Here’s how you can make progress toward the goals that matter.
Hi y’all,
Did you know this past Friday was “Quitter’s Day,” the day when most people abandon their New Year’s resolutions?
But resolutions don’t fail because they’re bad ideas — they fail because they’re not designed to last. The good news is you can avoid the Quitter’s Day curse by adopting the SMART goal framework: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
SMART goals make your objectives clear and actionable. For example, instead of saying, “We want more clients,” try, “We aim to increase event bookings by 15% next quarter by improving response time and launching a targeted ad campaign.” With a clear target and roadmap, you’re better equipped to track progress, rally your team, and pivot when needed.
Metrics that matter for event businesses
The most successful event businesses track metrics that directly impact growth and efficiency, like:
- Revenue growth: How much more you’re bringing in quarter over quarter.
- Lead-to-booking conversion rate: How well you’re turning interest into paying clients.
- Inventory utilization: Knowing what’s overbooked and what’s collecting dust (scroll to the bottom of this email for a pro tip on inventory utilization).
- Client retention rates: Are clients coming back? Referring you to others?
- Operational costs: Are you getting more efficient, or are your expenses eating into profits?
What numbers should I aim for?
For most event businesses, aiming for 15–30% annual revenue growth or 10–20% client growth is achievable with the right strategies. Newer companies might see faster gains, while established ones can benefit from refining operations or expanding offerings.
And yes, you can achieve your growth goals even with a limited budget. I’ll give a couple examples:
One boutique rental company used Goodshuffle Pro to streamline their inventory and invoicing, cutting down admin time by 10 hours a week. They reinvested that time into sales efforts and saw a 25% boost in bookings within six months — without increasing their budget.
Another company partnered with local venues and leaned into Instagram ads, spending just $200 a month and seeing steady lead growth.
Whether your 2025 goals are about growing revenue, streamlining operations, or building better client relationships, a SMART approach can help you cross the finish line — you may even see early wins within 2-3 months!
See you next Tuesday,
Mallory Mullen
Goodshuffle
