Business planner 2027: what to look for, and the one that helps you grow

By Claire Mitchell, The Girls Mean Business · 29 October 2026

There are lots of planners called “business planners”. Some are a diary with a nicer cover. Some are a to-do list. A good business planner helps you decide what you want from the year, then helps you make it happen, week by week.

What a business planner is for

A diary tells you what you’re doing on Tuesday. A business planner tells you why: what you’re selling this month, how many sales you need, and what you’re doing this week to get them.

If you only had room for one planner on your desk, it should be the one that helps you get more customers. Your phone calendar can look after your appointments.

What to look for in a business planner for 2027

A sales target for the year, broken into months, so you know what you’re aiming for
The year at a glance, with key dates and holidays, so you can plan ahead
A plan for every month: what you’re selling and how you’ll tell people
Weekly pages with room for every day, to turn the plan into action
Somewhere for your money: your cash flow next to your plans
Check-ins every three months to see what’s working and change what isn’t
Dated pages that start in January, so you plan around real dates

Why most business planners get abandoned by March

It isn’t the planner. It’s that you’re on your own with it. Nobody reminds you to open it, nobody shows you what to write, and when life gets busy it goes in a drawer. A business planner works much better with help around it.

The Awesome Marketing Planner System 2027

I’m Claire Mitchell, founder of The Girls Mean Business. I made my first Awesome Marketing Planner for 2017 because I needed a business planner that helped me get customers, not just keep track of my week. The 2027 printed planner has:

My 2027 in numbers: your sales target for the year, broken into months
My 2027 promotions: your sales, launches and offers for the whole year
2027 at a glance, plus key dates for the UK, Ireland, the USA, Canada and Australia
A monthly bundle for every month: a month-to-view calendar, what your customers are thinking about, a getting-seen tip, a visibility challenge, your marketing plan, your money plan, your social media plan and your daily cash flow
Weekly pages with room for every day and your win of the week
Quarterly check-ins after March, June and September
Your Sales Train: a map of the journey your customers take, and how to keep them on board
Your 2027 review and 2028 at a glance

And so it doesn’t end up in a drawer, it’s six parts that work together:

The Awesome Marketing Planner System 2027: the A5 hardback planner and its pages, the Planner Portal on a laptop and the planner app on three phones — The whole system: the planner, the Portal and the app, plus the group, the Monday Bum Kick and the extras.

📖 The printed PlannerA5 hardback in midnight blue with gold foil and a bright pink ribbon.
🎓 The Planner PortalMy training videos for every page, so you know exactly what to write.
📱 The planner appYour numbers, your cash flow, ideas when you’re stuck, and a marketing streak.
👭 The Facebook groupPlan alongside other small business owners using the same planner.
👢 The Monday Bum KickAn email from me every Monday morning with one thing to do that week.
🖍️ The ExtrasWorksheets, extra resources to print, and a bit of colouring.

It runs January to December 2027, it’s printed to order and posted in December, and pre-orders close on Sunday 8th November.

You might also like the best 2027 planner for small business owners and business diary or marketing planner?

Love, Claire x

Your questions

What is a business planner?

A business planner is a dated planner for running your business: your goals and sales target, your plans for each month, your week, and your money. A diary holds appointments. A business planner holds the plan.

What should a business planner include?

A sales target for the year, the year at a glance, a plan for each month, weekly pages, somewhere for your numbers and cash flow, and regular check-ins to see what’s working.

Is the Awesome Marketing Planner a business planner?

Yes. It’s a business planner built around marketing: your sales target, your promotions, a marketing and money plan for every month, weekly pages and quarterly check-ins. It isn’t an appointment diary.

Is it dated?

Yes. It runs from January to December 2027.

When do pre-orders close?

Pre-orders close on Sunday 8th November. Planners are printed to order and posted in December.