Ep 70 - Summer Reset Series 5: What to Stop, Start & Systematise in September to Grow Your Business in Q4

Episode Show Notes

September might just be the most underestimated month in business.

It carries a quiet energy — a subtle sense of new beginnings. The holidays are over, school routines are back, and many of us are craving structure, focus, and a plan.

If you’re a dietitian, nutritionist or regulated health professional running your own business, September is your strategic reset button. It’s the perfect moment to stop going round in circles, reconnect with what works, and build gentle momentum into the final quarter of the year.

And the best part? You don’t need to work too hard. You just need a simple 3 part plan.

Why September is a Strategic Sweet Spot

September often feels like a “second new year.” The pace picks up, inboxes come alive, and business visibility increases.

If you’ve spent the summer in a slower gear, maybe juggling the school holidays, or simply giving yourself a well-deserved breather  you’re not behind. You’re right on time.

But now is your moment to reset with intention.

The 3 Step September Reset: Stop, Start, Systematise

This is the exact framework I teach my clients inside Accelerate - and it’s helped dozens of health professionals finish the year strong without burning out.

Step 1: Stop

Ask yourself honestly: What’s draining you right now?

• Old offers that no longer align
• Platforms you’re showing up on out of obligation (hello TikTok...)
• Half-finished projects you keep “meaning” to launch
• Clients or niches that feel heavy or unfulfilling

This isn’t failure. It’s pruning  and it makes space for the things that actually move your business forward.

Try this: Go to your Summer Reset Planner and put a line through anything you marked as “kill” in your keep/kill/evolve reflection that we did in part 2 of this series (Episode 67). Then actually action it. Cancel the subscription. Archive the files. Let people know.

Clearing the clutter isn’t just about freeing up time, it's about freeing up your mental energy.

Step 2: Start

Now look at what’s working (your "keep" list) and what has potential (your "evolve" list).

The Keep List: Strengthen What’s Already Working

Your keep list contains the solid foundations of your business — the activities, tools and routines that consistently support you and attract the right clients.

Think about:

• Funnels that convert quietly in the background
• A Facebook group that sparks real engagement
• Weekly emails that consistently get replies
• Morning routines or CEO rituals that set you up right

Practical steps for September:

• Give these assets a polish. Refresh your welcome sequence, tighten your onboarding emails, or reshoot a quick intro video.
• Recommit to your routines. Block out time in your calendar now for your visibility habits and your weekly CEO date.
• Automate where possible. If something is working manually, look for small ways to automate without removing the human touch.

These keep list items don’t need a total overhaul, consider giving them a little polish to keep delivering great results.

The Evolve List: Activate Untapped Potential

Your evolve list includes the projects and activities that you do and have promise, but aren’t fully delivering yet. These are often things you enjoy or believe in, but that need a nudge to become easier, more efficient, or more strategic.

Think about:

• A half built course or group offer you haven’t had time to finish
• Your social media strategy that feels like a relentless grind instead of an easy flow
• Free content that’s valuable and your audience love, but that's not leading towards your paid offers

Practical steps for September:

• Decide the direction. Will you refine these, delegate, or get some business advice on what to do with them so their potential is released? Make a clear decision on what your next action step is.
• Break it down. If you know, write out the microsteps needed to move it forward. This might be tech research, asking for feedback, or drafting a sales page outline.

This is the month to shift these from "maybe someday" ideas to practical, strategic action. You’ll be amazed how much lighter you feel once you decide what to do with each.

Step 3: Systematise

This is where you futureproof your business.

Because what really derails us in Q4 isn’t lack of ideas, it's lack of systems. Small admin leaks that chip away at your time and focus.

Some examples of these my clients have had are:

• Rewriting the same new client welcome email each time, and sending it manually
• Forgetting to follow up with warm leads on a consistent and regular basis
• Losing 20 minutes searching your inbox for a Zoom link!

Use September to patch those holes now, so you can go into Q4 as efficiently as possible.

Try this: Open your Summer Reset Planner and list the clunky, annoying tasks you repeat every week. Then choose three to fix this month. That’s it.

Some easy wins:

• Connect your lead magnet to a welcome sequence that moves your potential client along in their journey towards becoming a paying client
• Create a reusable content calendar for social media so you're not forever reinventing the wheel
• Automate your testimonial requests when client containers come to an end

Inside Accelerate, this is one of the first things we do with my clients who have established businesses. We look for the leaks, build out simple and supportive systems that match their energy and business model.

