My Business Review for 2017 (A voyeuristic look behind the scenes of the Profit Lovers)

As we head well into the last month left in 2017 I am reviewing what worked and what didn’t work in my business, what I sucked at and what I did well. Of course, I am already leaping with wild abandon and excitement into my 2018 planning. I LOVE new plans just like I LOVE new stationery and clean sheet night. All this wild planning means I also need to take time to reflect on the year that was.. so here goes.. 

So what happened this year?

I hate to admit that I  probably worked at less than 50% of my capacity. I had some “stuff” that really hit me hard this year. I learned that everything you don’t deal with comes back in some form or another. I needed the time and space out to deal with it, but I also slacked off a lot. *If you were on my Crazy Big Year 2018 Planning webinar you will know what I am talking about. For those who didn’t see … when you see someone you think has a perfect life and you assume business is easy for them you might be very wrong. You never know what battles they have. 

The upside is I can recognise how little work I did instead of making excuses or blaming external situations. Stuff happened, it was tough, it took my focus away, but ultimately I was still a slack-o with my business. I had breakfast with Natalie Alaimo (my online entrepreneur buddy) and she said “you’re honest, you know where you screwed up, you know how to fix this” and she was right (as usual). 

If I can achieve (X) while being a slack-o….

The worst and the best thing about my business is I make money while pfaffing about, getting distracted and generally being ineffective. It is obviously a good thing because… I can still eat and keep Ziggy, the Poochon, in the life of which he quickly became accustomed but bad because I can hide out easily. I can get lost in my own mind and lose momentum fast without an immediate financial hit which is generally what motivates people. I am also aware that my 50% is other peoples 120% so I am not going to be too hard on my self.

I am taking my slackness as reassurance that if I can achieve what I did this year with 50% attention and focus, imagine what next year can bring! Ohhh it is exciting…

What I did terribly

+ I moved far too slowly – I took more time that was necessary for almost everything I did

+ I didn’t change things that I could clearly see weren’t working like a poor performing sales page and email funnels

+ I wasn’t as consistent as I would like to be with marketing

+ I “forget” my own goal of bringing a lot more video into my marketing, both pre-recorded and live video

+ I didn’t stick to my live webinar schedule

+ I didn’t prioritise selling

+ I focused more on clients businesses than my own, resulting in clients hitting massive goals… and me… not so much…

+ I didn’t schedule time to upgrade Create Your First Online Course so I am only getting started on that now

+ I didn’t ring my own bell, I barely mentioned my own wins and testimonials

+ I didn’t outsource anywhere near enough tasks, I let my control freak ways take over

+ I overcomplicated my business (again..)

What I did really well

+ I tracked everything, I always knew where I was at even if I wasn’t taking action on it

+ I was more consistent with marketing than last year, even though it still wasn’t where I want it to be

+ I found a new love for one part of my business

+ I fixed some major web issues that no one else could figure out

+ I created content for Members Club that I am truly proud of, like the Sales Funnel Kit and the Pricing Kit

+ My one on one clients got the absolute best of me and my focus and I LOVED every minute with every client

+ I attracted 98% of my ideal clients making coaching a freaking love fest

+ I figured out my true “zone of genius” when working one on one with clients

+ I converted 91% of the coaching leads that came my way (I was once taught that 50% was an awesome conversion)

+ I still hit my revenue goals, just not the stretch goals

+ I used a lot of my own Members Club content especially productivity trackers, to pull myself back into line

+ I have completed 74% of the actions on the 12-month plan I created last year for 2017

+ I learned a LOT about online business, I watched a LOT of video about online business and I read a LOT of books about online business.. it was like.. a lot…

+ I worked a lot on my own headspace and mental health like never before, something that I know is clearing my path for bigger and better things

What I am working on in 2018

Members Club:

I have so many ideas and new ways to help members get the most out of the experience. I have new welcome content, new tools to help members feel more connected to me, more celebration of the wins everyone is getting (there are some amazing goals being reached in there!), and more great content.

Create Your First Online Course:

It will be rebuilt to update the content with all the new stuff I know about tripwires, sales funnels, sales pages, traffic generation, tools, content presentation. The current version still has everything you need and only a week ago I received a lovely message from a member saying that she couldn’t imagine how an upgrade would make it better, that it was already an amazing course. That said I want members to have access to all the new stuff I have been learning.

Marketing:

I still feel like I am only scratching the surface of what I am capable of when it comes to marketing, especially video. I know a lot of people feel nervous about putting themselves out there but I actually really enjoy it so I should embrace it! I also have been fiddling around with Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. I am excited to see where they can take me. Oh.. and more Podcast interviews! 

One on One Clients:

I thought that I would be “over it” by now but I feel more energised than ever. I did really limit my one on one work this year and I feel like I have the balance right. This year I tried out something completely new, I took the burden of creating plans off my clients. Instead, I took their ideas and goals and turned them into plans for them. This has been a major win and something that most coaches don’t do. 

A new “feel” for the Profit Lovers:

The changes will be so slight so you might not notice. There will be small shifts in the look, the feel, and the message. I am going to be standing firm in my belief that profit is not a dirty word and women deserve to make good money from their businesses. Something that I feel I was a little soft on this year. I lost a bit of my fire this year, but it is back in full force!

My terrible eating habits: 

Time to stop eating like an unsupervised teenage boy running wild at 7 11. I am committed to taking my health seriously so I don’t have a stroke at 50. Over the past couple of years I have noticed more than ever how much crap food and exercise habits affect energy. Oh to be young again… *no I don’t want to buy any fancy powers or pills for weight loss and energy. I am doing this the old-fashioned way – fewer burgers and cakes, more fruit and veg*

My BIGGEST take away that you can learn from

I have said it before. I will say it again. Planning is your key to success. Planning is what has kept my business rolling while I was distracted. I had to put very little thought into what should come next each month because I already knew. Without the plans I created in 2016 my year would have been a disaster. My plans are also what saved me when my mum was dying of cancer. You NEVER know what is around the corner so please get your 2018 plans in order.