The Big Push: One Small Change for a Big Q4

Intentionally growing your business doesn't mean doing everything differently. Sometimes one small change - applied with focus and consistency - shifts the trajectory.

That’s the idea behind The Big Push. As we enter the final quarter of the year, this is your invitation to choose a single, deliberate action that could make a lasting difference to your business.

It doesn’t need to be dramatic. In fact, the best results often come from the quietest changes - the ones that build confidence, sharpen your presence, and make your systems run more smoothly.

In Hothouse we call this Design – Declare – Deliver:

✨ Design your business with care and creativity

✨ Declare bold goals in public

✨ Deliver with consistency and accountability

The Big Push is a practical way of putting that into action.

Every business has a biggest roadblock - the bottleneck that holds everything else back. In my case, I’m told I deliver an excellent service. I know I sell it well because my conversion rate is high. My biggest roadblock is that my audience isn’t big enough. You can’t sell the same thing again and again to the same people.

For me, the single most powerful lever is to grow my audience. If I can reach more of the right people, I’ll significantly boost my sales - not because I need to change my offer, but because I need more eyes on it. I already know that my Big Push for Q4 '25 will be restarting Meta adverts - ads designed to grow my mailing list.

What is the biggest bottleneck in your business - what wall do you keep hitting? What stops your business from growing? 

To get you thinking, here are five areas where one small shift can spark big results.

1. Strengthen Your Sales Funnel

Think of your client journey from first discovery to final handover. Where are the weak spots?

Maybe, like mine, your business just isn’t cutting through - you need more eyes on your promotional materials. Or, perhaps people sit on the fence around your business but don’t approach? Some designers attract prospective clients - no bother! - but after pitching, fail to convert. In other cases the entire sales process hums along nicely, but the wheels fall off when the work actually starts. Or, at the end of the day, is the problem that you don’t convert your past clients into advocates for your business - an army of fans? 

Can you see one an area of your funnel that is underperforming?

Strengthening just one link - a clearer call to action, a warmer follow-up, better client management, or a gracious off-boarding process - can improve the whole chain.

2. Build Confidence With a Daring Step

Confidence is more than a feeling - it’s a business KPI (key performance indicator).

If you get my newsletter, you’ll know that I measure my confidence every week - see my weekly measurements above. I've set myself a goal of building my confidence consistently over time (you can read how I do this here).

If there’s something you’ve been avoiding, like raising your fees, posting your first video, or reaching out to a potential collaborator, Q4 is the moment to try. Taking that step doesn’t just tick a task off your list; it changes how capable you feel, which can have a ripple effect across your entire business.

3. Refresh Your Marketing Foundations…but first: do you have a Business Plan?

You marketing strategy (yes, you must have a marketing strategy) doesn’t exist in isolation - it takes direction from your business plan. If you find yourself wondering: What should I say? Where should I say it? Who am I actually speaking to? What services should I promote? A good business plan will provide clear answers. Maybe you’re running like crazy to keep up with Instagram when, actually, all your clients are on LinkedIn. How do you find this out - ask your business plan!

If marketing is your roadblock, writing a business plan could be your Big Push.

And marketing itself isn’t always about more. Sometimes it’s about better. A small update to your website copy, refining your brand story, or committing to a realistic social posting rhythm can bring clarity to your message and confidence to your visibility. With a little focus now, your marketing can start attracting the clients you most want to work with - there is no time like the present because marketing takes a while to work - sow now in Q4 25, start harvesting Q2 26.

4. Step Into Visibility

Your clients don’t just buy design; they buy you. When you appear regularly in your feed, whether through a short video, a thoughtful post, or a glimpse behind the scenes - you give people a reason to trust you. One moment of visibility each week is often enough to create momentum. You should appear in every 9-12 posts on Instagram. 

I spend a lot of time reviewing designers' public-facing materials, and surprisingly regularly I find designers missing in action...even to the extent of being nameless - imagine a slightly nervous client sitting down to write a message to ask for help and falling at ‘Dear…?’.

So, is it time to rewrite your bios? Pin an About Me post, or add this to your website? Have photos taken? Start working on appearing on video? Join a panel at an event? Network harder? Write an article for a magazine? Elevate yourself as a thought leader in the aspect of design practice that most lights you up!

How will you raise your profile through 2026? In which case, what do you need to do now to make that possible?

5. Plan for 2026

Now is the time to look ahead. Sketch out a vision board, draft that all important business plan, or simply identify the one goal you most want to achieve next year - these actions can give you clarity and purpose. A little planning in Q4 sets the stage for a calmer, more intentional 2026.

If you wait until January to start thinking about this, you’ve missed a fantastic opportunity to harness that ‘New Year’ energy to a great plan that’s already written and just waiting to be rolled out. 

Another Way To Look At This - Developmental Stage

Your roadblock will look different depending on where you are on the journey. That’s why in Hothouse we use the Business Growth Framework (I wrote about this here). Here's how this breaks down: 

• Tier One – Startup 

  The roadblock is starting. Launching before everything feels perfect, raising awareness of your commercial activities, telling the world you exist.

• Tier Two – Growing Pains 

  The roadblock is systems and processes. Refining your marketing, shaping your services, and creating smoother workflows now that you have a clearer idea of your ideal client and business direction.

• Tier Three – Maturity 

  The roadblock is scaling. Do you want to grow a team, or intentionally stay lean and focused? This is where strategic choices around growth and delivery matter most.

• Tier Four – Stardom 

  The roadblock is stepping forward. Becoming a thought leader, a rainmaker for your studio, and trusting your team to deliver while you drive visibility and profile.

Wherever you sit on this ladder, Q4 is the perfect time to choose your biggest roadblock and make it your Big Push. Design the change, declare it boldly, and deliver it with consistency.

Your Turn

The Big Push isn’t about doing everything. It’s about choosing one thing - designing it, declaring it, and then delivering it with focus.

So, what’s your one small change for Q4?

Maybe you have a long list of candidates: remember, we're looking for the small change that will make the biggest difference.

Bring your thoughts to our kick off event on 1 October at 10.30am, the link to join is under ‘Events’ in the Hothouse group. We’ll make our declarations after the event and support one another through the back end of the year, let’s all have our best year ever in 2026!