SBTB Ep. 4 | Cents & Sense - KPIs That Matter: Using Data to Run a Smarter Contracting Business
Success Beyond The Brush · 2025-12-23 · 36 min
Episode notes
In this episode of Success Beyond The Brush , Mark and Scott dive deep into one of the most critical - and often misunderstood - subjects in contracting: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) . While many business owners rely heavily on instinct and gut feelings, this conversation unpacks why real growth, sustainability, and profitability come from data-driven decisions . Scott explains how KPIs allow business owners to remove emotion from decision-making, giving clarity on everything from job profitability and labor efficiency to headcount planning and break-even analysis . The discussion walks through how properly configured financial systems - especially QuickBooks - become the backbone of clean, actionable reporting. You’ll learn why simply tracking revenue isn’t enough, how job costing reveals your most (and least) profitable services, and why tracking billable vs. unbillable labor hours can make or break your margins. Scott also breaks down the importance of running your company on an accrual basis , understanding your gross profit vs. net profit , and maintaining clear visibility into cash, receivables, and liabilities .
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