We’re busy, but the money doesn’t add up
Common situation · Costing & ReportingA situation we are often asked to help with. Many owners live with it for years because it feels like part of running a business. If it sounds like yours, here is what is usually behind it and how we fix it.
What you might be noticing
- •Orders keep coming in, but profit at month-end is lower than you expected.
- •You can’t say which products, jobs, or customers make money.
- •Prices are set by feel, or by copying a competitor.
What is usually going on underneath
Costs are tracked in different places, or not at all, so the cost of each job or product is never worked out. Without it, a busy business and a profitable one look identical.
How we fix it
1
Capture the costs
We record material, labour, and other costs against each job or product at the point they occur.
2
Connect cost to price
We link those costs to what you sell, so each order shows its margin.
3
Report it automatically
We set up reports that show profitability by product, job, and customer without anyone compiling them by hand.