay your bills.
How: Speak to your top 20 customers this quarter. Ask:
What’s changing in your world?
How can we help in the next 6 months?
Use their answers to pick one product/service/vertical to prioritise.
What: Stop or postpone one activity that doesn’t directly help those top customers. Commit the freed capacity to your chosen bet and track early indicators weekly.
Keep the people you need. Small conversations, big impact
Why: Replacing skilled staff costs time and margin. Q4 is the moment for “stay conversations”, not just reviews. People often leave in January; you don’t want to be rebuilding so early in the year.
How: Run 15-minute one-to-ones this month with your top 6–8 people. Ask:
What would make you stay?
What stretch do you want in 2026?
What’s blocking you now?
Combined the chat with a visible gesture (learning allowance, role tweak or clear path).
What: Produce a one-page retention plan for Jan: Name, top risk, proposed fix, owner, three lines per person. Do it this week.
Practical tech & hygiene. Automate where it hurts, tidy where it risks you
Why: You don’t need enterprise AI to win, you need small automations and solid governance. Q4 is the time to remove friction and remove obvious risks (cyber, contracts, insurance).
How: Pick one repetitive admin pain (invoicing, reporting, client comms) and pilot an off-the-shelf automation this quarter. Run a 30-minute compliance health check: contracts, insurance (including cyber), and data controls.
What: Deliver two outcomes by December:
One automated process live that saves X hours/week,
A “no-surprises” compliance list with owners and deadlines.