Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet: Key Steps for Business Owners

Article by Danny Riggs Look, I’ll be honest with you - I’m an accountant, but I’m also a simple bloke. I like a quiet beer, a cheeky punt on the weekend with mates, and plenty of time with the family. But if there’s one thing I know for sure, in business (and in horse racing), you don’t get ahead by hoping for the best. You get ahead by knowing your numbers. As we head toward 2026, the businesses that will come out on top will be the ones that put a bit of structure around how they monitor performance. So, here’s my two cents: 1. Set a Regular Rhythm for Reviewing Your Numbers Whether it’s monthly or quarterly, make time to sit down and look at your profit and loss and balance sheet properly. Set aside time in your calendar, to understand what’s actually going on. 2. Speak to Your Accountant or Advisor if You Need Support If something doesn’t make sense - call us. That’s what we’re here for. You don’t get extra points for trying to decode the finance reports alone. We’d much prefer you pick up the phone early, before something small becomes something ugly. 3. Compare Your Numbers to Your History and Your Budget Looking at a single set of numbers in isolation won’t tell you the whole story. Check how you’re tracking versus last year and compare it against your budget or forecast. 4. Make the Necessary Changes (Even the Annoying Ones) Once you’ve invested the time to understand your numbers, you need to actually do something with what you’ve found. If an area is underperforming, dig into it. If margins are slipping, find out why. This is where real growth happens - not from looking at reports but by responding to them. 5. Use These Insights to Reward Your Key People When you understand where the wins are coming from, you can reward the people who helped get you there. A good team is worth more than a good race tip any day (and a lot more reliable). 6. And Lastly… Invest Excess Cash Wisely Your business comes first - reinvest in what’s working, set aside buffers, and keep strengthening the foundations. But , if after all that, you’ve got a little bit of surplus invest this on yourself. Ultimately, the better your mental and physical health, the better you will be as a business owner and a leader, and the better your business will perform. Heading Into 2026 With Confidence Regular reviews aren’t meant to bog you down, they’re meant to give you clarity. With the right rhythm, the right support, and a willingness to adjust course, you can set yourself up not just for success in 2026, but every year after. Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date, the advice and information provided on this site should not be construed as a substitute for consulting with a qualified accounting or tax professional. The authors and contributors to this blog do not accept any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content, or for any losses or damages arising from the use of the information provided.

Article by Brad Bulow and Caitlin Noble Before we clock off for the year, we want to express our gratitude. Supporting you and your business is a privilege we don’t take lightly. Thank you for trusting us, challenging us, partnering with us and allowing us to be a small part of your journey. As we move toward the Christmas break, we want to share something a little different from the usual business insights and financial updates. This is a moment to pause and reflect on the people behind the businesses we support every day, the owners, leaders, teams and families who carry the weight of making things happen. This message comes from both of us - one of us with a long background in men’s mental health advocacy and philanthropic work, and the other with a passion for culture, connection, and honest conversations. Together, we want to make sure everyone feels supported heading into the break, and prepared to return refreshed in 2026. One thing we know from working closely with so many business owners is that burnout often hides in plain sight. You appear calm, capable and in control - but beneath that, you may be running on the last of your reserves. Brad’s experience in men’s mental health has shown that even the most resilient people need space to slow down, check in with themselves and acknowledge how much the year has taken out of them. Your wellbeing is not a luxury, and it’s not something your business can function without. The break ahead of us is the perfect chance to stop, breathe and give yourself the reset you may not have had time for during the year. At the same time, culture continues to shape the way your people show up, the way your business operates and the way your clients experience you. Caitlin sees daily how powerful authentic conversations can be, including the unpolished ones, the honest ones and the ones that acknowledge stress or celebrate hard work. As you wrap up 2025, taking a moment to recognise your team and understand how they’re feeling can make all the difference. A healthy culture doesn’t just feel good; it builds stronger businesses, stronger relationships and stronger leadership. As we move toward the Christmas break, we want to encourage you to genuinely switch off. Not the half-version where you check your inbox every second day, but the kind of break where notifications are turned off, the laptop stays shut, and your attention is given fully to the people you care about. You’ve earned that rest, and your mind and body probably know it even if your calendar hasn’t caught up. (Even Brad is going to do his darndest to commit to such behaviour this festive season) When the new year arrives, your best work will come from returning with clarity, not chaos. Give yourself permission to ease back in, reconnect with your team and revisit the bigger picture before diving straight into the day-to-day. The most productive Januarys aren’t the ones spent sprinting - they’re the ones spent aligning. This is the perfect time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and what you want to bring into 2026 with intention. A healthier, more balanced version of you will always build a healthier, more resilient business. We hope the Christmas break brings rest, joy, connection and space - the kind of space that lets you come back refreshed and ready for what’s ahead. From all of us at SB, we wish you and your families a safe, meaningful and enjoyable Christmas. We look forward to supporting you again in 2026, with wellbeing, culture and community at the heart of everything we do. Our offices will be closed from Wednesday 24 December and will reopen Monday 5 January, 2026. Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date, the advice and information provided on this site should not be construed as a substitute for consulting with a qualified accounting or tax professional. The authors and contributors to this blog do not accept any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content, or for any losses or damages arising from the use of the information provided.

