Kinetic Physical Therapy Case Study
June 24, 2025
2026 is closer than it feels.
Most business owners enter the new year with good intentions but unclear goals, then let day-to-day problems overwhelm them before the end of Q1. If you want to stay ahead of the curve in 2026, you need a practical checklist and a clear plan to execute it.
That’s what this guide is for. Use it as a working document with your leadership team. Highlight what you’ve already done, circle what needs attention and decide where you need outside support.
1. Clarify Your 2026 Vision, Goals and Metrics
Before you fix anything, decide where you are going. If your goals are fuzzy, your plans and investments will be too.
2026 Vision & Strategy Checklist
- ☐ Define your top 3 business priorities for 2026
- ☐ Identify the metrics that actually matter
- ☐ Review what worked and what did not in 2025
- ☐ Align leadership around the same goals
You cannot plan hiring, automation or financial strategy without this clarity. When we work with clients, this is usually the first conversation. We turn big picture goals into a clear operational and technology roadmap.
2. Get the Right People in the Right Seats
If you have had the same role open for months or even a year, you are not alone. That vacancy is costing you more than you think in lost opportunities, slower delivery and burnout on your existing team.
People & Roles Checklist
- ☐ List roles that have been vacant or underperforming for 6 to 12 months or more
- ☐ Decide which roles are truly essential
- ☐ Clarify responsibilities and outcomes for each key position
- ☐ Decide what needs to be full time versus fractional or outsourced
- ☐ Create a hiring and onboarding plan for Q1 and Q2
3. Streamline Operations
Many owners know something is inefficient but they are too busy to pinpoint exactly where. The clue is usually where you hear the same complaints over and over.
Operations & Automation Checklist
- ☐ List the top 5 repetitive, manual tasks your team complains about
- ☐ Estimate the time and cost of those processes
- ☐ Prioritize processes that impact revenue, customers or compliance
- ☐ Identify systems that need to talk to each other
- ☐ Build a simple 2026 automation roadmap
4. Clean Up Your Numbers
You cannot stay ahead of the curve if you are always guessing where you stand financially. Clean, timely numbers are a competitive advantage.
Accounting & Financial Checklist
- ☐ Ensure your 2025 books are clean and reconciled
- ☐ Review cash flow trends
- ☐ Build a 2026 budget that matches your goals
- ☐ Decide on reporting cadence
- ☐ Identify manual, error prone accounting processes
5. Modernize Your Tech Stack and Data Strategy
Many companies struggle with a tech stack that is too big, too old or too disconnected. The answer is not always more software. Often, it is to simplify and connect what you already have.
Tech & Data Checklist
- ☐ Audit your current tools and subscriptions
- ☐ Identify gaps and overlaps
- ☐ Decide which systems are core
- ☐ Review data flow and access
- ☐ Plan for better dashboards or reporting
6. Protect the Business
Staying ahead of the curve is not just about growth. It is also about durability. A strong business can handle surprises because it has the right foundations.
Risk & Resilience Checklist
- ☐ Review current regulations and upcoming changes in your industry
- ☐ Update your documented policies and procedures
- ☐ Assess your key risks
- ☐ Confirm backups and recovery plans
- ☐ Check your vendors and partners
Automation and clean data play a role here, too. When you standardize your processes and integrate your systems, you reduce your risk of errors and compliance gaps.
7. Build Your 90 Day Action Plan
A checklist is only useful if it leads to action. The final step is turning this into a 90 day plan you can execute with your team.
90 Day Plan Checklist
- ☐ Pick 3 to 5 priority items from this checklist to complete in Q1
- ☐ Assign clear owners and deadlines
- ☐ Decide what you will own, what you will delegate and what you will outsource
- ☐ Set a simple review rhythm
Where Next Level Solutions Fits In
We partner with business owners who want to move from “we know we need to fix this” to “here is the plan, here is the team and here is the system that will get us there.” That often includes support with:
- Recruitment to fill key roles that have been open too long and find candidates who fit your culture and growth goals.
- Development and automation to eliminate time consuming manual work, integrate systems and build tools that support your processes.
- Accounting services to keep your numbers clean, current and useful so you can make decisions with confidence.
Don’t Wait for 2026 to Happen to You
Staying ahead of the curve is not about having the perfect plan. It is about taking clear, consistent steps in the right direction. Use this checklist in your next leadership meeting. Mark what you have done, highlight what needs attention and identify where you need help.
If you want a partner to turn this into a concrete plan with the right people, processes and systems behind it, Next Level Solutions is here for that conversation!
You don’t have to tackle 2026 alone, and you don’t have to stay in reactive mode. This is your chance to build the year you actually want.