The concept of "KPI" that made business anxiety a little lighter.

Hello, this is Iguchi.

As a sole proprietor, I explore web marketing and sales promotion methods that can be practiced even with a small budget, while repeating hypotheses and verifications every day.

In this note, I focus on marketing terms that you might have heard of but are often used in a vague way. Based on my own research and real-life experiences, I have summarized them in the simplest language possible.

I hope that even those who are not comfortable with technical jargon will be able to think, "I see, that's what it means."

By the way... "KPI is important, but it feels a bit fuzzy," or "I've heard of it, but how do I use it in my work?" Don't you have those kinds of hang-ups?

I was one of those people who kept my distance, thinking, "It sounds kind of difficult..."
But when I looked into it, I felt a sense of relief, thinking, "Oh, it was that simple."

If you leave this "not knowing" state alone, when you look back at the end of the month, you tend to feel "What did I actually accomplish this month?" and feel frustrated.

But actually, that's not because you aren't trying hard enough; it's just that "you don't have a map." In this article, I will replace

KPI with more familiar words and gently organize it so that you can naturally see "what you should do today."By the time you finish reading, you should be able to grasp a small sense of security that "I can keep doing this" and your next step.

Let's clear away the fog together.

I looked it up: The true nature of "KPI"

When I looked it up, this explanation came up.

Hmm, "Key Performance Indicator."
Just seeing eight kanji characters lined up makes you go "Ugh," right? (laughs)

But when I broke it down and read various explanations, it basically meant this:

"Specific numbers that you absolutely want to clear along the way to reach the final goal.". It wasn't about just looking at the final goal and getting fired up to "do my best!" but about

the checkpoints right in front of you that you clear today.

It's super easy to understand if you think about it in terms of dieting!

Since it feels difficult as a business term, let's think about it by comparing it to something more familiar: "dieting."

For example, suppose you set a goal to "lose 5kg in 3 months!" This is your final goal (by the way, in business terms, this is called "KGI").

But you won't lose weight just by stepping on the scale every day and praying, "I haven't lost any weight..." right?

To lose weight, you need specific actions.
That is where you set KPIs.

• KPI 1: Keep it under 1500kcal every day

• KPI 2: Go running for 30 minutes, 3 times a week

What do you think?
The goal of "losing 5kg" is a bit far off and you can't control it, but you can control "keeping it to 1500kcal today" or "going for a run now" with your own will, right?

In other words,"a number you can believe in, thinking, 'If I just keep clearing these KPIs (daily action goals), I should naturally reach the goal (-5kg).'"
That was the true nature of a KPI.

How can sole proprietors and freelancers utilize this?

So, how should we, as sole proprietors or freelancers, apply this?

Let's simulate this by replacing it with web writer activities.
Suppose you have a final goal of "wanting to achieve a monthly income of 300,000 yen!"

If you proceed with a guts-based theory of "just write a lot!" you will get tired and lost along the way.

So, let's set some KPIs.

• KPI 1: Send 10 proposal letters (sales emails) per week

• KPI 2: Only apply for projects that pay 2 yen or more per character

• KPI 3: Update one blog post every day

Setting numbers like this makes it clear what you need to do, doesn't it?

Instead of feeling down at the end of the month thinking, 'Ah, I didn't reach 300,000 again this month...',
you can calmly look back on your actions by asking, 'Did I send 10 proposals? (KPI 1)' or 'Did I maintain my unit price? (KPI 2)'look back on your actions calmlyyou can.

Ifyou have achieved your KPIs but still haven't reached your monthly income goal, you can also realize that 'the KPIs I set were wrong (I should have increased the number of proposals more).'

This way, it seems like you'll spend less time worrying aimlessly, right?

Summary: KPIs were a 'map for peace of mind'

After looking into it, I realized that for those of us doing business on our own, KPIs are like a 'map' that helps us encourage ourselves by saying, 'I'm making real progress today!' and keeps us from getting lost.a 'map' that helps us encourage ourselves by saying, 'I'm making real progress today!' and keeps us from getting lostDon't you think your heart feels a little lighter when you shift your focus from the vague anxiety of 'How will I make money this month?' to 'For now, I'll just clear this KPI (number)!'?

I also intend to continue with the KPI I set: 'Post on note 5 times a day.'

Why don't you also decide on one number for your own business or activities that you feel you can control?

Next, I hope we can learn together about how to effectively set a 'KGI (final goal),' which is the master of KPIs.

Thank you for reading until the end.

I would be happy if this article led to a small realization of 'Oh, so that's what it meant!' or provided a hint for your own ideas.

Following me would be a great encouragement.
I will follow you back as well ^^