You’re a new CEO. You built this thing from the ground up. You know your business inside and out.

Or at least, that’s what you tell yourself.

But when someone asks how much it actually costs to bring in a client? Or whether your most profitable offer is the same one you spend the most time on? Or if your team is really operating at full capacity?

That’s when the answers get a little… fuzzy.

And that’s normal. Because up until now, you’ve relied on gut instinct. On your ability to feel when something is off. And hey; that got you here. But here’s the thing: when you’re trying to grow past your current ceiling, gut instinct alone won’t cut it.

Not when you’ve got more people to manage. More complexity to navigate. More money moving through the business.

At this level, you need to see the numbers that tell the real story; the ones that don’t just confirm what you already believe but actually show you what to do next.

And no, that doesn’t mean tracking 50 different metrics in a spreadsheet you’ll never open. Just seven. The seven that actually help you know what to do next to move the needle.

Let's just dive in, shall we?

1. How Much Does It Cost to Land a New Client? (Client Acquisition Cost - CAC)

If I asked you what it costs to bring in a new client, could you tell me? Not just your ad spend, but the full picture; your team’s time, the proposals, the follow-ups?

Most new Founders and CEOs can’t. They’re throwing money at marketing and hoping it works. And too often they are gauging it by whether their team is busy delivering – or not!

But if you don’t know how much it costs to acquire a new client, you don’t know if your pricing makes sense. You don’t know if you’re spending in the right places. And you don’t know whether getting more clients is actually making you more money; or just adding to the workload.

Here’s how you find out: Take your total sales & marketing costs for the month (your bookkeeper should be able to tell you this number if you don’t know) and divide it by the number of new clients you signed.

If that number is higher than 20-30% of what a client pays you? You might be working way harder than you need to.

2. Where Are Your Best Clients Coming From? (Lead Source Effectiveness)

You’ve got leads coming in from Instagram, LinkedIn, your website, referrals, Google ads, that podcast you did six months ago… but which one is actually bringing in your best, most profitable clients?

Most CEOs assume they know. They double down on the thing that feels like it’s working. But the data may tell you a different story.

Instead of throwing money at every channel, I suggest pulling a lead source report from your CRM. Look at which leads actually convert; not just where the traffic is coming from, but where your best clients start their journey.

And if you find that your highest-value clients are all coming from one source? It’s time to focus and cut the rest, or rethink your campaigns on other channels. Marketing spend is one of the big ones, this metric helps you confirm you’re getting your money's worth.

3. Are Clients Sticking Around? (Client Retention Rate)

You’ve heard this before; it’s cheaper to keep a client than to find a new one.

But if you don’t know your client retention rate, you don’t actually know if that’s true for your business. So let’s check.

Look at how many clients you had at the start of the year. Subtract the ones who left. Then divide that by the total number you started with. (Some CRMs will have a report to give you this number at a glance!)

That’s your retention rate. And if it’s below 80%, something isn’t clicking.

Either your offer suite isn’t built for longevity, or your client experience has gaps, or there’s a disconnect between what they expect and what they get.

Retention is a silent revenue multiplier; fix it, and your profit goes up without adding a single new client.

4. How Much Is a Client Worth? (Client Lifetime Value - LTV)

Many new CEOs focus on one sale at a time; but if you only look at the initial transaction, you’re missing the bigger picture.

Because the real number that matters? What a client is worth over their entire relationship with your business.

If you’re not tracking Client Lifetime Value (LTV), you don’t know how much to spend to get a client. You don’t know if you’re underpricing long-term relationships. And you don’t know if your business model actually makes sense.

The equation is simple:

Take your average revenue per client (total revenue divided by number of clients) and multiply it by how long they typically stay.

