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Ready to start planning for a stronger, more profitable year? In Episode 158 of the CAS Podcast, we kick off a three-part business planning series designed to help custom product entrepreneurs set meaningful goals and take strategic action in 2022.

In this first installment—Looking Back—we focus on reflection as a foundation for growth. You can’t move forward effectively unless you understand what’s behind you. This episode guides you through a simple but powerful framework to evaluate your business performance from the past year.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to:

🔍 Analyze Your Sales and Profits

Start by reviewing total sales, profit margins, and best-selling items. Discover which products drove the most revenue—and more importantly, which ones delivered the most profit per piece.

👥 Identify Your Best (and Worst) Customers

Who helped grow your business—and who drained your time and energy? Use this insight to prioritize the relationships that truly matter.

📉 Pinpoint What Didn’t Work

Some items might’ve flopped, orders may have failed, or marketing efforts went unnoticed. That’s okay. Now is the time to ask why and use those lessons to refine your strategy.

🔄 Discover Opportunities for Improvement

What processes wasted your time? What changes could make you more efficient? You’ll walk away with a clearer view of what to leave behind and what to double down on.

This episode is all about taking inventory—not just of your stock, but of your wins, losses, and lessons. When done right, this retrospective can sharpen your focus and pave the way for a more successful year ahead.

📌 Be sure to listen to Part 2 and Part 3 as we dive into goal-setting and implementation in the upcoming episodes.

Resources Mentioned:

1. CalculatorSoup.com

2. Learn on ColmanAndCompany.com/blog

3. CAS Podcast Episode 121 – Business Planning with Marshall Atkinson

4. CAS Podcast Episode 94 – Planning Your First Successful Marketing Campaign