So for many reasons and mostly procrastination I have never tracked the numbers of my business. You would think that with my analytical mind I would have a handle on the bounce rate for my website (how about just the number of visitors?), the number of blog posts I write, my moz ratings, and the ever popular ‘close rate’ on client proposals.
As I started my business my biggest metric was self-measured stress level as my phone did not instantly ring. Then, as I signed clients I was all excited about the dollars pouring into my bank account…and the business was building I thought “ok, how big can this get?” And life got in the way – moving and blending, getting remarried, saying goodbye and recovering through the end of 2017.
But no more…and I’m really sick and tired of guessing…not knowing…and being a little clueless. Paying my bills, saving the maximum in a 401k, and still having money left over is no longer the sign of success. I want to know what else is going on in my business – so as I scale I know where I need help.
To be clear, most questions about business growth can not only rely on a number – usually they also require some intuition, market research, temperature taking, and gut instinct. But the start are the numbers.
As you start on your own path as an entrepreneur start collecting data. This way, when someone asks how many visits you receive on your website, you won’t have to “guestimate”
Here is a small sample of the numbers I have committed to tracking – and what is so funny is that I put ‘tracking’ as a goal for this year by itself. I’m doing these (and more) each month:
- Number of hot prospects
- Number of videos I send out
- Proposals sent
- Number of blog posts and LinkedIn long posts.
- Hours I work on goals for my business
- Number of visits to my website (www.jennifergardella.com)
- My Moz rating
- Number of 30 minute cardio workouts I get in.
The list is endless and enough to make anyone else’s head spin. Here is what I have learned after 5 years in business – you can only track over time what you commit to measuring – and most importantly – is there value to any activity?
