Mid-Year Financial Check-In: How to Course-Correct with Confidence

May 29

We kicked off May’s workshop with a bold question: What would happen if you paused, looked at your numbers, and made decisions based on data—not hope?

In our latest session, Michelle from Sum of All Numbers guided attendees through a structured, honest mid-year business review. We looked at how to analyze your numbers from multiple angles, make smart strategic pivots, and apply the Profit First system to keep your business financially grounded—even in uncertain times.

Whether you're ahead of plan or feeling behind, this mid-year checkpoint helps you reassess and reset with purpose.

Key Takeaways

✅ Use four views of your financials—year-to-date, year-over-year, month-by-month, and actual vs. forecast—to gain insights and clarity.

✅ Treat planning as ongoing. Your strategy isn’t a one-and-done document—it’s a living, breathing guide.

✅ Cash flow wins over hope. Build reserves during strong months to prepare for seasonal shifts or economic slowdowns.

✅ Marketing and staffing must pay off. Test, track, and adjust—only invest where you’re seeing a return.

✅ Let your goals drive decisions. Use BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) to guide daily and quarterly choices.

Workshop Topics at a Glance

📌 Setting a Strategic Vision

We started with the big picture. Michelle shared her own BHAG—helping 777 businesses avoid burnout—and walked through how to create one for your business. Break it into 10-year, 3-year, 1-year, and now. From there, build priorities that connect vision with your current financial reality.

📌 Analyzing Your Financials from Four Angles

We dove deep into the numbers with four distinct views:

Current Year-to-Date: What's your OpEx ratio? Are margins improving?
Year-over-Year: Are you making more and keeping more?
Month-by-Month Trends: What’s driving revenue spikes or dips?
Forecast vs. Actual: Are you hitting, exceeding, or missing targets—and why?

📌 Responding to Market Shifts

Buyers may be slower to spend. That's the reality across many industries right now. Instead of waiting for things to improve, Michelle encouraged business owners to pivot:

Revisit ROI of every expense
Adapt your staffing model
Stay lean without sacrificing momentum

📌 Managing Cash Flow with Profit First

The system still works—especially in uncertain times. Apply Profit First percentages, and in peak months, allocate extra operating funds to a “vault” for slower periods. That vault becomes your buffer, protecting your business and your peace of mind.

📌 Making Smart Staffing Decisions

Labor is one of the most sensitive line items. Michelle shared strategies for managing staffing during fluctuations:

Use flexible hours or on-call models
Talk openly with team members when changes are needed
Get clear on who is OpEx vs. COGS and what that means for your financial model

📌 Marketing That Pays Off

Michelle challenged everyone to test small, track results, and avoid “hope-based” marketing. She also cautioned against defaulting to vendor-recommended budgets (like 20% of revenue). Instead, spend within your OpEx cap—and only scale what’s proven to work.

What You Can Do Next

Pull and review your year-to-date P&L
Compare it to last year and to your forecast
Identify what’s working—and what’s not
Choose 3 financial priorities for the rest of the year
Set up monthly check-ins to update your numbers and adjust your plan

Want to see how it all fits together?

Watch the May Workshop Replay
We walk through real client examples and give you a practical framework to apply right away.

Ready for More?

If you missed our earlier sessions, catch up here:

Forecasting Replay
Monthly Nut Replay

Next Up: “Are My Prices Right?”

In our June workshop, we unpacked what it really takes to price your offerings with clarity and confidence—without second-guessing yourself. If you’ve ever wondered whether your rates reflect your value (or if you’re due for an increase), this one’s a must-watch.

👉 [Watch the June Replay Now] — and start pricing with strategy, not stress.