In October, businesses must simultaneously execute their year-end business plans and prepare for the 2027 business year. On one hand, they need to concentrate resources on achieving revenue targets—especially during the critical Tet (Lunar New Year) sales season. On the other, they must dedicate time to evaluating past performance, defining growth trajectories, and allocating resources for the year ahead. So, what should a business prioritize when both tasks are equally vital? In reality, the challenge lies not in choosing one over the other, but in the ability to manage both in parallel—ensuring that neither task hinders the progress of the other..
Year-end revenue is always more urgent, but not necessarily more important.
In October, most of a business’s attention is directed toward sales figures, inventory, promotional campaigns, and the capacity to meet demand during the peak season. These matters have clear deadlines, directly impact business performance, and require immediate action.
Conversely, planning for 2027 is often viewed as a task that can be addressed later. Since failing to plan today does not trigger immediate consequences, this task is easily pushed aside whenever operational issues arise.
This is a classic management trap: urgent tasks consume all available time, while important—yet non-urgent—tasks are continually deferred.
If a business waits until the end of December to evaluate its 2026 performance and develop a plan for the coming year, it will have insufficient time to analyze options, weigh alternatives, and secure the necessary resources.
Yet, if a business becomes too preoccupied with planning while failing to effectively manage current sales operations, it risks missing out on revenue opportunities or encountering problems with profitability and cash flow.
Therefore, the right question is not which task is more important, but rather how to ensure that no task is left neglected.
Year-End Business Planning: Don’t Just Chase Sales Figures
The Tet (Lunar New Year) season can offer significant growth opportunities, but an increase in revenue does not necessarily equate to improved business performance.
For instance, a company might boost its advertising budget and offer discounts to drive orders. While sales may rise, the final outcome might not be any better if the costs of sales climb too rapidly or the profit margin per order drops sharply.
Therefore, during this period, businesses should focus on three key questions:
Where do the opportunities lie? Which customer segments and products are truly capable of generating revenue?
How effective is it? Is the incremental sales revenue sufficient to cover the costs of sales and service?
What is the capacity to deliver? Does the business have adequate inventory, personnel, cash flow, and fulfillment capabilities?
The goal is not merely to hit a year-end revenue target, but to achieve results that align with the company’s financial and operational capacity.
This also provides a basis for leadership to decide which areas to prioritize for resource allocation, rather than spreading the budget too thin across every available opportunity.
2027 Business Planning: Don’t Wait Until the End of the Year to Start
While the operations team focuses on executing year-end plans, leadership should begin preparing the business plan for 2027.
The first step is not to set a percentage-based growth target, but rather to identify what is actually driving current business results.
If a business generates 50 billion VND in revenue in 2026 and aims to reach 60 billion VND in 2027, where will that additional 10 billion VND come from?
Will it come from acquiring new customers, developing new products, expanding distribution channels, or improving the efficiency of existing sales efforts? Each option requires different resources, costs, and implementation conditions.
Businesses should start with three key tasks:
Evaluate 2026 performance: Determine which products, customers, and sales channels are currently generating revenue and profit.
Identify growth drivers: Clarify which opportunities align with the company’s existing capabilities and resources.
Pinpoint issues to address: Identify limitations—whether in products, operations, personnel, or finance—that are hindering growth.
There is no need to complete the entire plan by October. However, failing to begin the evaluation and preparation process now risks entering the new year with defined targets but no clear strategy for how to achieve them..
How can one manage two parallel sets of responsibilities?
The primary challenge is rarely a lack of personnel; rather, it is that key decision-makers often find themselves bogged down by day-to-day operations.
If every matter—from processing orders to defining strategic direction—awaits the business owner’s input, there will be little time or focus left for planning the year ahead.
To avoid this, a business needs to take three specific actions.
Clearly define responsibilities.
The sales and operations teams should be held accountable for progress, sales figures, and service capacity during peak seasons. Leadership must dedicate time to evaluating performance, setting priorities, and preparing plans for the coming year.
This does not mean the two groups should work in complete isolation; rather, it ensures that every task has a designated person responsible for it, with clearly defined expected outcomes.
Establish two management cadences.
Year-end business operations require regular monitoring to allow for timely adjustments to sales, inventory, expenses, and cash flow.
Meanwhile, the 2027 plan should include specific milestones for evaluating performance, identifying growth opportunities, and determining resource allocation strategies.
Without a concrete schedule, planning for the new year will inevitably be postponed whenever an urgent issue arises.
Determine the resources allocated to each task.
You cannot simply assign additional work to the same team and expect both tasks to yield good results. Leadership must identify which tasks can be delegated, which decisions require their direct involvement, and how much time should be specifically set aside for planning.
While priorities may shift based on changing circumstances, the preparation for the coming year should not rely solely on whatever time happens to remain after all year-end tasks have been completed.
It is not about choosing which task is more important, but rather ensuring that no task is left behind.
Year-end revenue targets and business planning for 2027 serve two distinct purposes: the former generates immediate results, while the latter lays the foundation for the next cycle of growth.
Businesses do not need to allocate resources equally between the two; however, they must ensure that every task has clearly defined objectives, an assigned owner, a set deadline, and the necessary resources.
October is the time to execute year-end business plans while simultaneously beginning preparations for 2027. Waiting until current tasks are completed before considering the future could cost a business the time needed to make better, more informed decisions.
A business must not only meet its revenue goals for the current year; it must also prepare early enough to determine how it will achieve growth in the year ahead.
