Last week, I spoke about letting go of what no longer works for us in business, but in life as well. I also offered a practice you can use for letting go.
Letting go is the first step that should be done before deciding what you want to bring into the new year. But that’s a topic for next time.
Today, we want to look at what is working and what’s not from a business perspective. I believe in prioritizing your instincts and intuition… but also in looking at the data.
This means we need to look at your METRICS!
Looking at your metrics is a lot easier when you’re not attached to the outcome. Remember that information is agnostic. It is neither "good" nor "bad." It's just data.
So put on your Director of Analytics hat and put your feelings aside for this exercise. It's time to crunch some numbers!
Here’s what you want to do:
Write down ALL the offersyou sold or promoted this year, whether it was a digital product, a group program, a 1:1 package, or anything else. Also write down any affiliate income sources or other misc income sources.
Next, write down all the marketing channels you use. This includes everything from your email newsletter, website, social media accounts, podcast or blog, ads, or anything else.
Next, look up your metrics and put them all together in one place: Your business metrics (revenue and expenses), your offer metrics (what offers sold and for what price), your marketing metrics, and even your CEO metrics (how you spent your time this year).
After you’ve populated all the metrics, it’s time to see the story they’re telling you. What did well this year? What flopped? (Remember, no judgment, just information!) What overall trends are you noticing in your business?
Finally, consider how you feel about these metrics. Are you surprised? Delighted? Let down? If you had to make a decision based only on the metrics, what would that decision look like and how do you feel about that?
If you’re ready to close out the year with clarity and intention, this Google Sheets template walks you through your revenue, marketing, clients, offers, and reflections in one organized place. It also includes a short video walkthrough so you can start using it right away.