Quarterly and End-of-Year Reflection Guide for Calligraphy Business Owners

As we navigate the journey of entrepreneurship, it's crucial to have periodic check-ins - whether quarterly or at the end of the year - to reflect on what we've achieved, the lessons we've learned, and the roadmap ahead. Before we dive into how to set goals and track metrics for your calligraphy business, grab my free Reflection Guide for Calligraphers, which includes 16 introspective prompts and walks through 3 key metric areas to examine in your business. This is the exact guide that's helped me to evaluate and plan out my 6 figure calligraphy business.

Did you scroll past? I don’t want you to miss this valuable free resource that’s been helping calligraphers have revelations about their business and life! Take a look at some of the comments from those who’ve used it:

For a deeper walkthrough of the guide, which I find especially helpful for the sales and marketing metrics section, listen to episode 2 of our podcast, Calligraphy Biz Corner. Alane of Write Pretty for Me and I share tips and talk through some of our own reflections to help get the juices flowing. Whether you’re doing a quarterly review or reflecting on the past year, tune in by hitting play on the podcast or video below, and make sure to have your reflection guide handy!

Below are a few of the prompts discussed in this podcast episode. Be sure to download the full reflection guide to get the remaining prompts in an actionable format!

Tap into your business intuition with quarterly reflections

Evaluating your past experiences, both positive and negative, can provide valuable insights that help guide the future of your calligraphy business. Adopt an open and introspective mindset while reviewing the past quarter or the entire year. Consider the obstacles you've overcome, the achievements that filled you with pride, and the situations that taught you the most impactful lessons.

In the reflection guide, I separate the question prompts into three sections:

• What I Achieved

• What I Learned, and

• What I Loved

In the podcast episode, Alane and I answer three of the nine prompts in this section of the guide:

• What was my proudest moment in business?

• What’s standing between me and where I want my calligraphy business to go?

• How did my calligraphy business support my life?

Own your numbers by tracking your calligraphy business metrics

Success as a business owner is about realizing your creative vision and understanding your business metrics. When it comes to assessing your business performance, numbers play a vital role. Numbers provide clarity, validating or challenging your intuitive reflections, so it’s important to feel empowered by your numbers rather than shying away from them. Owning your numbers is part of how you shift from hobbyist to taking a skill you love and using it to fund your life and your family.

Be sure to download the reflection guide using the form at the top of this post to get a deeper dive into each of the metrics in this section. You can use the same guide each quarter to keep track of your progress, goals, and future planning.

Marketing Metrics:

Evaluate the quality of your lead sources by looking at the number of leads from each source and their conversion rate (what percentage of those leads book with you). If a lead source generates a lot of leads but results in smaller deals or clients who don’t book with you, you’ll want to either spend less time on that lead source, or figure out how you can get a higher conversion rate. Checking in quarterly on this metric, and at year’s end, can provide valuable insights.

Sales Metrics:

Next, look at your sales metrics - your revenue, profit, and profit margin - each quarter or annually. These numbers will give you insight into how much you're selling, your net income after expenses, and what percentage of the money you’re taking home. Use this information to help you strategically prioritize your time and resources across different income streams.

Client Experience Metrics:

Lastly, you’ll want to reflect on your client experience to understand the quality of your work. Reviews and feedback can help you highlight areas for improvement. Testimonials build trust and provide social proof, so make sure you’re proactively asking for reviews. And remember, to ask for reviews and encourage referrals as a form of free marketing - happy clients lead to more happy clients!

How to set goals and craft your future vision as a calligrapher

Armed with insights and numbers, it's time to set achievable goals for your future. In our podcast episode, we explore three of the seven questions in this section of the reflection guide:

1. What do I want my life to look like this year?

2. What does success look like for my business this year?

3. What will I say no to?

Your answers will help you cast a clear vision for your personal life and business journey. Whether you’re setting quarterly goals or annually, the point is to create a business that supports your lifestyle and allows you to confidently say no to projects that don't align with your vision. Remember, building a calligraphy business that aligns with your values might mean diversifying your revenue streams, pivoting your services, or even (in my case) foregoing a major revenue stream that doesn’t align with your goals. That’s why it’s so important to check in often, and I recommend quarterly goal setting for calligraphers who want help staying focused.

Next Steps

After you’ve completed the End-of-Year and Quarterly Calligraphy Reflection Guide, read through your responses to identify themes that you can turn into projects or actions. If you didn’t reach your financial goals or weren’t sure how to set a goal, I highly recommend my Income Planning Worksheet can be a great next step. This tool helps you identify different income streams, project how many clients you need to book to reach your financial goals - no guessing required. Most importantly, it will also automatically calculate your hourly rate in a way that enables you to achieve your financial goals! 

Following this guide quarterly has helped me gain clarity so I can focus on what I want for my business and I hope it helps you too! I’ve tailored my reflection process so it by no means feels exhaustive, so you’ll actually want to use it again and again.

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