We often say that “what you measure you can manage.”  This is especially true when it comes to achieving greater profitability for your business.  You should begin by focusing your profit improvement strategies into three key areas that can be measured by their impact on overall profits.  Aim to increase:
1) The number of desirable customers
2) The number of times each customer makes a purchase, and
3) The average amount they spend on each purchase.
The next step to improving your profitability is to identify your Critical Success Factors.  In other words, what must you achieve in your business to be successful.  In order to answer that question, ask yourself the following:
1) What are your most profitable products/customers and what makes them so profitable?
2) What resources are required to support your business?
3) What are the things that keep your customers coming back, recommending you and paying a good price for your product or service?
Once these questions are answered, you will have a good idea of the factors that are critical to improving your profitability.  You should then determine how you can monitor the effectiveness of your new profit improvement strategies. For example, you may establish Key Performance Indicators that you can measure on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. Be ready to adjust your strategies depending on the trending of your KPIs.
At the end of the day, a profit improvement plan is only effective if your return on investment (ROI), your net profit margin, and your bank balance are improved simultaneously. Constant review and management of your Critical Success Factors is the key to increased profit and ROI over the long term.

For help creating a profit improvement plan for your business and monitoring the results, please contact our office at (317) 782-3070 and schedule a complimentary consultation.