10 Strategic Moves to Build a More Just and Sustainable Business in 2026

By Samalid Hogan, Director of Business Support Services

The start of a new year is a powerful moment to recommit to what matters most: building businesses that create shared prosperity, not just for owners but for workers, communities, and the planet. As you plan for 2026, this is your opportunity to make strategic choices that advance economic justice—whether that’s through shared ownership structures, investing back into your community, building pathways to generational wealth for your entire team, or taking meaningful action on climate.

The ten strategies below aren’t just about growing your business—they’re about growing it in a way that aligns with your values and creates lasting change. You don’t need to transform everything overnight. Pick one or two strategies that feel most urgent for your business right now and commit to them this quarter. When we make intentional, justice-oriented choices at the start of the year, we create ripple effects that compound over the next twelve months.

Tip # 1. Make your marketing feel personal

Why this supports economic justice: When you’re building a business rooted in community and relationships, personalized marketing helps you strengthen those connections authentically. This approach also helps smaller, mission-driven businesses compete with larger corporations by building genuine loyalty and trust. People want to feel noticed and understood, and today’s tools can automatically tailor messages based on what your customers actually do. When your communication feels thoughtful and relevant, people are far more likely to engage, book, and buy.

Tools that make this easy:

• ActiveCampaign: Email marketing + automation + personalization all in one. Helps you send targeted messages based on customer behavior.

• HubSpot Marketing Hub: Makes it easy to create emails, landing pages, and ads, and to track leads, all tied directly to your CRM.

• Jasper AI: An AI writing assistant that helps create social posts, email content, blogs, and marketing copy fast.

Tip # 2. Charge based on value — not just time

Why this supports economic justice: Value-based pricing helps you break free from the “trading time for money” trap that keeps so many business owners—especially women and BIPOC entrepreneurs—undervalued and overworked. When you price based on outcomes and impact rather than hours, you create the financial stability needed to pay your team well, invest in benefits, and build shared wealth across your organization. Hourly pricing is becoming outdated. People don’t pay for hours; they pay for results, clarity, and transformation. When you charge based on value, both you and your client win: they know exactly what they’re getting, and you get paid for the actual impact of your work.

Here are some tools to help streamline proposals, signatures, and payments:

• PandaDoc: A proposal and contract powerhouse. PandaDoc lets you build beautiful proposals, add pricing tables, track when someone opens your document, and get fast e-signatures.

• Dropbox Sign (HelloSign): A simple, user-friendly way to get contracts signed digitally. Great for clients who want a clear, fast checkout experience without printing anything.

• HoneyBook: Perfect for service-based businesses. HoneyBook bundles contracts, invoices, payments, and client communication all in one place. It’s like your back-office team in a box.

Tip # 3. Make it ridiculously easy for customers to buy from you

Why this supports economic justice: Accessible, frictionless systems ensure that customers from all backgrounds can engage with your business easily—no complicated processes that exclude people who don’t have extra time or tech savvy. When you remove barriers to purchase, you’re also creating more predictable revenue, which means you can offer stable employment, consistent hours, and reliable income for your team. Customers today want fast, simple, and stress-free experiences. The easier it is to book, pay, and start working with you, the more customers will say “yes” and the faster your business grows.

Tools that remove friction and make buying effortless:

• Acuity Scheduling: Acuity makes online booking easy with real-time availability, automated reminders, intake forms, and built-in payments. Great for salons, freelancers, and consultants.

• Calendly: Clean, professional scheduling that lets people book time with you instantly. Syncs with all your calendars and eliminates the “What time works for you?” back-and-forth. 

• Square: Square is an all-in-one payment system for appointments, POS, invoicing, and checkout. Perfect for salons or storefront businesses that need simplicity and speed.

• Stripe: Stripe powers online payments and subscriptions for service businesses and e-commerce. It’s secure, customizable, and trusted worldwide. 

