I don't understand my business numbers
Many service business owners have access to reports but still feel unclear about what’s really going on in the business.
Numbers exist. Software is in place. Reports get sent.
But instead of creating confidence, they create confusion — or get ignored altogether.
When you don’t understand your business numbers, decisions are being made without visibility — effectively flying blind.
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You rely on your bank balance to judge how things are going
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You’re never quite sure which jobs are making money
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Pricing decisions are made without confidence
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Reports feel technical or overwhelming
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Looking at the numbers creates anxiety instead of clarity
What this usually looks like
When business numbers don’t create clarity, it often shows up in everyday decisions.
The information is there, but it isn’t usable.
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Financial reports produced for compliance and tax purposes, not for day-to-day decision-making
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Numbers that are accurate but backward-looking and out of date by the time they’re reviewed
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No clear connection between pricing, jobs, cash flow, and overall profitability
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Reports presented without context, interpretation, or relevance to how the business actually runs
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Decisions being made outside the numbers because they don’t feel usable or trustworthy
Why this happens
This problem is structural, not personal.
It usually comes from:
When financial information doesn’t support real decisions, it gradually stops being used.
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Decisions are made on instinct instead of information
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Pricing stays static while costs change
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Cash flow surprises become normal
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Confidence in decisions decreases
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Stress increases because decisions never feel certain
What happens if it continues
Left unresolved, this lack of clarity quietly shapes how the business operates.
Over time, the business becomes harder to trust - even when it looks fine on paper.
How I work with this problem
When business numbers don’t make sense, it’s usually because they aren’t being used in a way that supports how the business actually runs.
My role is to help service business owners understand what their financial reports are really telling them - how pricing, jobs, cash flow, and decisions connect over time.
The focus is on reading the numbers as a clear narrative, so you always know where the business is heading, not just where it’s been.
If this sounds familiar, you can get in touch to talk it through and work out whether the issue is structural or something else.
Profit on paper but no cash in the bank
