Design Clarity Weekly

Helping Design Professionals Streamline, Simplify & Succeed

Hey Lovely!

If we’ve spoken in any capacity this past year—on one of the many webinars I’ve hosted, through Instagram stories or DMs, inside the Bring Calm to Chaos program, or during a VIP Strategy Session—you already know how adamant I am about business audits.

A proper audit, carried out multiple times a year, is one of the most powerful tools a solo designer can have. It helps you identify the chaos leaks and plug the holes before the boat leaves the port.

Audits also allow you to pivot quickly when the market or economy shifts, adjust your pricing before it becomes a problem, and strengthen the systems that support your creativity. When you know exactly what’s working—and what isn’t—you stop guessing and start leading your business with clarity and confidence.

The end of the year brings equal parts excitement and overwhelm—holiday hustle, client wrap-ups, and the pressure to “set yourself up for success” next year.

Before you shut down your laptop and step into holiday mode, take 10 minutes to check in with your business. These quick audits will save you hours (and dollars) in January.

Now, let’s dive in! 🚀

Tips, Tools & Takeaways for Designers

3 Things to Review Before January 1

1.Review your 2025 projects:

Which ones felt joyful, easeful, and aligned with your zone of genius? Which ones drained you, required emotional labour, or stretched your boundaries? Your answer here tells you exactly who you want to work with next year—and who you don’t.

2.Check your pricing vs. actual time spent

Did your “simple” projects quietly eat you alive? Did you underestimate revisions? Client communication? Procurement? Your time-to-price alignment is the quickest way to fix scope creep and reclaim profitability in 2025.

3.Audit your communication channels

Are clients clear on where communication belongs? Do they know what gets emailed, what goes in their portal, and what is not for texting? If you feel scattered or reactive… this is usually where the leak is happening.

2 Resources to Make this Easier

📌 The Business Audit ($47)

A quick, powerful diagnostic to show you:

Where you’re leaking time, energy, and money
The exact areas to tighten before January
What’s working in your business (and what isn’t)

This is your shortcut to clarity before the new year.

Get your Audit for only $47

⏱ Why a Time-Tracking Tools helps

Using a time-tracking tool helps you log every minute — even those little tasks (emails, sourcing, revisions, calls) you might forget. That way, when you run your audit, you’re not guessing: you know where your time really goes.

🛠️ Two tools worth checking out

Toggl Track — Clean, intuitive interface; easy to start/stop timers; strong reporting and analytics; works across desktop, web, and mobile.
Clockify — A robust “free forever” option with unlimited projects and clients. It gives you timers, timesheets, dashboards, and reporting. Especially useful if you manage multiple projects or want to track billable vs. non-billable hours.

1 Question for You

🤔 If you could wave a magic wand and change ONE thing about your business before January… what would it be? Hit reply and tell me—I genuinely want to know. Or send me a question and I'll answer it in next week's newsletter!

Want More Support?

Ready to tighten things up before January? Start with the $47 Business Audit and I’ll help you spot every leak before it becomes a problem. Start here.

I’ve opened up additional Virtual Admin Hours for December and January, and I would love to support you wherever you’re feeling stretched—whether that’s invoicing, proposals, design concepts, sourcing, samples, or renderings. I’m here to help you end the year strong and start 2026 with clarity.

Here’s to more ease, balance, and joy in your business and life! 💛

Warmly,
Marsha

600 1st Ave, Ste 330 PMB 92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2246
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The Design Clarity Weekly

One quick gut-check before the year ends....