If that number is significantly higher than your CAC, you’re golden. If not? You’ve got a leaky bucket; and no amount of new clients will fix it. Either cut cost by creating process efficiency, or raise your prices (this can a tricky one to navigate and requires thoughtful strategy)

5. Are You Actually Making Money? (Profit Per Client)

Big revenue numbers look great on paper. But if your profit per client is razor-thin? You’re running on a hamster wheel. Some will suggest seeing the broad stroke profit number is all you need and I vehemently disagree, unless you specifically planned on having a loss leader offer.

Here’s the real question: After you subtract all expenses associated with serving a client, how much is actually left?

Because if it’s not enough to comfortably cover your team’s salaries, your overhead, and a healthy margin… then your pricing, structure, or efficiency needs work.

More sales won’t fix this. More profitable sales will.

6. Are You Still the Bottleneck? (Team Efficiency & Autonomy Score)

If your team can’t make decisions without you, you don’t have a business; you have a very demanding job.

And I get it. Delegation can feel hard if you don’t have super clear processes and SOPs. But here’s a question: How often do things land back on your plate?

If you’re still reviewing every project, answering every question, and being the go-to for every decision? You don’t have a leadership problem; you have a process problem.

Start by tracking:

1.       How often your team asks for your input.

2.       How often you have to fix something before it’s client-ready.

3.       How much work is actually completed without your direct involvement.

If you’re doing more than 20% of the execution work, you’ve got a delegation issue that’s actively capping your growth potential.

7. How Do Clients Actually Feel? (Client Satisfaction Score - CSAT)

This one’s simple. If clients aren’t happy, nothing else matters.

But how often do you actually ask them?*

CSAT is the easiest way to get real-time insight into your client experience. After every project, simply ask:

"On a scale from 1-10, how satisfied are you with the results?"

Then take the total number of positive responses (8-10) and divide by the total responses and multiply by 100 (for the percentage). That’s your CSAT score.

If it’s below 85%, you’ve got work to do.

Because happy clients don’t just stick around; they are more profitable AND tend to send more business your way.

*(A simple way to incorporate this into your existing process is to add an automated poll or survey email to your offboarding process.)

Bottom Line: Stop Flying Blind

If you’re making decisions without these numbers, you’re guessing.

And at this level, guessing is expensive. And in my experience: KNOWING IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN GUESSING.

You don’t need a dashboard full of reports.(Unless, like me, you LOVE data and digging into it!)  

To gain better oversight of your company’s sustainability, you just need these seven numbers to make a difference; because they tell you where your money’s going, where the leaks are, and where the next move needs to be.

And if setting this up feels overwhelming? You don’t have to do it alone.

Our CEO Like a CEO mentorship was built for exactly this; to help you build the structure, systems, and insight you need to run your company like a true CEO, not just the hardest-working person in the room.

Let’s make data simple. Join us in CEO Like A CEO by applying now.

Make it a great day!

Danielle 🤘🏼

PS. If your bookkeeper or accountant don't currently provide you with a full monthly report of your total costs by department so you can measure your client acquisition costs, just ask them to start. And if you don't currently have a bookkeeper in Canada, Janet Mercredi, over at JKM Profit Strategies can help you get a better handle on your P&L and help you get your financials in order - especially if you plan to sell your business in the next 5 to 10 years!

Recommended Reading:

📖 How to Build a Business That Thrives in Economic Uncertainty (Instead of Scrambling to Survive)

Struggling to keep your business stable in uncertain times? Economic downturns don’t break businesses, they reveal weak foundations. Learn how to build a resilient, efficient business that thrives no matter the market.

📖 The Costly Mistake of Solving the Wrong Business Problems

Most CEOs waste time solving the wrong problems with the wrong solutions. Learn how to identify real bottlenecks, optimize client delivery, and scale efficiently.

📖 Why Adding More to Your Offer is Costing You Clients (and Time)

More doesn’t always mean better - especially in your offers. Learn why simplifying your delivery leads to better client results, higher conversions, and greater scalability. Discover how to refine your offer for maximum impact - without overloading it with unnecessary extras.