Tip # 4. Let technology handle the boring, repetitive stuff

Why this supports economic justice: Automation isn’t about replacing people—it’s about freeing your team from soul-crushing repetitive work so they can focus on meaningful, creative, and strategic tasks that actually build skills and advance careers. When you automate the mundane, you create space for your workers to grow, learn, and take on roles that build their long-term economic power. If a task is repetitive, such as sending reminders, writing the same email, or moving data between apps, chances are you don’t need to do it manually anymore. AI and automation save time, reduce mistakes, and help you stay organized.

These tools save time, reduce mistakes, and help you stay organized:

• Zapier: A super easy automation tool that connects your apps so tasks get done automatically. Think “if this happens → do that next” without you doing anything.

• Asana: I use Asana because it provides a clean, simple system for organizing projects, assigning tasks, and keeping your team on track. Great for staying on top of workflow!

• Process Street: Perfect for creating step-by-step processes your team can follow. Helps you run recurring tasks consistently.

Tip # 5. Watch your numbers like a CEO

Why this supports economic justice: Transparent financial data is essential for shared ownership and democratic decision-making. When everyone in your organization can see the numbers—revenue, expenses, margins—they can participate meaningfully in strategic conversations and understand how their work contributes to collective success. This kind of open-book management builds trust, financial literacy, and a culture of shared accountability. With real-time dashboards, you can instantly see what’s working, what’s slipping, and where the real opportunities are. When you can see your numbers clearly, making smart decisions becomes so much easier.

Good tools to try:

• Google Looker Studio: A free tool to turn your data into easy-to-read dashboards and charts. Amazing for tracking KPIs without spreadsheets.

• HubSpot CRM:  A powerful all-in-one CRM for managing contacts, emails, pipelines, and reports. Easy to set up and beginner-friendly.

• Databox: A dashboard tool that pulls in data from different apps so you can see everything in one place — revenue, marketing, sales, and more.

Tip # 6. Tell your story with short videos

Why this supports economic justice: When you show up authentically on video, you’re humanizing your business and building trust in a way that corporate competitors can’t replicate. For mission-driven businesses, storytelling is how you show your values in action—whether that’s highlighting your team, showcasing community partnerships, or demonstrating your commitment to sustainability. Short videos are where everyone’s paying attention these days—TikTok, Reels, YouTube Shorts. People don’t just want polished content anymore; they want to actually see you. Your process, your personality, your vibe. It’s the fastest way to build trust and stay top of mind right now.

Here are some easy video editing tools:

• CapCut: A free, easy video editor perfect for TikToks, Reels, and short videos. Tons of templates and effects.

• Canva: A user-friendly design tool that makes graphics, videos, and presentations simple, even if you’re not a designer.

• InShot: A phone-based video editor great for quick, polished social content on the go.

Social media channel schedulers:

• Later: Lets you schedule your social media posts in advance and plan your content visually.

• Buffer: A simple, clean tool for scheduling posts, tracking engagement, and managing all your social accounts.

Tip # 7. Build a community — not just a follower count

Why this supports economic justice: Real community is at the heart of economic justice. When you build spaces where customers, workers, and partners can connect, learn from each other, and support one another, you’re creating collective power and mutual aid networks. These communities become places where people share resources, advocate together, and build relationships that extend beyond transactions. Followers click. Community sticks. People love being part of something; that’s good news for your brand.

Here are some popular platforms to build your community:

• Facebook Groups: A free, easy way to create a community space where your customers can interact with you and each other.

• Circle: A sleek platform for membership groups, online communities, courses, and client hubs.

• WhatsApp Communities: ​​Great for small, engaged groups that want quick communication and updates.

