Your Backend is a Mess (And That's Costing You)
Before you set those 2026 goals, can we talk about what's quietly falling apart behind the scenes?
Your backend — the systems, tools, and automation nobody sees — is probably messier than you think. And it's costing you time, money, and credibility.
No shame. I'm writing this with 14 draft blog posts (oldest from 2023), five design tools I don't use, and an email footer that links to Calendly in the wrong language.
Here's what's hiding in most solopreneur backends, and how to fix it before January.
The Graveyard
Dead links. That "book a call" button? Points to a calendar you closed. Your Linktree? Three broken links and a vibe from 2022.
Abandoned sequences. You wrote Email 1 with care. Email 2 got drafted. Email 3 never happened. New subscribers get half a hello, then silence.
Lead magnets to nowhere. People download your freebie. Then nothing. No follow-up. No nurture. Just a PDF floating in the void.
Draft posts from April. All title, no body. A graveyard of good intentions.
Test products are still live. That €0.01 checkout test? It's still confusing every visitor who finds it.
Forms to inboxes you don't check. Someone filled out your contact form. It went to an old email. That could've been a client.
The fix: Pick one skeleton. Resurrect it or delete it. Don't let it haunt you into 2026.
The Money Leaks
Forgotten subscriptions. That tool you "just wanted to try"? Still billing you $12/month. Five of those = $720/year gone.
Duplicate tools. Two email platforms because you couldn't decide. Three design apps doing the same job. You're not being strategic, you're collecting tools like Pokémon cards. (I have five video/design tools. Do I use all of them? Absolutely not.)
Storage you're paying for. Google screams "You're almost out of space!" You close the tab. Meanwhile, 4GB of 2022 client files sit untouched.
Unused Pro features. You're paying for Pro. You use two features. Basic would've been fine, but you convinced yourself you'd "grow into it."
The fix: Review your subscriptions. Cancel duplicates. Downgrade the overkill. Redirect that money toward things that actually move your business forward.
The Unprofessional Details
Broken images. You see a perfect page. They see gray boxes with X's.
Lorem Ipsum still lurking. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." in your footer, your sales page, your welcome email. They noticed.
© 2023. It's almost 2026. Small detail. Big "oof."
Typos in automations. "We're excited to work you." Already sent to 47 people.
Placeholder text. "Add your bio here." "Coming soon!" It's been 8 months.
Outdated links. Your bio links to your old site. Your signature points to a dead calendar. Your freebie mentions a 2023 masterclass that's long gone.
The fix: Fresh-eyes audit. Open your site in incognito mode. Click every link. Read every automated email. Fix what's broken. Update what's old. Delete what's dead.
Before You Plan for 2026
Clean up 2025 first.
You don't need another course or tool. You need to fix the holes in the bucket.
Pick three things:
One graveyard item to resurrect or delete
One money leak to plug
One unprofessional detail to fix
That's it. Three things before January.
Your backend doesn't have to be perfect. But it should work. And it should represent the business you're running now — not the one you were building two years ago.
Most solopreneurs are operating on duct tape and good intentions. The difference is whether you clean it up or let it quietly cost you clients, money, and peace of mind.
Need help? That's exactly what I do.
This post is based on my Backend Messes series on Instagram. Follow along for more systems advice at @thetechwitch