Know Your Numbers

‘Most businesses don’t know their numbers’ were the opening words of a meeting I had with a very successful businessman, friend and mentor. I thought it was a strange way to start a conversation but as time passed those words resonated more and more with me.

Most businesses don’t have either the numbers or the clarity on what those numbers are telling them. This is a basic business skill that you cannot afford to ignore or be vague about. Particularly right now.

At the start of April 2025 here in the UK everything is changing. The government has decided to tax employment by raising the levels at which employers pay national Insurance. For most businesses this is an unavoidable rise in costs which will be significant. The US Government are starting a trade war which is likely to affect the costs of all sorts of things. Businesses are likely to see costs rising dramatically and margins shrinking quickly. Some of the more commercially literate organisations have already shed jobs and are closing marginal operations. What about you?

You can’t afford to ‘wait and see’ or it might well be too late. It is a dangerous time to be vague with your data.

So the questions for this week are;

• Do you have timely, accurate numbers on your performance that allow you to make good decisions?
• Do you and your team regularly pull the numbers apart to see what you can learn and what needs to change, and then act upon it?
• ‘Shake the numbers hard enough and the answer will drop out’. Are you doing that insistently persistently and consistently?

If you need any help, reach out

Many successful business owners eventually hit a wall on growth and struggle to climb it alone. When you work with me you get a fresh perspective, a solid plan, and customised coaching so you can grow and scale your business safely and at speed.

To check whether I can help you on that journey https://calendly.com/iankinnery/canweworktogether