For many business owners, financial statements are something they glance at once a year - often with a sense of obligation rather than curiosity. At our recent Know Your Numbers workshop, we saw that story play out in real time. Around the table were seasoned operators, new entrepreneurs, and everything in between. Some came in confident; others confessed they’d never truly understood their Balance Sheet or Profit and Loss. But as Brad Bulow reminded the group, that’s rarely because business owners don’t care - it’s usually because they lack confidence and clarity. “Numbers are most people’s pain points,” Brad explained, “but that’s largely due to a lack of understanding. Our goal at Sammut Bulow is to simplify the language, talk with you (not down to you), and give you certainty around the key numbers that really matter.” By the end of the session, the group was engaged in lively discussion - spotting inefficiencies, testing “what if” scenarios, and, most importantly, feeling more confident about using their numbers to make decisions. Your Numbers Tell a Story Every business has two key storytellers: The Profit and Loss, which tracks how much money is coming in and going out over a set period - like a diary of your revenue, expenses, and profit. The Balance Sheet, which gives you a snapshot of what you own, what you owe, and what’s left over - essentially, the health report of your business at a point in time. When you put them together, they don’t just tell you where you are today. They reveal trends, patterns, and red flags that can shape where you’re going tomorrow. Seeing What’s Hidden in Plain Sight One of the workshop exercises involved charting real numbers from a case study business. At first glance, the Profit and Loss looked “fine.” But once we dug in, the group spotted: Seasonal revenue swings that explained recurring cash flow dips. Operating expenses that were growing faster than revenue. A net profit margin that had quietly slipped year-on-year. Those numbers had been sitting in the accounts for months - the story was there, but no one had stopped to read it. The Balance Sheet: More Than a List of Assets We then turned to the Balance Sheet - many in the room had never thought of it as anything more than a document for banks or auditors. But when we reframed it as: “What the company owns, what it owes, and how it’s financed” …suddenly, it clicked. A strong balance sheet shows more assets than liabilities, healthy cash reserves, and growing retained earnings. A weak one can reveal looming problems - like rising short-term debt or equity being eaten away by losses. Spotting the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly To make it real, we walked through fictional sets of financials: The Good: steady growth, strong margins, low debt, healthy equity. The Bad: flat revenues, creeping costs, increasing short-term debt. The Ugly: declining revenue, consistent losses, negative equity. Everyone in the room could picture a business they knew (sometimes their own) that fit one of those profiles. Turning Numbers into Decisions The real power of financial statements is what you do with them. Knowing your numbers and setting goals around them, like a net profit target or a liquidity benchmark, can benefit your business in so many ways. It can: Build confidence with your bank. Strengthen your ability to obtain finance or investment. Help you increase the long-term value of your business for succession or sale. As Brad puts it “Knowing your numbers will provide you real power, real peace of mind, and help you build financial health and freedom.” Once you start using your reports proactively - building “what if” scenarios, setting financial goals, benchmarking against your industry - your financials become a roadmap, not a mystery. The Takeaway Financial statements aren’t just paperwork. They’re the story of your business - where you’ve been, where you are, and where you’re headed. When you take the time to understand them, you gain clarity and confidence And with the right guidance, that understanding can transform into something far greater… control, confidence, and long-term financial freedom. If you’d like help making sense of your numbers, or turning them into practical strategies, our team at Sammut Bulow is here to help - find out more here . Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure that the content is accurate and up to date, the advice and information provided on this site should not be construed as a substitute for consulting with a qualified accounting or tax professional. The authors and contributors to this blog do not accept any responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content, or for any losses or damages arising from the use of the information provided.

Client Success Story – Turning a Construction Business Around