Your Autumn Focus Map

If you have my Summer Reset Planner, head to the Autumn Focus Map. There are 3 strategic business priorities we all need to prioritise in order to be in business. 

Choose one project from your 'start' list in each of these three categories:

• Visibility: This is your audience, because without being visible, you won't have anyone to sell to. This includes how you get in front of brand new people, attract new leads, reengage past clients, and stay top of mind in your niche.
  
  
• Client Experience: This is how you retain happy clients, create raving fans, get fabulous testimonials for social proof and encourage word-of-mouth referrals. A small tweak here can create a massive impact.
  
  
• Growth: Growth ensures you’re building something sustainable. Whether it’s revenue, reach, or efficiency, it's always a good idea to have one focused business growth project to help your business keep moving forward. Unsure of which direction to take? Start with your mindset.

This framework keeps your planning holistic, balanced and sustainable. Pick projects that match your available time and energy. You’re not a machine, you're a human with a business and a life.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been feeling like you’re behind, let me say this gently:

✨ You’re not.

This September reset is your moment to realign  not with what everyone else is doing  but with what feels meaningful and manageable for you.

And if you want strategic guidance, accountability, and templates to make it easier, that’s exactly what we do inside Accelerate  business mentorship for health professionals who want growth without overwhelm.

Your Q4 doesn’t have to be chaotic. It can be clear, aligned and profitable.

The Master Plan:

Helping you build the business of your dreams. Get your 22 point step-by step workbook here: https://www.sarahalmondbushell.com/master-plan

Connect with me:

Website: https://www.sarahalmondbushell.com/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dietitiansinbusiness

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondtheclinicbusiness

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeyondTheClinicPodcast

Episode transcription:

Hello and welcome back to Beyond the Clinic. We are officially in episode five of the Summer Reset Series and I hope you're starting to feel some clarity come through, your business.

If this is your first time joining us, definitely go back and binge those first four episodes. We've covered a style of compassionate reflection about your business, how to clear the fog that may be keeping you feeling overwhelmed or unclear, a CEO date, a planning ritual that actually works wonders when your time is short. And then last week was a little bit more personal. It was what I would do if I was starting over in business.

I shared this to give you some shortcuts and to help you move forward more quickly. If you're feeling behind in terms of where you think you should be by now in business or you're drowning in tasks with so much to do or even just feeling a little bit scattered, then these episodes are your reset buttons. So do go give them a listen.

Today we're shifting gears because as we stand here with September in sight, there's a sense of renewal. There's a bit of a back to school vibe, I guess. Our routines will be back in full swing. And before you know it, there'll be pumpkin spiced everything and tubs of celebrations in the shops. I don't know about you, but by September, I feel the energy changes, the pace picks up. There's a renewed sense of a fresh start, a bit like a second new year.

And I want to help you catch it and take advantage of that without getting swept away. So in this episode, I'm going to walk you through how to prepare for your most aligned and easy and effective, autumn yet. We're going to focus on the three month runway ahead, October through till December. And I'll show you exactly what to stop, start and systematize in September. So you can roll into quarter four with a clear head, a clear plan and a renewed sense of excitement for building your business.

Also, very quick reminder, your summer reset planner has a section for this. It's called the autumn strategy page and it's designed to help you get everything we're about to cover in one place so that you can refer back to this once you get going. Grab it now or come back after the show and download it from the show notes. All right. Let's do this.

Okay, the first thing I want you to think about is the hardest one. It's what do you need to stop doing? So this is all about letting go of what no longer fits. So something we talked about back in episode two, using the keep, kill and evolve framework, where you thought about what needed to go, what needed to stay and what needed to be tweaked or upgraded to work a bit better.

So stopping something can be a bit emotional. It can feel hard to let go of something you've poured your heart and your soul into that you've worked so hard at creating. This isn't quitting. It's actually being intentionally smart and strategic because if you're still clinging on to dusty strategies that used to work, hoping that they might come back to life, Instagram, anyone, or half finished ideas you started working on and those maybe someday when I've got more time type of projects, then you're actually just clogging up the space where new growth in your business could happen.

