As we head into the final month of the third quarter, it’s a good time to review the current state of your business and plan for the end of the year. Here are some items to start thinking about in your third quarter check-up so they don’t creep up on you in December:

1. Review your goals – You still have time to make changes in order to get your goals accomplished. If you have already accomplished some of your goals for the year, take some time to celebrate your successes. And be sure to share those successes with your employees. It’s a great way to boost morale.

2. Review financials – If you are behind on your financial projections for the year consider some ways to cut costs. If you are beating your projections, you may want to consider hiring additional staff. If you do increased business around the holidays this is also the time to prep for hiring additional seasonal workers.

3. Tax prep – Now is the time to start prepping the paperwork and receipts you’ll need to complete your return.

4. Website review – Make sure your website lists current information about your company and current job postings if you are hiring. Also, remember to blog about the latest events and happenings at your company.

5. Human resources and benefits – Compile a list of any updates you would like to make to your employee handbook. Plan on updating the handbook in the fourth quarter and be sure to have all employees sign-off on the updates. If you plan to offer any new benefits next year, start putting them into place now so you can iron out any kinks before they take effect on January 1st.