My Honest 2025 Year in Review: What I Learned Running Two Small Businesses on the Move

2025 has been an amazing year. I’ve always wanted to work for myself, to be fully self-employed, and now I’m actually doing it. I’m doing the thing!

As much as I’ve grown and moved forward, it’s also been a bit messy. I haven’t really taken the time to sit down and review what’s happened. I’ve mostly been in the weeds, figuring things out, saying yes to opportunities, and trying to earn as much as I could.

But that approach started to catch up with me. It led to burnout, a lack of direction, and limited ability to scale. So now, I’m learning to work smarter, to focus on what’s actually working, do more of what I love, and let go of what isn’t serving me.

That’s where a business (or life) review becomes so powerful. It gives you the facts, a clear picture of what’s really going on, so you can make better decisions about where to go next.

So, here it is: I’ve finally sat down and reviewed my business for 2025.

A Little About Me: A Self-Employed, Nomadic Small Business Owner

I’m an ex-corporate retail merchandiser who quit my full-time job for a big retailer in June 2024. I also packed up my flat in Bristol so I'd have less bills to pay and set off to build a more flexible life, one that allows me to work on my own terms.

2025 has been my first full year of being fully self-employed and living as a full-time house and pet sitter while running two small businesses:

• Kalmer with Katie (previously The Small Business Assistant), where I now specialise in stock and profit management for small product-based businesses.
• Skudaboo, my art print brand, which I work on when time allows, because creativity is still a big part of who I am.

Why I’m Sharing My 2025 Year in Review

If you feel like it’s time to review your own business too, check out the prequel to this post: How to Review Your Small Business Sales from 2025 to Plan a Stronger 2026.

That blog focuses more on the metrics side of reviewing a product business, but the same principles apply to any small business or freelancer.

My review might look a little different to yours. I run two businesses, live a nomadic lifestyle, and mix in personal goals because, for me, life and business are completely connected. I’m building both around the life I want to live, but hopefully this gives you a real example of how to turn facts into actions.

I haven’t included specific numbers here in this blog, it still feels a bit uncomfy to share those publicly, but when you’re reviewing your own business, I really recommend doing so. 

Having measurable numbers against your goals gives you something concrete to track and helps keep you accountable throughout the year.

What Actually Happened in 2025: The Facts Behind My Year

Skudaboo (Product Business)

2025 wasn’t a growth year for Skudaboo. In fact, sales declined compared to last year. That said, the business stayed live and ticking over, and continued to evolve quietly behind the scenes.

• Sales didn't grow compared to last year.
• Domain rating (DR) increased to 17.
• The majority of traffic came from the US, mainly through Pinterest.
• Updated website to a new (paid) Shopify theme in March.
  
• Didn’t post on socials and stopped running Meta ads, which reduced sales but also reduced costs.
  

Kalmer with Katie (Freelance Business)

My freelance business, which I’ll officially rebrand as Kalmer with Katie in 2026, saw significant growth this year. To be fair, 2024 was only half a trading year, but in 2025 I was able to earn enough to support myself, which still feels like a huge milestone.

• Business grew significantly on last year and billed approximately 1,000 client hours, adding two new long-term clients.
• Refreshed website from July to align more closely with new services, shifting focus towards stock and sales analysis and product management for interior designers. Domain rating also grew to 6.
• Started transitioning to new brand name, Kalmer with Katie, for launch in 2026.
  
• Invested in equipment and working with other professionals for copywriting, photography, and development support.
  
• Only posted twice on socials.

Nomad Life

I absolutely loved the digital nomad lifestyle, it’s not always easy, but it takes the pressure off by reducing my bills and allows me to make changes and take risks. Plus, I get to spend time with the loveliest dogs in some incredible homes.

I originally planned to do it for just three months back in 2024… but a year and a half later, in 2025, I’m still here!

This year, I:

• Completed 21 house sits during the year across the UK.
• Looked after 21 dogs and 8 cats across various locations.

What Went Well in 2025

Skudaboo (Product Business)

Even though I worked less on Skudaboo this year (no marketing, no new launches, more on that later), the SEO work I put in last year still paid off. I continued to make sales from organic search because my domain rating (DR) had grown.

My UK conversion rate improved after updating my website and adding new features, like the option to preview your art print in your home, which made the customer experience stronger.

Kalmer with Katie (Freelance Business)

My freelance business was what kept me financially afloat this year. I was able to support myself and pay all my bills, something that still feels like a big milestone when you’re self-employed.

I also gained new clients, which helped me grow in confidence and have more stability.

Nomad Life

Outside of work, I had an incredible summer and discovered my love for solo camping and hiking with the Adventure Girls.

And on the practical side of my nomad life, I continued building trust and credibility by collecting more five-star reviews on TrustedHousesitters, which makes booking future sits so much easier.

What Didn’t Go So Well in 2025

Skudaboo (Product Business)

I have to be honest, I abandoned my product business this year.

The truth is, Skudaboo doesn’t make profit at the moment, and I’ve had to prioritise my freelance business because it pays the bills.

This year:

• I launched no new products.
• I didn’t post on social media or send regular emails to my mailing list.
• My traffic was mostly from the US (thanks to Pinterest), but it didn’t convert well due to high shipping costs.

Kalmer with Katie (Freelance Business)

Marketing was another weak spot. Even though I filmed content, I only posted twice on social media all year because I struggled to find the time and stick to a plan.

That meant I barely marketed either business, which is something I know needs to change in 2026.

