Planning your business or marketing strategy shouldn’t feel overwhelming or something you dread. Yet so many service-based business owners rush through it with a generic list of goals that sound good on paper but don’t actually move the needle.
Here’s the problem: We jump straight into planning mode without looking at what actually happened. Every year around January, we set goals based on what we think we *should* be doing, not what our business is telling us we *need* to be doing. (Then we wonder why we keep repeating the same patterns.)
This reflection framework will give you, as a female entrepreneur building a service-based business, the clarity to build a smarter, more intentional business and marketing strategy.
Why Business Reflection Matters More Than Goal-Setting
Goal-setting feels productive…but when you skip reflection, you end up setting the same goals, implementing the same tactics that didn’t work, and wondering why things feel yucky.
Without taking time to reflect, it’s natural to fall into the same patterns – saying yes to draining clients, investing time in marketing that doesn’t work, and taking on projects you don’t actually want.
Taking time to reflect transforms generic goal-setting into strategic business and marketing planning. You get clear on what energized you, what drained you, what moved your business forward, and what kept you stuck.
How to find Your Zone of Genius in Your Service Business
I’m not talking about what made you the most money or looked best on your portfolio. What work made you genuinely excited to show up?
What project made you lose track of time?
What work lit you up?
When you identify the work that lights you up, you’re finding your “Zone of Genius.” This is the work that should guide your entire business and marketing strategy.
Make a list of your top three most energizing projects. Then look for patterns.
Was it a specific type of client?
A certain industry you love working with?
The creative freedom you had?
Whatever that pattern is, lean into it. Maybe you geek out over website design and love seeing a brand come to life visually. Or you get excited writing compelling email nurture campaigns that actually convert. Perhaps you thrive on strategy sessions where you help clients see their blind spots and map out their next moves.
That’s your Zone of Genius – protect it, prioritize it, and build your business around it.
What Did You Say “Yes” to That You Wish You Hadn’t?
Every service-based business owner has them…you know, the projects that drained you, the clients who crossed boundaries…the project where scope crept out of control.
These experiences aren’t failures. They’re data.
Write down what you said “yes” to that you wish you hadn’t. Then identify the pattern.
Was it a certain type of client?
Did you set an unrealistic deadline?
Did you take on a Low-paying project because you needed the revenue?
Did you see red flags with a client and ignore them?
Identify what you can spot earlier next time. It might be pricing objections before the project starts, or mismatched expectations around scope and budget from day one.
For example, document the red flags you’ll watch for, develop better discovery questions to vet clients upfront, and add protective clauses to your contracts. Then trust your gut when something feels off (your intuition is usually right.)
Rule of thumb: You don’t owe anyone access to your time and energy just because they’re willing to pay. Now that you’ve identified your boundaries, let’s talk about where to actually invest your energy.
Identifying Your Best Marketing Strategy for ROI
You’ve probably been told you need to be everywhere – Instagram, LinkedIn, email, networking, podcasting, blogging. It’s exhausting…and it’s not true.
The most successful service-based business owners aren’t doing everything. They’re doing one or two things really well.
Stop doing what you think you *should* be doing and pay attention to what’s actually working for YOUR unique business.
How did your best clients find you?
Email marketing?
Referrals?
LinkedIn?
Networking events?
Identify your number one client acquisition channel and make it your focus. This is where you should invest your energy – not by hustling harder, but by getting more strategic and intentional about what’s already working.
This is where you get to choose. If email consistently brings in dream clients, make it exceptional. If referrals drive your business, invest deeply in those relationships. The most successful service businesses aren’t built on doing it all – they’re built on doing what works, really well.
Building Strategic Business Relationships That Drive Growth
Service-based businesses are built on relationships – not just client relationships, but all connections that move your business forward.
Think beyond who paid you.
Who referred you to your best clients?
Who challenged your thinking?
Who opened doors for you?
Who gave you advice that really transformed your business?
Who was your greatest supporter?
Make a list of five to ten relationships that had the biggest impact this year. And then ask yourself: Are you nurturing these relationships? Are you showing up for them the way they’ve shown up for you?
Strategic relationship-building isn’t about collecting business cards. It’s about identifying people who energize you, challenge you, and create opportunities for you.
Make time for those early morning coffee meetings. Send emails connecting other female business owners. Mention a colleague’s new service on social media when they are in launch mode. The relationships that fuel your business are reciprocal, not transactional.
Bringing It All Together: The Stop/Start/Continue Framework
Here’s a quick exercise to put this all together, it’s called the:
The Stop/Start/Continue framework.
**STOP** What are you ready to leave behind? A client type, a marketing tactic that’s not working, a service you’re tired of offering, a negative, limiting belief.
**START** What are you committing to doing differently? Setting better boundaries, investing in a marketing channel that’s already working, saying yes to more of the work that energizes you.
**CONTINUE** What’s already working that you need to protect and do more of? The clients who light you up, the marketing that brings in quality leads, the relationships that fuel your growth.
This simple framework gives you clarity, which builds confidence, which creates momentum.
Putting Your Strategic Business Plan Into Action
Strategic business planning doesn’t have to be complicated. It starts with asking the right questions, getting honest about the answers, and using that clarity to make intentional decisions.
Take 30 minutes this week to work through this framework.
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to be intentional about what you say yes to, and strategic about building a business that energizes you and lights you up!