If you want 2026 to feel more aligned with your actual life, not just your business, you must begin with the questions that shape your spending. Forecasting isn’t about cutting everything fun or operating from scarcity. It’s about being a conscious steward of your vision, your team, and your energy. Before you start plugging numbers into a spreadsheet, ask yourself these five CEO-level questions.
1. What Is a Need vs. a Want in My Business?
This question is uncomfortable because it forces honesty. Your business has true operational needs, tools, payroll, insurance, and delivery costs. And then there are your wants: the upgraded software that sounded fun, the program you bought to “finally fix” everything, the subscriptions you forgot you signed up for, the team perks that accidentally got out of hand. Needs keep the business alive. Wants should accelerate growth, but too often, they drain it.
When you’re forecasting 2026, list every expense and ask:
• Does this support delivery?
• Does this strengthen operations?
• Does this generate revenue?
If the answer is no, it doesn’t belong in your baseline budget and is considered a want.
2. Who Do I Need to Hire So I Can Delegate to Elevate?
Every CEO has a moment where they realize: “I’m the bottleneck.” Your 2026 forecast needs to reflect the team you require, not just the team you currently have. Your role as the owner is to cast vision, not execute it yourself. You should be teaching, mentoring, and helping others learn how to operate your business. But hiring isn’t about collecting people; it’s about intentional capacity.
Ask yourself:
• What tasks drain my creativity or decision-making?
• What am I doing that someone else could do 80% as well (or better)?
• What role would free me to think, sell, create, or rest?
Every hire should unlock revenue or restore capacity. Put their payroll, training, and onboarding into your forecast, not as a burden or drain, but as a strategic investment to help you elevate your business and help serve other people.
3. What Services or Products Are Actually Moving My Vision Forward?
Not every offer earns its place on your 2026 roadmap. I know, I know. But some offers feel good but underperform and suck out your cash flow. Some bring revenue but drain profit with scope creep. Some offers attract clients who burn your team out.
Your forecast should prioritize the offers that bring:
• High margins
• High demand
• High alignment with your future vision
4. How Will I Achieve My SMART Goals for Each STOP Method™ Account?
A forecast without The STOP bank accounts will cause havoc come tax time or extra paycheck time. Your Savings, Taxes, Operations, and Profit Sharing accounts require intentional planning with transfer percentages.
For each account, define:
• A SMART goal for the month
• The transfer amount needed per month
• How your pricing and revenue model supports it
• How you’ll stay accountable when months feel tight
Your STOP accounts are how you build safety buckets with cash reserves, pay your taxes on time, fund a calm operations runway, and reward your team without stress. Click here to buy my workbook on Amazon. Each month is mapped out for you.
5. How Will I Commit to Reviewing My Numbers Weekly?
A budget only works if you look at it. Again, I know. I’m sorry. Most CEOs tell me their finances feel overwhelming, but it’s not because they’re bad with money or finances. It’s because they’re avoiding looking at what is actually going on each week. Avoidance costs profit, peace, and opportunities. If you want to level up your money mindset, your 2026 plan must include a CEO Budgeting Meeting each week.
Just 20 intentional minutes a week to:
• Review budget vs. actuals
• Track STOP transfers
• Compare revenue and expenses to last month and last year
• Spot small problems before they become big ones
• Make aligned financial decisions with your gut AND data
Consistency, not intensity, is what builds financial leadership.
Final Thoughts from Your Favorite Accountant 🧡
Your 2026 forecast isn’t just about money. It’s about maturity, stewardship, and becoming the kind of CEO your next stage requires. These five questions anchor your budget in clarity instead of chaos, in truth instead of ego, and in purpose instead of fear.
If you want help turning these questions into a real plan:
✅ Hire My CFO as your Bookkeeper to build a crystal-clear 2026 forecast you can trust
👩💻 Join my Million Dollar Blueprint Masterclass for monthly coaching on budgeting, STOP Method™, and CEO-level decision-making
📚 Prefer to DIY? Grab my book + workbook on Amazon and forecast like the powerhouse CEO you’re becoming
👉 Because at the end of the day, cash flow isn’t luck, it’s strategy.