I also overworked, spending too much time in my business and not enough on it, which meant I couldn’t focus on strategy or growth.

On a personal note, I struggled to find balance. I sometimes worked late and on weekends, exactly the kind of thing I left corporate life to avoid.

Nomad Life

And while I love house sitting, I overcommitted this year, especially over the summer, when I should have left more space for travel and rest. Some sits were more challenging than others (still full of lovely dogs, though!). 

Lessons Learned from My First Full Year as a Self-Employed Nomad

This year has taught me a lot, about business, balance, and what truly matters.

Skudaboo (Product Business)

I’ve realised I need to work smarter. This year, I overcommitted to certain types of client work that limited both my capacity and flexibility.

I’ve learned not to try to appeal to everyone. My best work (and happiest clients) come from offering more specialised, niche services that make the most of my skills. Narrowing my focus is what will help my freelance business grow sustainably.

Working with and getting feedback from other service providers and freelancers this year has been invaluable. Having that outside perspective helped shape the direction of my business and even inspired my new brand name. 

Big shoutouts to Jess at Wild Coworking, Nicole from London Branding Photography, Eleanor Mollie, Aime from Studio Cotton, and Bonnie of Words by Bonnie.

Kalmer with Katie (Freelance Business)

I’ve also have too many products in my Skudaboo range. I haven’t been following my own advice, and spreading myself too thin has made it harder to give the business the attention it deserves.

It’s not fully aligned with my current goals or values yet, and I need to bring it back to something simpler and more focused.

Nomad Life

I’ve also learned that not every dog or house sit is the right fit. Because I work alongside my sits, I need to ask more questions before committing, to make sure the setup actually works for both me and the dogs!

Challenges That Could Hold My Business Back in 2026

Running both a freelance business and a product business is rewarding, but it’s a constant juggling act. Finding enough time and mental space for both can be tough, and I know I need clearer boundaries and a more realistic plan to manage them side by side.

Like many small business owners, I don’t always have the spare funds to invest when I want to. That can slow things down or make it harder to move forward as quickly as I’d like.

My nomad lifestyle is one of my favourite parts of self-employment, but it does come with challenges. Travel time between house sits can eat into my working hours and energy, especially during busy periods or longer journeys.

New changes to US and EU tariffs have made international shipping trickier and more expensive. This affects how easily I can sell and ship Skudaboo products abroad, so I’ll need to shift my focus to the UK only.

Opportunities to Grow in 2026

By shifting my freelance work to focus more on stock management, sales analysis, and profitability support, the areas, I can add the more value to small businesses. This will help me attract the right clients and create more consistent, meaningful work.

For Skudaboo, simplifying my product range will free up time to collaborate with new artists and curate collections that feel more intentional. It’ll also make it easier to market and manage while keeping it creatively fulfilling.

Finally, I want to outsource my marketing or social media across both businesses to a VA. Having support in this area will help me stay consistent, free up headspace, and let me focus on the parts of my businesses that actually drive growth and joy.

My Three Business Goals for 2026 (and How I’ll Get There)

Setting goals always reminds me of when my friends and I used to get together at the end of each year. Instead of setting traditional resolutions, we’d each share three goals and talk about how we’d got on with the ones from the year before.

There was never any pressure, they were usually things like “go on three holidays” or “finally learn to surf”, but it kept us accountable and gave us something to look forward to. It’s a little ritual that my lovely friend Helen started, and even though she’s no longer here, I always think of her when I sit down to do this.

So, in honour of that tradition, here are the three goals I’ll be taking into 2026:

1. Match My Previous Employed Income (While Working Smarter)

I want to match or exceed my previous employed income while continuing to refine my freelance services. I’ll be focusing on offering more specialist, higher-value support around stock, profit, and sales analysis for small businesses, rather than trying to do everything for everyone. 

2. Grow and Refocus Skudaboo

My second goal is to grow revenue and finally make a profit for Skudaboo, focusing on building a stronger UK audience.

I’ll do this by:

• Continuing to work on SEO and PR to attract warmer, more relevant traffic.
• Reducing the number of designs to manage my time better.
• Make space for new artists and giving existing ones more focused marketing.
  

3. Work More Flexibly (and Make Time for Adventures)

One of the main reasons I left corporate life was to have more freedom and I need to remember to protect that. My goal for 2026 is to limit my working hours, especially over the summer, so I can take more time off and enjoy travelling, camping, and exploring new places.

On the business side, I’ll focus more on marketing my expertise on social media to attract the right kind of clients and more project work. That way, I can maintain flexibility while still growing both my income and my audience.

Turning Reflection Into Action: My 2026 Focus

Now that I’ve set my goals, shaped by what actually happened and what I’ve learned in 2025, I’ve written them on Post-its and stuck them to my laptop as a daily reminder to stay focused. Every action I take this year should work towards those goals.

They might evolve as the year goes on, and that’s completely fine. Regular reviews will keep me on track and help me adjust as things change, because that’s what running a small business is really about: learning, adapting, and growing.

And if you’d like some support with your own small business review, I’d love to help. I offer a Sales Review Service where I dig into your sales data, highlight the opportunities, and help you create a simple, clear action plan with 3–5 realistic, measurable goals for the year ahead.

Sometimes, you just need a fresh perspective, someone who can see the patterns in your numbers and turn them into practical next steps. If that sounds like what you need, get in touch, and let’s make 2026 the year your business moves forward with clarity and confidence.