So here's what this might look like. Maybe you've been showing up on TikTok because you feel like you should because everyone's there, right? But your audience is actually hanging out on Facebook and Facebook, well, you never really enjoyed it. Or maybe you've been trying to run a podcast and then turning the transcript into a blog post and filming it so it can go to your YouTube channel too.

And every week you feel like you're behind and you're beating yourself up for it. I'm using this example because this is me at the moment. Maybe you've been holding onto a client or even a niche that you've outgrown. They drain your energy. They don't respect your time. And every session leaves you questioning your skills. And the night before you get that creeping sense of Stopping something doesn't mean you failed at it. It means you're just choosing a new focus.

Think of it a bit like pruning a plant. You're taking off the shoots so that the main part can grow stronger. One of my clients was running a really large community group that she used to love, but recently had begun to feel like a chore.

Her engagement dropped, her sessions were a bit last minute. We looked at the numbers and it was only bringing in 12 % of her revenue. So when she gave herself permission to stop running it, she cried. Not because she was sad, but because she hadn't realized how much pressure she'd been carrying. I could see the weight lifting from her shoulders. So this is your permission slip to stop, to close the tab, to let it go.

By now you've already done the hard thinking about this in episode two, using that keep, kill, evolve framework. You've identified what's aligned and what's draining and what needs a bit of a refresh. So this is the moment to take that list and move it from an insight into implementation.

So here's your next step. Go back to that Clear the Business Fog page in your Summer Reset Planner and revisit what you marked to kill and actually take the actions needed to close a loop. Archive the file, cancel the subscription, announce that you're wrapping up the offer. Whatever needs doing, do it. This is your September work. It's to create clean edges. It's to treat it like tying up the loose threads so that you can move into October with the mental white space and creative energy that you need. Don't let undone tasks and half-hearted ideas follow you into the next season. Because remember, momentum needs room. And by clearing the decks, you're not just making room on your calendar, you're making room in your mind as well.

Okay, the second part is start. So this is where we're gonna shift into momentum here, but we want to make sure it's intentional momentum, the kind that feels energizing and definitely not overwhelming. So go back to that keep, kill, evolve list and zoom in on what you decided to keep and evolve.

So your keep list, of course, is full of the things that are already working well. These are maybe the activities that always bring you your best fit clients, the ones you love to work with, or maybe it's the tools that you have in your business that make your life easier. Or it could be the daily morning mindset routine that you do that helps you feel grounded and energized and ready for the day ahead. It might be growing your email list. Remember, this is your own personal audience that no algorithm or Google update can affect, or a thriving Facebook group that people are genuinely engaged in.

Or here's my example, a mini course that sells a few times a month from a funnel I created seven years ago and I never promote. So don't overlook these things. These are solid foundations you've got there. They're perfect to build upon. And September is a great time to give them a little polish if they need it. It might just be updating your welcome emails for new clients. It might be scheduling a weekly reminder in your diary to share a tip or a piece of advice once a week in that thriving Facebook group that you've got.

Just keep what's working. And if you need to give it a little polish to allow it to shine, then please do. Now let's move into the evolve list. This is that sort of juicy middle ground. So these are the things that still hold promise, but need to work better for you. The things that need a bit of work to evolve into something better. So let's say you used to post on Instagram daily, you were chasing growth, but it started to feel like a grind.

Evolving that might mean that you create your content plan once a month, maybe during a CEO date, and you schedule a full day once a month to actually go ahead and create that content. Now, time blocking is a game changer to stop the mental fatigue that comes with having to think about something that is a grind for you on a daily basis.

Or you know what?

Maybe now's the time to hire some help, someone who can take your ideas and sprinkle them with their magic and turn them into the social media posts. Or maybe you've always offered one-to-one services, but now after reflecting through this summer series, you feel like you're ready to create a scalable offer, like a course, for example. It doesn't mean you need to launch a full course this month. In fact, please do not, otherwise you'll be back feeling overwhelmed and on the verge of quitting. But you could start by pre-selling your course idea or have some conversations with your audience to further refine your idea.

Okay, you've already done the deep thinking. Now, September becomes your bridge between having this insight and moving into intention. So look at your keep and evolve lists and ask yourself, how can I set the stage in September with those things so that I'm ready to hit the ground running in October?

So what can I prepare ahead or polish up a bit or put in motion now so that my autumn flows with more ease? This is the time to tie up those loose ends and to give your future self a bit of a head start. So this is how I suggest you use September. Revisit what's on your keep list and decide what needs a light refresh. Use September to update that welcome email, re-record the bonus module, schedule the weekly reminder to show up in your group, whatever for the evolve list.

