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A bigger 2027 and a better 2027 aren't the same plan.
A bigger 2027 and a better 2027 aren't the same plan.
In the October WSJ/Vistage survey of 368 small business CEOs, 70% expect revenue to grow over the next year. Fewer, 56%, expect profits to improve. And 44% said their main costs rose faster than inflation over the last three months.
The write-up has a name for that gap: profitless prosperity. More work, more invoices, and the same or less left over at the end.
It usually starts with a plan that begins with a sales number. Next year's plan works better in the other order.
Start with the profit you need. A dollar amount, not a percentage you hope for.
List the costs you already know are going up. Wages, insurance, fuel, software. A lot of them are already in writing.
Look at which customers and jobs actually made money this year. Some of your busiest work may be your thinnest.
Then set prices and the mix of work that gets you there.
The revenue target comes last. It's whatever those choices add up to.
An afternoon with this year's numbers is enough to start. If you'd like a second set of eyes on it, that's part of what we do.
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