“Know your numbers”. This is a quote from Mark Richardson’s article for Pro Remodeler. I think these three words sum up the essence of what it means to be successful in the home improvement industry.
In his article “Why are we Struggling”, Mark lays out the reasons why many home pros’ businesses are struggling even in the era of a strong remodeling market. Like the one we are in currently.
When we boil this question down to its basic theme of figuring out what is wrong with your business and how to fix the situation, it all really comes down to strong reporting.
Hence, “Know your numbers”.
It’s extremely difficult, almost impossible, to catch flaws in your business process without the numbers to back it up.
- Are you wasting money on ineffective marketing?
- Do you have sales team members who are falling behind and need more support?
- Is there an issue with your scheduling, or a lack of reliable subs, that is causing you to miss deadlines and costing you money?
Your business’ system should be able to give you reports that show you all this information (and more). GOOD business systems should be configurable enough to allow you to pre-set parameters so your most important reports can be run at the click of a button. The BEST systems should have scheduled reports which are automatically sent and dashboards that clearly define and display reportable information, in real-time, to give you a heads-up when certain aspects of your business are falling behind. Allowing you to be proactive, not just reactive.
FULL DISCLOSURE – improveit 360 is the BEST business optimization platform with second to none reporting capabilities. Every piece of information can be reported on.
The use of reporting to get a 360° view of your business is beneficial in any type of market. It simply allows you to fix the lagging aspects of your current workflow. Visibility enables you to be as efficient as possible for when the next huge wave of jobs comes your way. It also helps keep you lean, like making sure you are getting the absolute most out of every marketing dollar spent, for when the market slows down.
Long story short, there is no good reason for you to not be reporting on your business. If your reason is that you simply can’t report on it, give us a call, we can help.