The Small Business Audit: Your Roadmap to the Finish Line

Welcome to your first step in the small business audit! This exercise is designed to give you a clear, data-driven look at your business's performance so far this year. Grab a piece of paper or open a spreadsheet—let's get started.

Step 1: Identify Your Sales Channels

First, list all the ways your business brings in money. These are your "buckets of money" or sales channels.

Step 2: Calculate Your 2025 Sales Metrics

For each sales channel, write down the total revenue from January 1 to September 30, 2025. You can use either gross or net sales, but be consistent across all channels.

Next, you're going to calculate the percentage of sales each channel represents. This is a crucial step for gaining perspective. To do this, divide the revenue from each channel by your total business sales for the year so far, then multiply that number by 100.

Example: If your Online Store made $50,000 and your total sales were $150,000, your Online Store represents 33.3% of your revenue.

This simple calculation will show you exactly where your efforts are currently paying off and help you narrow your focus for a strong Q4.

Step 3: Compare with Your 2024 Performance

Now, repeat the same process for last year. Go back and get the total sales and the percentage breakdown for each channel from January 1 to September 30, 2024.

Step 4: Analyze and Plan Your Roadmap

With your numbers in hand for both 2025 and 2024, you can now start to analyze the data. Compare the percentages and raw sales numbers side by side.

Did a new channel like the Airport, which was added in 2025, bring in more revenue than you expected?
Did your Brick & Mortar's percentage drop from last year?
Which channels are showing the most growth and deserve more of your attention in the final quarter?

Looking at these visuals together will help you identify what's working and where you need to adjust your strategy to hit your goals and cross the finish line strong. This is your roadmap to a successful Q4!

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Connect with Meredith:

I am a mom to three, big maw maw to seven. I've been married for 18+ years, counting the days down to the BIG 20 so we can open up a great bottle of wine.

My husband and I also own a wine bar in our town we live in, called Library Wine & Provisions.

I am the founder of Sweet Baton Rouge®, a local Louisiana business I created from scratch with no marketing plan, just a little grit and lots of geaux! This business will hit 15 years in October and by far has been my most professional career doing what I love, marketing. I have built systems and habits to stay consistent and vision focused on our goals at hand. In 2024 I started a second business, Petey’s Press, to bring all of our production in-house to screen print as our business has always been centered around locally designed & printed t-shirts.