How to Stop Hoarding Irrelevant Info and Start Growing Like a Pro

If someone handed you a bag full of random receipts, old orders, and expired promo flyers, could you grow your business from it? Not all data is good data. Focus on what feeds your pocket.

Course Objective

By the end of this course, you’ll be able to:

• Identify the most valuable data to track in your small business

• Separate useful data from “data noise” (e.g. your supplier’s favourite football team = not useful)

• Use simple tools to collect and organise this data

• Set up a basic data tracking system to improve daily decision making

The Data-Driven Boss Playbook

10 Questions That Will Make Your Business Smarter, Richer, and Harder to Compete With(For African SMEs who’ve been running on gut feel and now want to add some brain fuel)

Question 1: Which of my products/services makes me the most money — really? 💰

Why this matters: You think it’s that premium product because it looks fancy and costs more, but your bread-and-butter could be the low-cost item you sell in bulk. Data helps separate ego from reality.

Data to collect:

• Sales per product/service

• Gross profit per product/service

• Sales frequency (daily, weekly, monthly)

Insightful Answer:“The product/service with the highest total gross profit, not just highest unit price.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Increase marketing and visibility for the top profit generators.

2. Consider discontinuing or reducing effort on low-margin, low-volume items.

Question 2: Who are my most valuable customers? 🏆

Why this matters:All customers are important… but some are paying for your kid’s school fees and your next holiday.

Data to collect:

• Customer name/ID

• Total spend over a set period (e.g., 12 months)

• Frequency of purchase

• Average transaction value

Insightful Answer:“Your top 20% of customers who generate 80% of your revenue (Pareto Principle in action).”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Give them VIP treatment — loyalty rewards, early product access.

2. Ask for referrals; these customers already trust you.

Question 3: Which marketing channels actually bring in paying customers? 📢

Why this matters:Your Instagram likes aren’t paying rent. Knowing which marketing efforts convert is like knowing which fishing spot always has fish.

Data to collect:

• Source of customer (social media, referral, events, website, walk-in)

• Number of leads generated per channel

• Sales conversion rate per channel

Insightful Answer:“The channel with the highest conversion rate and lowest cost per acquired customer.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Double your budget or time on the winning channel.

2. Cut or reduce spend on low-conversion channels.

Question 4: What’s my true cost of delivering each product/service? 🧾

Why this matters:Sometimes you’re charging a price that makes you happy but your accountant sad.

Data to collect:

• Raw material costs

• Labour costs

• Packaging/transport costs

• Overheads allocated per product/service

Insightful Answer:“The fully loaded cost per product/service so you can set profitable prices.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Adjust prices or negotiate supplier costs if margins are too thin.

2. Focus on efficiency improvements for high-cost items.

Question 5: When do my sales peak and dip? 

Why this matters:Timing is everything. You wouldn’t sell umbrellas in the dry season… unless they also block the sun.

Data to collect:

• Daily/weekly/monthly sales

• Seasonal patterns (holidays, weather)

• Customer footfall or website traffic data

Insightful Answer:“The days/weeks/months with highest and lowest sales volumes.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Plan promotions for slow periods to boost sales.

2. Stock up and increase staffing during peak times.

Question 6: Where is my business losing money? 

Why this matters:Revenue is great, but profit is what keeps the lights on. Data exposes the leaks.

Data to collect:

• Inventory write-offs/losses

• Discounts given

• Refunds and returns

• Wastage

Insightful Answer:“The biggest areas of loss, ranked by value and frequency.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Investigate and fix top loss areas first.

2. Train staff to prevent repeat issues.

Question 7: How happy are my customers, really? 

Why this matters:Customers may smile in person but rant online later. Data shows you the truth.

Data to collect:

• Customer feedback forms/surveys

• Net Promoter Score (NPS)

• Repeat purchase rates

• Social media sentiment

Insightful Answer:“Your actual customer satisfaction level and main reasons for delight or dissatisfaction.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Fix common complaints quickly to improve loyalty.

2. Use positive feedback as marketing testimonials.

Question 8: How efficient is my team? 

Why this matters:A hardworking team moves mountains; an inefficient one moves… excuses.

Data to collect:

• Output per staff member (units produced, tasks completed)

• Time taken per task/order

• Attendance and punctuality

Insightful Answer:“Your productivity per staff member and bottlenecks slowing output.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Provide training or better tools to underperformers.

2. Reward high performers to keep motivation high.

Question 9: Which suppliers give me the best value? 

Why this matters:A good supplier is like a good spouse — reliable, fair, and always delivers.

Data to collect:

• Supplier pricing

• Delivery times

• Quality issues/returns

• Payment terms

Insightful Answer:“The supplier with the best combination of price, reliability, and quality.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Negotiate better deals with high-value suppliers.

2. Replace or reduce dependency on poor-performing suppliers.

Question 10: How close am I to my growth targets? 

Why this matters:Goals without measurement are just wishes. Data keeps you honest.

Data to collect:

• Monthly revenue vs target

• New customers vs target

• Profit margins vs target

Insightful Answer:“Your actual performance against set growth targets, in real numbers.”

2 Tips for Using the Answer:

1. Celebrate wins and communicate them to your team.

2. Adjust strategies quickly if targets are missed.

Closing Thought:

Running your business without data is like driving at night without headlights — you might get to your destination, but you’ll probably dent the car (and your bank account) along the way.

One Big Benefit

Tracking the right data saves time, money, and stress. Imagine no more “guess and hope” pricing, and finally knowing why your profits vanished in June!

What You’ll Learn

• The most important data points for sales, marketing and stock decisions

• How to start collecting the right data without stress or spreadsheets from hell

• Tools you can use (even if you hate tech)

• Examples of real African SMEs who used data to win!

What you should be tracking: Top 6 Must-Have Data Points

💡 One Tip

Do not collect what you do not plan to use. If you are o’t going to analyse people’s shoe sizes, do not track them,unless you sell shoes!

Sort It Out!

🧩Match each item into “Useful Data” or “Useless Distraction”:

🖼️ Infographic

“The Data Don’ts for SMEs”🚫 Don’t track:

• How many customers said “Wow” 😲

• How long your Facebook live lasted (unless it boosted sales)

• Colour of customer clothes✅ Do track:

• Daily sales

• Fastest-selling items

• Repeat customers

• Promo effectiveness

💡 Use Canva to design the infographic — or I can help generate a template!

📚 Bonus Downloadables

1. Data Collection Tracker Template (Excel/Google Sheets)

2. Customer Feedback Log

3. Supplier Scorecard Sheet

4. Marketing Test Result Table

Action Plan: Start Tracking

This Week’s Task : Choose 2 data points to track from this list:

• Sales per day

• Top 3 selling products

• Customer gender/location

• Delivery delays

• Promo responses.

  Start filling in a simple log, even on paper. Just start

What’s Next?

Ready for Module 3? 👣 “How to Analyze Your Business Data Without Crying (or Getting a PhD)”