September is when you make decisions. You're going to choose the shape your ideas will take. You're going to pick the tech platform. You're going to write a rough outline. You're going to reach out to the business coach to get strategic guidance, or you write your advert for your new team member or VA. So just block out some time for some light planning, carve out your CEO dates now as well, because honestly, you will thank yourself later.

So take a moment with your summer reset planner and revisit the autumn focus map. So it's time to plug your ideas into something that can guide your next steps. So this is not a full business plan by any stretch of the imagination, but it's something that can guide you in the right direction to start to move the needle. Start by prioritizing.

What's the one piece of work from your list that will give you the biggest sense of momentum or relief or help you make more money if you complete it first? Choose your top three, but I really want you to be strategic here. You need one in each of the three categories that reflect the key areas that keeps businesses moving forward. So just in case you don't know what these are, they are visibility, how you show up in front of new audiences and connect with your existing ones.

So it could be, for example, re-engaging your email list, choosing a core social media platform to be consistent upon. The second one is client experience, how you will improve the way you help, like refining your onboarding emails or updating a resource or a lesson, or tightening up your boundaries so that you're not forever answering questions in between sessions. Or it could be adding in an automation to request a testimonial and a review when they complete their time with you.

And then the third thing is growth. Now this is important. What are you building or are you creating in order to move your business forwards? So it could be market research to float a new group offer idea. Maybe it's building a waitlist funnel that runs on automation. So you have a steady stream of paying clients or perhaps you want to introduce a low cost offer. So these don't have to be big projects but they do need to feel doable. They do need to be something you're excited about. And of course they need to be achievable in the time that you have.

So your autumn focus map helps you sketch this out realistically, allows you to think about what each project needs, time, support, resources, and spread out the tasks that you need to do in order to get there across October, November, and December so that you have plenty of breathing room. You're not a machine. You're a human being building a business around everything real life throws at you.

And if you're sitting there, yes, this is exactly what I need, but I'm not sure how to bring it all together or stay on track, I can help you in my Accelerate Coaching Program. Just drop me a line. This work you're doing in September, this is the pre-work that's going to set you up beautifully to make the most of those next three months.

So you stop feeling like you're falling behind because actually, you know what? You're right on time. Okay, the third thing that we need to do is systematize. And this is about working smarter. And this is the part that future you is going to be so grateful for, your systems.

So you've made your business decisions, you've set your intentions for the quarter, and now it's time to set things up so your business runs with you and not against you. Because let's be honest here, when things get busy, your systems or actually your lack of systems are what make or break your sanity. If you think about it, how many times have you wasted 20 minutes searching your inbox for a Zoom link or rewriting the same welcome email for a client or forgetting to follow up with someone who said, I'll think about it.

These small admin leaks, they drain your energy. They chip away at your precious time. So I want you to look at where your business needs a little bit of operational TLC. Ask yourself, where am I reinventing the wheel all the time? What decisions or tasks keep slowing me down and what would make my business feel smoother and easier day to day? And then open up your summer reset planner and go to the systems and streamlining page and there's space there for you to jot down everything that feels clunky or chaotic. And then, and this is the important part, choose just three things to systemize or streamline. So let me give you some ideas.

For example, you might want to refresh your client onboarding. You might want to build a simple content calendar. Or you might want to connect your lead magnet to a nurture sequence. Yes, there are much fancier systems, but they don't need to be when you are resetting. By all means, if you want to develop a more complex sales funnel in your business, you absolutely can. But make that one of your projects, because these take time to create and refine rather than just a system reset.

And remember inside Accelerate, this is exactly what we build out together. We look at your energy, your business model, your audience, and we create the right systems that support you and fit. So as you look ahead to autumn, remember this, stop what's draining you, start what excites you and brings you focus, and systematize what slows you down. That's your reset, that's your gentle but powerful runway into the final quarter of the year so that it doesn't feel like chaos. It feels easy.

So that's a wrap on episode five of the Summer Reset series. And if you haven't downloaded the planner yet, it's not too late. It'll make this episode really come alive. And I'll see you next week for the final episode of the series where I'll be sharing my own Summer Reset behind the scenes, what's worked, what didn't, and how I'm setting myself up to close out the year. See you then.