Jenny
Jenny's Final Assignment — Choose Metrics for Her Project
Character: Jenny, 16, small-town Canada. Passionate about art and sustainability. Project: Custom hand-painted T-shirts and tote bags, made to order, sold online and locally.
Step 1 — Her Project
"My project is called Painted & Proud. I design and hand-paint custom T-shirts and tote bags for customers who want something unique and personal. Because everything is made by hand, I can only take a limited number of orders each month. My most important goal right now is managing that capacity well — making sure I deliver orders on time, keeping customers happy, and growing revenue steadily without burning out."
Step 2 — Her 3 KPIs
KPI 1: Order Fulfillment Time
- Why: I promise customers a delivery window when they order. If I miss that window, I lose trust. Fulfillment time tells me whether I'm keeping my promises.
- How: I'll record the order date and delivery date for every order in a spreadsheet, then calculate the average number of days from order to delivery each month.
KPI 2: Customer Satisfaction Rating
- Why: Word-of-mouth is my main marketing tool in a small town. Happy customers tell their friends — unhappy ones don't come back and might share negative reviews. Satisfaction is the engine of my growth.
- How: I'll send a short follow-up message after each delivery asking customers to rate their experience out of 5 stars.
KPI 3: Monthly Sales Revenue
- Why: Revenue tells me whether the business is actually growing and covering its costs (paint, fabric, shipping). It's the clearest sign of financial health.
- How: I'll record every sale in a simple spreadsheet and total it up at the end of each month.
Step 3 — Her SMART Goals
| KPI | SMART Target | |-----|-------------| | Order fulfillment time | Deliver all orders within the promised timeframe, every month | | Customer satisfaction | Maintain an average rating of 4 out of 5 or higher, every month | | Monthly sales revenue | Increase monthly revenue by 10% every six months |
Step 4 — Her Explanation
"I chose these three KPIs because they reflect the three things that matter most to Painted & Proud right now: reliability, reputation, and revenue. Fulfillment time keeps me honest about my capacity. Satisfaction tells me if I'm delivering a quality product and experience. Revenue tells me if the business is growing."
"If satisfaction ratings were dropping, I'd reach out directly to recent customers to find out what went wrong — maybe the design didn't match their vision, or the delivery took too long. I'd use that feedback to adjust my process. I'm also exploring channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Google Ads to reach more customers, and I've been talking to my dad about a potential partnership to help with shipping logistics."
Step 5 — Her Lean Canvas Key Metrics Box
Key Metrics:
- Order fulfillment time → deliver all orders within promised window, tracked monthly
- Customer satisfaction → 4 out of 5 average rating or higher, tracked monthly
- Monthly sales revenue → 10% increase every 6 months
What Jenny Did Well
- She chose KPIs that match her specific business model — handmade, capacity-limited, word-of-mouth driven
- Her fulfillment time KPI is creative and directly tied to her biggest operational risk
- She explained specific marketing channels (Instagram, Facebook, Google Ads) and a partnership idea
- Her revenue growth target (10% every 6 months) is realistic for a solo maker business