You might say—it is too difficult because of variation in data. My graphs would like Himalayas mountain range –all peaks and troughs.

Use moving averages to smooth out week-by-week or month-by-month variations. What’s a moving average you might ask? Work out an average value from your first four weekly figures in your time series of figures i.e. four weeks in a month so add up all four values and divide by four, plot this value. Then move one point along and calculate average for next four figures, and plot result. Continue to work out these moving averages for rest of your data. A spreadsheet can do this in milliseconds.

Remember cause and effect—look to see if rises and falls in your sales lead figures have corresponding rises and falls several weeks or months later depending on length of your sales cycle.

These graphs can be used proactively to see if campaigns and other developments are having desired effect.

It’s simple. Just do it. You will be amazed. Start now—look at my web site http://sydstewart.com

--The blackout on east coast taught us to make sure we have backup plans and that our web hosting companies have back up servers, too. Do you know that most companies are so computerized that their customer service departments don't know how to process orders?

--Your death. Many business owners don't consider this possibility at all. The goal is that in case of an emergency, illness, death (or even a vacation!), your business will run efficiently without you. Is your business this ready?

Weaving these ideas into operation and administration of a business produces clarity and helps management to make informed decisions, save time, and reduce expenses. Yes, some businesses function well without groundwork for a time. However, at some point within first five years, owner(s) end up "stuck" or decide to sell their businesses. It's then that they realize that missing piece-yes, you got it-is that they're not speaking language of business -yet!

Have you added these concepts to your business?

Vision Statement Mission Statement Objectives Strategies Marketing Plan Ideal Client Profile USP (Unique Selling Proposition) ROI (Return on Investment) Assets Liabilities Back up Plans Operations/Procedure Manual Licenses Insurance Customer Service Asking for Help Hiring Help Networking