You don’t need sophisticated analytics software to start making more informed business decisions. Most businesses already collect useful information — the challenge is knowing what to do with it.

Start by identifying a few numbers directly connected to your goals. Depending on the business, these might include:

• Revenue and profit margins
• Customer enquiries
• Conversion rates
• Average transaction value
• Repeat customers
• Project completion times

Rather than tracking everything, focus on a handful of measures that help answer useful questions.

For example, knowing that sales increased is helpful. Knowing why they increased is much more valuable. Was it more customers, larger purchases or better conversion from existing enquiries?

Review these numbers regularly and look for trends rather than reacting to individual results.

Good data doesn’t make decisions for you. It gives you a clearer picture of what’s happening so you can combine evidence with your experience and make more confident decisions.