Tip # 8. Use AI tools to help you sell smarter (not harder)

Why this supports economic justice: When you sell more efficiently, you create breathing room to focus on what really matters—investing in your team, serving your community well, and building sustainable practices. AI tools can help you close deals faster and more consistently, which means more predictable revenue to support fair wages, benefits, and profit-sharing. Selling in 2026 doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game. AI tools can now show you exactly which leads are ready to buy, when to follow up, and even help you write proposals that close deals. Instead of chasing everyone, you focus on the people who are ready to say “yes!”.

Tools worth exploring:

• Freshsales: Freshsales uses AI to score leads, track conversations, and recommend next steps. It tells you who’s “hot,” who’s slowing down, and how to move deals forward. Great for small teams that want enterprise-level sales insights.

• Apollo.io: Apollo.io gives you access to millions of potential leads and helps you email them, track engagement, and automate outreach. It’s perfect for prospecting and growing your pipeline without spending hours researching.

• Loopio: Loopio helps you create fast, polished proposals and RFP responses. Instead of starting from scratch, it uses stored templates and AI suggestions so you can deliver high-quality proposals quickly, a huge win for consultants.

Tip # 9. Keep your team flexible

Why this supports economic justice: Flexible staffing models can work for justice—when done right. The key is ensuring that contract and part-time workers are paid fairly, treated with respect, and given clear paths to more stable roles if they want them. Bringing in specialized freelancers for specific projects can help you grow sustainably without overextending your core team, and it creates economic opportunities for independent workers in your community. Not every role needs to be full-time. Many businesses are mixing core staff with part-time or contract help, which lets you grow without adding unnecessary payroll stress.

Where to find good help:

• Fiverr: Fiverr is a marketplace where you can hire freelancers for almost anything — graphic design, video editing, social media help, website updates, admin tasks, and more. It’s perfect when you need quick, one-time help or small projects done fast. Prices start low, and you can browse reviews, samples, and ratings before choosing someone.

• Upwork: Upwork is great for finding longer-term or more specialized freelancers, like virtual assistants, bookkeepers, marketing experts, or consultants. You can post a job, interview candidates, and build ongoing relationships. It’s ideal when you need consistent support but aren’t ready for another full-time hire.

• Magic: I personally use Magic, which provides 24/7 virtual assistants who handle tasks such as scheduling, emails, research, follow-ups, CRM updates, and more — all via text or chat.  It’s like having an on-demand operations assistant who works in the background to keep your business moving. Get 4 weeks Free by using my Magic Link to sign up.

Tip # 10. Take cybersecurity seriously (it matters more than ever)

Why this supports economic justice: Protecting your customers’ and employees’ data is a matter of trust and dignity—especially for communities that have historically been surveilled, exploited, or had their information misused. Strong cybersecurity practices show that you respect people’s privacy and are committed to doing business ethically. Data breaches disproportionately harm small businesses and the communities they serve, so investing in security now protects both your mission and the people who depend on you. With so many online tools supporting our businesses today, protecting your data isn’t just a “nice to have”; it’s essential. Think of cybersecurity as locking the doors to your digital storefront.

Here are some tools that will help you secure your business:

• 1Password: A secure password manager that stores all your logins safely so you never forget a password again.

• Google Workspace: Email, calendar, storage, docs — plus strong built-in security. A reliable hub for your business.

• LastPass: Another trusted password manager for keeping your business accounts and team credentials secure.

• Malwarebytes: Reliable antivirus and malware protection that safeguards your computers from ransomware, viruses, and malicious websites. Easy to install and maintain.

• Cloudflare: Small businesses can use Cloudflare for website security, including DDoS protection, firewalls, and faster site loading. A must if you sell online or handle customer data through your site.

• NordLayer (by NordVPN): A business-focused VPN that protects your team’s internet connections, especially when working from public Wi-Fi or multiple locations. Keeps sensitive data private.

With the right tools, more transparent processes, and a commitment to putting people and planet before profit, you can create a business that feels lighter, runs smarter, and builds shared wealth for everyone involved. You’ve got everything you need—now take the next step and make 2026 a year of building power, prosperity, and justice together.