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Read time: 2 mins
As business owners, we’ve all learned to trust our instincts.
And over time, those instincts can get pretty sharp.
But here’s the truth:
When it comes to making really smart decisions - the kind that create growth and opportunity - instinct alone can only take you so far.
You also need great data.
Nothing beats it.
Because numbers tell a story.
And when you can read that story, you uncover insights that help you make better choices, faster.
The problem?
Most small businesses don’t take full advantage of their data.
Not because they don’t care, but because:
It feels overwhelming
They’re not sure where to start
Or they’ve had success before, just going with their gut
That’s why, over the next few weeks, we’re breaking down the biggest mistakes we see when businesses try to find growth opportunities, plus how to fix them.
Let's dive in:
MISTAKE #1: RELYING ONLY ON INSTINCT
There are 3 big areas where trusting your gut most often hurts growth:
1. Choosing what you offer
Many owners “feel” they know what customers value most.
But the numbers can often tell a different story.
One of our clients fell into this trap by assuming their core service was their main growth driver.
When we looked at the data, an add-on service they barely promoted was generating nearly 40% of their profits.
By trusting instinct instead of evidence, they were overlooking a huge growth opportunity.
2. Deciding how to price
We often see small businesses setting their prices by gut instinct or just aligning with competitors.
But without data on costs and margins, businesses can unknowingly undercharge.
We worked with a service business that thought their prices were “fair.”
After crunching the numbers, they found that 2 of their most time-intensive offerings were barely breaking even.
Adjusting prices not only protected their margins but also created more headroom to grow sustainably.
3. Picking where to market
It’s tempting to keep spending on the channel that “feels right.”
Small businesses often invest heavily in Facebook ads because... well, “everyone’s there, so it must be right.”
But is that where your strongest and most profitable customers are actually coming from?
By looking at the data, you can redirect their marketing spend to unlock faster, more reliable growth.
THE BIG FIX
What's the lesson here?
It's NOT to ignore your instincts.
They're valuable.
But it works best when you back it up with data.
Here’s how to start simple:
Pick one area: sales, marketing, costs, etc.
Track 2–3 numbers consistently: leads per week, conversion rate, average margin
Look for patterns: trends over time matter more than one-off spikes
When you combine instinct with numbers, you get the best of both worlds: experience plus evidence.
Bottom line
Your gut is a powerful tool.
But if it’s the only tool you rely on, it can lead you down the wrong path.
When you use data to confirm (or challenge) what your instincts are telling you, your decisions become clearer, faster, and more effective.
That’s when growth gets a whole lot easier.
👉 Want help using your data to unlock growth?
Book a free strategy call and we’ll show you how.
Speak soon,
Lynne and Steve
P.S. And make sure to come back next week: What to do when your data is dirty? 💩
TLDR:
We’re sharing the biggest mistakes businesses make when trying to spot growth opportunities in their numbers, and how to fix them.
Mistake #1: relying only on instinct.
Instinct is powerful, but if it’s not backed up with data, it can lead you to focus on the wrong products, price too low, or market in the wrong places.
The fix: combine your gut feel with simple, reliable data tracking.
That way, your decisions are clearer, faster, and set you up for sustainable growth.
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