December is the time of year where the holidays are sprung upon us, and many find closure in the big—and little—things in life. It's a time of celebration, as well as reflection of how this last year's events affected us. As well, it gives us time to evaluate what we can do differently in the year the come.

As 2020 comes to a close, this year's period of reflection looks quite different than years that have passed. At this time last year, news of a new virus emerging didn't raise concern until it would start making its spread worldwide months later. Now, COVID-19 has given us even more reason to stop and pause to evaluate our next move.

If you run a business or organization that interacts with the public at large, there is a good change you had to make big changes to pivot and run it under strict guidelines. 2020 was no doubt an exhausting year for many; so, to get ahead of the curve, here are some pointers to help you plan for next year.

READ: How One Martial Arts School Pivoted To Thrive During COVID-19

Ask Yourself, "What Worked? What Didn't?"

The first step of reflecting and writing a new business plan for next year is being honest with yourself about what you succeeded and failed at this year. It's also critical to evaluate not just whether or not you met your goals, but how you did or did not.

For many, not meeting targets set up a year ago is a direct result of COVID-19 causing closures and shutdowns in industries that rely on in-person classes. COVID-19 was out of everyone's control, and you should not beat yourself up about not meeting goals that were directly delayed by a pandemic shutting down businesses worldwide. If COVID-19 closures directly impacted your business's inability to meet goals, you can try again with your strategy next year. If you find, instead, that another factor that is in your control that affected you not being able to meet your goals, start planning out steps to overcome that obstacle.

An example of a factor out of your control is government-mandated restrictions on in-person classes causing drops in attendance and retention rates. Meanwhile, an example of a factor you can control is the layout of your space, and your class schedule. If you can adjust these factors to make your business more accessible, you may see yourself meeting that goal next year.

SEE MORE: How One Martial Arts School Opened Another Location During COVID-19

Have A 3 Month Plan—And A Back-Up Plan

Being prepared doesn't mean focusing on one month at a time—it means knowing what's coming up ahead on your roadmap. Planning right now seems like a tricky task, as things are changing almost every day. But having a rough idea of what's to come for at least 2 additional months into the year is a good practice.

As we learned this year, anything can happen! Having the agility to make a quick, smart move if things change to your plans is clutch in succeeding next year. While news of a COVID-19 vaccine finally becoming accessible to citizens in several countries is exciting, you should not be writing next year's business plan like life will be back to normal.

DOWNLOAD: FREE Ultimate COVID-19 Checklist For Your Business

So, what does an ideal business plan look like heading into the new year? Your plan should include a detailed account of what is coming up this month, and be updated at the end of each month, looking forward. At the start of each new month, evaluate your upcoming month for changes that need to be implemented. After all, we are in a pandemic and things can change at the drop of a hat.

RELATED: 4 Ways to Ensure Your Gym is Ready for the New Year

Research What Worked For Others In Your Industry

How have other businesses or organizations faired this year? And, what did they try that is new or innovative? Researching new industry trends gives valuable insight into new strategies that are tried and trusted—without having to foot the bill of the risk associated. Particularly following a challenging year like 2020, it's understandable if you want to play it safe and follow trusted strategies. But, trying an innovative marketing or management strategy can also help your business stand out. It all depends on the risk attached to this method.

Start by reading recent news within your industry from sources you trust. If they have a frequent newsletter, sign up for that list to stay up to date without having to remember to research on your own. As well, you can see if those sources have yearly round-up lists of notable people or events from 2020. Some websites will publish end-of-year lists to discuss the news events that shook us this year. After all, a lot has happened this year and there is a good chance that we have forgotten about big events that happened earlier this year.

READ MORE: New Year, New Programming: Ways to Introduce Different Activities

A Software Solution To Help You Conquer 2021

When all is said and done, how much can you accomplish without the help of software automation? An automatic solution will follow up on leads, send out reminders, allow check-ins and bookings, and much, much more without you lifting a finger. If 2020 left you feeling like you don't have enough hours in the day to do it all, Xplor Recreation could help.

Take advantage of our marketing technology to efficiently and effectively connect with your customers and maximize your delivery and opened email rates. With us, connecting with your members has never been easier! Request a personalized demo of our cloud-based solution to discover all our features.