Tuning Your Small Business Strategy to be like an F1 Machine – 5 Power Moves to Kick Off the Financial Year
Your small business strategy should be – Ready, Set, Grow: Start the New Financial Year Like a Pro
July 1 isn’t just the start of a new financial year — it’s your fresh start, your green light, your moment on the grid.
This is your chance to shake off last year’s engine rattle and tune your business into a lean, mean, revenue-generating machine.
Think of yourself as the team principal of your very own Formula 1 outfit. (Or better yet, Brad Pitt in that upcoming F1 movie — calm under pressure, stylish, and slightly dangerous )
Here are 5 turbocharged business planning tips to launch FY26 like a boss.
1. 🧮 Lock in Your Annual Sales Budget
This is your lap target for the year.
Without a clear sales budget, you’re just driving with the handbrake on.
- Break down revenue goals by product, service, or client type
- Track monthly targets – don’t just “set and forget”
- Factor in stretch targets — every F1 team wants a podium finish
Pro tip: Use last year’s data but plan for growth. This is the first and most critical step in your financial year tune-up.
You then need to track it like a Pro, and set the team lap target – what % of growth do you want this year?
2. 👥 Get Your Team to the Start Line
Even Brad Pitt can’t win a race without a pit crew.
Start the year with a team strategy session. Define:
- Clear roles and responsibilities
- Shared goals and KPIs
- What “winning” looks like this year
Put your team in the driver’s seat. When everyone knows their part in the race, you’ll spend less time firefighting and more time accelerating. In f1 there was a strategy . Dont let team egos get in the way of a good strategy . Everyone needs to know the strategy early.
3. 💰 Review Pricing and Profit Margins
Inflation’s been doing burnouts in everyone’s cost base. Time to check you’re charging what you’re worth.
Ask yourself:
- Are we undercharging?
- Do some services need bundling or restructuring?
- What costs have crept up that we need to pass on?
Don’t be afraid to tweak the pricing gearbox. Profit is the fuel for growth. We have seen some small business strategy be no price rises as we lose customers. The reality is that growth goes backwards, and trying to cut costs can have dire consequences on your efficiency. Examine your margins and make informed decisions based on market conditions, gross margin, and production and sales costs.
4. 📊 Set Up Your Dashboard – Know What’s Under the Hood
Great F1 teams monitor everything — speed, tyre wear, fuel levels. Your business should too.
Build a financial dashboard that tells you:
- Revenue vs. target
- Expenses and margins
- Cashflow forecast
Bonus points for automation: utilise tools like Xero, Dext, and even AI assistants to obtain real-time data without the administrative headache.
5. ⚙️ Refine Your Systems and Processes
Speed = efficiency. That means less clunky admin and more streamlined workflows.
- Identify tasks that slow you down.
- Standardise your onboarding, quoting, and billing
- Delegate or outsource what drains your time
This is where real productivity gains happen. Think pit stop fast.
🎬 Final Lap: What Would Brad Pitt Do?
Brad Pitt wouldn’t let his F1 car hit the track with flat tyres and a foggy windscreen. And you shouldn’t let your business start FY26 without a plan.
- Set your sales budget.
- Fire up your team
- Review your pricing
- Build a clear dashboard
- Streamline your systems
The year is just beginning — but you’re already in the race.
Strap in. It’s time to drive your business like a high-performance machine. Let’s pump up the fuel and enjoy the ride
Need Help Building Your Business Pit Wall?
Whether you need help with budgeting, dashboard setup, or streamlining your processes, we’re in your corner.
Let’s make FY26 your most profitable, powerful year yet. Reach out to allow us to be help you stear your small business stratgey
