As a business owner, especially in e-commerce, it's easy to worship the artificial god of revenue. But you cannot — and should not — expect to grow your revenue by 30% to 50% every year for more than three years in a row. It's not sustainable.

Even beyond the natural economic cycles that impact your business every few years, you need to schedule a maintenance cycle after three years of massive growth.

Between 2020 and 2021, I earned $1 million, but managing that growth, while still delivering on client promises, was overwhelming. It was one of the most difficult times in my life.

So I had to learn how to take care of myself, and invest in my education as a CEO.

And I needed to standardize curriculum delivery, my marketing funnel. I had to figure out what I could automate, and how much I could afford to invest in efficiency.

Essentially, I had to create capacity in my life and in my business.

In order to do that, I knew 2022 had to be a maintenance year. And let's get real. Nobody wants to do all the things required of your business. It's hard work. In my experience, maintenance cycles are so much more difficult than that first year of business when your job was to ask for the sale.

Defining Maintenance Mode

A maintenance year is a strategic shift in focus. You're optimizing what's already working, not just building to grow.

For my maintenance year, my primary focus was to standardize systems. But there are other areas of growth that require your attention as a CEO.

When do you need to implement a maintenance year?

If you've had 30 to 50% growth for three years, it's time. A maintenance year prepares you for the next growth cycle.

5 Potential Areas of Focus

Focus on one key area at a time, based on client feedback and numbers.

System Standardization:

In high-growth phases, the notion of "not having time" for system standardization is a trap. It's precisely during these periods that weaknesses in your client delivery systems surface.

Standardization isn't a 'nice-to-have.' It's a must. From the first 'hello' to the final invoice, consistency isn't just professional, it's profitable. You need to address them head-on to sustain that growth.

Your business systems encompass client onboarding systems, delivering the curriculum, making sure your leads are qualified, and every other touchpoint in your sales funnel.

Standardizing these components does two essential things.

1. Elevates the client experience by ensuring consistent quality
2. Frees you to focus on client engagement and marketing, cutting down time spent on operational issues

In other words, you're creating capacity.

Creating Capacity:

A maintenance year is about learning how to delegate, what to delegate, and how to prioritize your next growth projects.

You also create capacity — in your business and in reprioritizing self-care and relationships — through automation.

Automating Standard Processes:

There are all kinds of automation tools available — whether it's setting up your curriculum delivery, billing cycles, or even implementing a chat bot on your sales page.

Automation is part of the way you standardize systems. But they're expensive, both in dollars and time.

So a maintenance year is about deciding what to invest in — strategically.

Strategic Investments:

I'm not talking about spending money just because you have it. In fact, as a CEO your responsibility is to keep expenses as low as possible. Money in the bank is part of what gives you the ability to weather a maintenance year.

Investing in your future growth should be a deliberate act, aligned with your goals. Consider the return on investment, not just the cost.

Your Personal Growth and Self-Care:

Your well-being isn't a luxury — it's your most underrated business asset. A maintenance year is your chance to invest in yourself, not just your portfolio.

On my way to my first million dollar year, I put off a lot of personal care. Going to the dentist, managing nutrition, and just taking care of myself spiritually and emotionally took a back seat to my business, and it took its toll.

A maintenance year gives you the opportunity to realign your faith around how new money impacts the way you see the world, your future, your family, and your business.

Your maintenance year isn't a pause, it's a strategy shift. You're tuning the engine for a more sustainable speed.

It's time to graduate from 'making it' to 'making it last' and giving you the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor, even as you prepare for the next season of growth.

—J