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Photography Biz Success

🤍💙🧡 The real key to achieving your business goals next year

Published 3 months ago • 2 min read

"You make progress when you cut noise, so mute the distractions and finish the one task that pays you."

Define Your Goals, Plan Your Path.

Hey Reader

As we approach the end of 2025, there's one thing I've learned that makes the biggest difference in business growth, and that's having a clear goal and a plan to reach it.

It's not just about saying, "I want to earn more", or "I want to grow my audience."

It's about setting a number, then working backwards to figure out exactly how you'll get there.

That's what I've been doing for my own business recently, setting my financial goal for 2026 and reverse engineering it into realistic, actionable steps.

Quarter by quarter. Month by month.

Whilst it's a working document, I have managed to plan what products and services I'm going to launch next year (which I'm so excited about and will help you develop and grow your own passive income stream), but I know when I'm going to launch each of them, I've drafted social media campaigns and emails around the launches, I've set goals and targets on my social platforms, email subscribers as well as financial ones.

My 2026 plan is a way I can stay on track, know what I'm aiming for when the going gets tough, and keep myself focused when I start to veer off track (as I sometimes can).

Passive income plays a huge role here because once the setup is done, it keeps earning for you.

Every product, template or digital resource you create becomes a small piece of your revenue puzzle, working quietly in the background while you keep building forward.

If you haven't already, take some time this week to define your 2026 goal.

Then ask yourself: 'What products, services or income streams could help me?'

It's a simple step, but it's one that changes everything.

If you'd like to create your own plan like I did, copy and paste the prompt below into ChatGPT, and it'll guide you step-by-step through building your reverse-engineered business plan for 2026:

Create a Reverse-Engineered Business Plan
I want to create a reverse-engineered business plan for my photography business.
My goal is to earn £[insert amount] by the end of [insert year].
​
Please help me work backwards to identify:
• The main revenue streams I could focus on (client work, stock photography, digital products, mentoring, etc.).
• What I need to launch, create, or improve each quarter to reach that goal.
• Monthly actions to stay on track (marketing, content creation, product launches, or collaborations).
• Key metrics to measure progress (income, engagement, conversions, traffic).
​
I’d also like a clear summary of my plan in four parts:
1. Year-end goal
2. Quarterly milestones
3. Monthly focus areas
4. Weekly action list
​
Make it realistic, actionable, and easy to follow. Include tips on how to adjust if I fall behind or want to scale faster.

Let me know how you get on.

And if you want someone to keep you accountable, feel free to reply to this email with your goals for 2026!

Nicky x

Find me on:

​Facebook, Instagram, Substack, Pinterest, Threads.​

My blog is here​

My website shop is here​

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Tring, Hertfordshire, UK HP
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Photography Biz Success

Nicky Sharp, Stock Photographer and Business Mentor

I help photographers earn more and work smarter with passive income strategies that build lasting income. I share simple ways to earn more and grow a sustainable business that gives freedom and flexibility.

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