11 Dec 5 Critical Year-End Activities Every Founder Must Complete Before 2025
5 Critical Year-End Activities Every Founder Must Complete Before 2025
As we approach the end of the year, founders everywhere are reflecting on their accomplishments and preparing for the challenges of the year ahead. While every business is unique, there are universal steps every founder should prioritize to ensure their organization is positioned for success in 2025. Drawing on decades of entrepreneurial experience and lessons learned from my ventures, here are five critical year-end activities you need to complete.
1. Financial Health Assessment
Your company’s financial health is the foundation for everything else. Conducting a detailed review of your financials ensures you have a clear picture of where your business stands and prepares you for the opportunities and challenges ahead.
- Review Revenue and Expenses: Analyze profit and loss statements, cash flow, and balance sheets. Are there any trends that need addressing?
- Identify Cost-Saving Opportunities: Can you renegotiate contracts, eliminate unnecessary expenses, or improve operational efficiency?
- Assess Liquidity and Capital Needs: Do you have sufficient runway for 2025? If not, now is the time to plan fundraising or secure lines of credit.
A Value Gap Assessment doesn’t just reveal where your company stands—it shows you what’s possible. By identifying the strategic investments and operational improvements that can unlock greater value, you can move confidently into 2025 with a roadmap for success.
Whether your goal is to streamline operations, improve profitability, or prepare for an eventual exit, the insights gained through this process will ensure that your financial health is not just stable but optimized for long-term growth.
2. Team Performance Review
Your team is your most valuable asset. A year-end performance review isn’t just about identifying gaps; it’s about celebrating successes, recognizing growth, and building momentum for the future.
- Evaluate Individual and Team Goals: Were key performance indicators (KPIs) met? What training or resources are needed to help team members thrive?
- Foster Transparency and Feedback: Encourage open dialogue about what worked and what didn’t in 2024.
- Plan for Growth: Use insights from reviews to create professional development plans and refine team structures for scalability.
Having worked with high-performing teams in organizations like Teknetex and EO Nashville, I’ve seen how meaningful reviews can motivate and retain top talent.
3. Market Position Evaluation
Understanding your place in the market is essential for future growth. This is especially critical for companies in competitive or evolving industries, such as the EMS community we serve with EMTeam.
- Analyze Competitive Landscape: Has your competition introduced new products or services? How do you differentiate?
- Assess Customer Feedback: Gather insights from customer surveys, reviews, and usage patterns.
- Identify Market Trends: Are there emerging opportunities or risks on the horizon?
By staying attuned to market dynamics, you can refine your value proposition and double down on strategies that drive results.
4. Exit Readiness Check
Even if you’re not planning to sell your business anytime soon, building for exit readiness ensures your organization is lean, efficient, and valuable.
- Organize Documentation: Financials, contracts, IP, and operational processes should be up to date.
- Evaluate Valuation Drivers: Understand what factors influence your company’s valuation, and start optimizing for them now.
- Build Strategic Relationships: Foster connections with potential acquirers, investors, or partners.
Being a 2x exited founder, I know firsthand how proactive preparation can make all the difference when opportunities arise unexpectedly.
5. Strategic Planning Foundations
The end of the year is a natural time to lay the groundwork for future growth. Strategic planning bridges your vision for 2025 with actionable goals.
- Set SMART Goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives keep your team focused and aligned.
- Align with Your Mission: Ensure your strategies support your broader purpose. For instance, Solved Healthcare’s mission to enhance EMS professionals’ readiness continues to guide our expansion efforts.
- Prepare for Change: Build flexibility into your plans to adapt to unforeseen challenges or opportunities.
Having a full Business Intelligence Report takes planning to another level of preparedness and strategy. Find out more at www.brllant.com.
Conclusion
As founders, the year-end offers a unique opportunity to pause, reflect, and refine. By focusing on financial health, team performance, market position, exit readiness, and strategic planning, you’re not just closing out 2024—you’re setting the stage for an even more successful 2025.
Whether you’re scaling a startup, managing a portfolio of investments, or preparing for an exit, these activities provide a framework to ensure your business thrives in the year ahead.
Here’s to finishing 2024 strong and tackling 2025 with purpose and determination.
John Kepley is an award-winning entrepreneur, founder, and CEO of multiple companies including Brllant and Solved Healthcare, with over 25 years of experience in strategic growth, education reform, and organizational development.
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