In the noise of what everybody else is doing and just trusting your gut for what is best for your business, the data is the quiet truth-teller. For online, service-based entrepreneurs, data is not just numbers; it’s insight into what’s actually working, what’s heartbreakingly failing, and where your next level lives. When you’re aiming for that first six figures AND BEYOND, guessing is expensive and exhausting. But data? Data gives you receipts. It takes emotion out of decisions and puts clarity in the driver’s seat. Whether it’s how clients move through your funnel, how long service delivery really takes, or what your best-performing offer is, your data already knows the story. The question is: are you listening to and letting it guide your next business move? Doing so is what we call making data-driven decisions. You may have heard about it but how do you do it? Let’s get you started.
Track What Actually Drives Growth. There are a lot of numbers that could be recorded. As most of you either do not have a team or have a small team that doesn’t include someone that gathers data, it can be especially cumbersome. So what data do you record? What actually moves the needle is tracking the numbers tied to your top goals in each area of your business. If your goal in marketing is to get more qualified leads, then vanity metrics like views and likes aren’t telling you what you need to know. It’s like checking the weather when what you really need is the forecast for your zip code—it looks informative but isn’t useful. Too many online, service-based solopreneurs obsess over everything except the metric that signals growth. One week you’re watching email open rates, the next it’s how many people “liked” your offer post—but you’re still not making sales. That’s not insight, that’s distraction. To hit six figures, your numbers need to reflect your direction.
Recurring Problems Mean Broken Systems. Look for patterns in the data. When the same issue keeps showing up, it’s not bad luck, it’s a broken system. If late client deliveries, repeated refund requests, or the same client questions keep creeping back in, you’re not dealing with random problems; you’re looking at a pattern begging for a process. For online, service-based solopreneurs, this is the silent killer of time and energy. You fix it once, only for it to return next month… and the month after that. The real problem isn’t effort it’s that there’s no system holding that part of your business together. Without structure, you end up constantly firefighting what could’ve been solved at the root.
Make One Business Decision That Matters. Decision fatigue is real, especially when you’re the marketing team, sales team, service provider, and admin assistant all rolled into one. When everything feels important, it’s easy to walk away from a business review with a list of ideas instead of actual decisions. But without clear direction, nothing gets done and your business stays stuck in “almost.” Making one solid decision per department turns review time into real progress instead of idea overwhelm. It brings focus to the chaos and forces you to choose traction over to-do lists. Because at the end of the day, six-figure businesses aren’t built on possibilities—they’re built on follow-through.
Half-Done Execution Won’t Scale. For entrepreneurs chasing six figures, this is the trap: spending energy thinking through problems instead of solving them. One week it’s “I need a new sales script,” the next it’s “maybe I should try a webinar,” and somehow both stay half-finished. That constant pivoting keeps you busy but not better. Real momentum comes from choosing one move, executing it fully, and letting that execution show you the next right step. Without commitment to action, you’re just building a library of half-baked plans—and last time we checked, libraries don’t pay invoices.
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