We’re into the final months of the year, so Paula and Deb have a question for you:

What happened to the goals you set back in January?

Did you achieve them? Start them but never quite finish? Or did business get busy and they quietly move into the “I’ll deal with that next year” pile?

In this episode of Business by Design, Paula and Deb explore why waiting until January to work ON your business often means it’s February before you actually gain any momentum.

They talk about the familiar cycle of setting goals, getting caught up in the day-to-day, reaching the end of the year with unfinished plans and then carrying the same problems into another year.

But what if you did it differently?

What if you finished the year with clarity around where your business is going, your priorities decided, your plan created and implementation already underway?

Paula and Deb also share why they deliberately chose November for the Business by Design immersion, the importance of creating space away from the day-to-day, the accountability and support that will continue after the immersion, and some exciting hints about the partners and experts joining them in the room.

Stop making it a January problem.

There is still time to make meaningful changes now, so you can enjoy your Christmas break knowing that when you return, you’re not starting over.

You’re already underway.

Because your next level won’t happen by accident.

It happens by design.

https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

Small business is being hit with change from every direction — rising costs, changing regulations, cash flow pressures, AI and an ever-changing business landscape.

So what do you do when another challenge lands?

In this episode, Paula and Deb talk about why business owners can't always control what's happening around them, but they can control how they respond.

They explore the resilience and creativity of small business owners, the importance of having a clear plan when things change, and why waiting until the new year to work out what's next for your business could leave you starting 2027 already behind.

They also dive into one of the most powerful elements of Business by Design — masterminding.

Sometimes you don't need someone to give you the answer. You need to be in a room with other business owners who can ask a different question, offer a fresh perspective or share an experience that completely changes how you see the problem.

In this episode:

• Why business owners need to stay solution-focused
• Responding to change rather than simply reacting to it
• Why now is the time to get clarity on your business
• The value of having a plan when unexpected challenges arise
• How masterminding can unlock ideas you may never see on your own
• Why different perspectives can change the direction of your business
• Building connections with people at different stages of the business journey
• Why you shouldn't wait until next year to decide what's next

Business will keep changing.

The question is: will you wait for change to happen to you, or intentionally design how your business responds?

Because your next level won't happen by accident.

It happens by design.

https://resources.beyondthemaze.com.au/bbd-nov-2026-888330

Episode 3: What's Your Next Level?

When was the last time you stopped and genuinely asked yourself: what's next?

In this episode of Business by Design, Paula Burgess and Deborah Fay explore what it means to find the next level in your business — and why answering that question requires time and space to step away from the day-to-day.

They discuss how easy it is to move from one task, goal or idea to the next without reflecting on what you've already achieved or consciously deciding where you want to go from here.

Paula and Deborah also explore why the next step isn't always the obvious one. Growth might mean adding people or increasing revenue, but it could also mean strengthening your foundations, restructuring, pivoting in response to changes such as AI, or reconsidering where you're heading altogether.

They also share how the upcoming Business by Design 3-Day Business Immersion will give business owners the space, structure and support to understand where they are now, get clear on what's next and start putting those decisions into action.

Because moving to your next level starts with knowing what you actually want that next level to be.