The SMB Data Discovery Map: A Guide to Seeing Your Business Clearly
Most small and mid-sized business owners don’t need more software or flashy dashboards. What they really need is clarity. But here’s the problem — it’s hard to know where to start when you don’t even know what questions to ask.
If you’ve ever had that feeling of “we should be running more efficiently,” or “I think we could be using our data better,” then this post is for you. This is your starting point — a set of key areas to explore that can uncover hidden issues, show where your time and money are going, and help you build a more intentional, data-supported business.
SECTION 1: Business Objectives & Pain Points
- What are your top business goals this year? (Growth, retention, margin improvement?)
- What feels slow, manual, or frustrating? These are often clues to a data or process issue.
- Are you able to quickly tell how your business is doing — or does it take digging?
- Do you ever feel like you're making gut decisions that should be backed by numbers?
SECTION 2: The Data Landscape
- Where is your data stored? (Spreadsheets, accounting software, CRM, paper records?)
- Is the data reliable and easy to access? Or are you constantly rechecking numbers?
- Do you have data in multiple places that don’t talk to each other?
- Who manages or maintains your data? Is it consistent, or person-dependent?
SECTION 3: Workflows & Operations
- What tasks are repeated every day or week? Manual = opportunity for automation.
- How do you track things like orders, revenue, labor, or inventory?
- Are reports or logs updated by hand? What happens when someone forgets?
- Is there a single source of truth — or do people work off different versions?
SECTION 4: Sales, Marketing, and Customer Data
- Do you have a list of customers or leads? Is it clean and actionable?
- Can you track how new customers find you? Which efforts are working best?
- Do you know your most profitable products, services, or segments?
- Can you measure campaign success or customer retention?
SECTION 5: People and Capabilities
- Does anyone on your team currently handle reporting or data?
- How comfortable are you or your team with spreadsheets or analysis tools?
- Would you prefer a self-service setup or a done-for-you solution?
SECTION 6: Looking Ahead
- If you could have a simple dashboard that showed how your business is doing — what would you want on it?
- Would predictive tools (like forecasting sales or spotting churn risk) help you plan better?
- Are there areas where you feel like you’re flying blind? Let’s make those visible.
Wrapping It All Together
If any of these questions gave you a twinge of “we really should have that,” you’re not alone. Most SMBs are so focused on delivering great service or keeping up with growth that they don’t realize how much clarity they’re missing.
This discovery map isn’t about being perfect — it’s about getting intentional. Understanding where your business stands now, so we can map out what’s next. And if you’re ready to take the next step, I’d love to help you build that clarity.