The Risks of Making Decisions on Incomplete Information
A client recently said to me, “I feel like I’m flying blind half the time.”
She’s the founder of a fast-growing e-commerce business that hit $2.5 million in revenue last year. She’s smart, driven, and works harder than most people I know. But when it comes to making decisions - hiring, pricing, expanding into new markets - she’s often relying on gut instinct, anecdotal feedback, and spreadsheets that haven’t been updated in months.
And she’s not alone.
In many businesses, the owner is making high-stakes decisions daily. Yet too often, those decisions are being made based on surface-level reports, outdated financials, or no data at all. It’s the equivalent of a pilot flying with no instruments hoping visibility will hold.
Let’s be clear: instinct and entrepreneurial grit will get you far. That’s why you were able to start your business in the first place. But they’re not enough to sustainably grow a business. Scaling requires clarity, strategy, and insight. And that means surrounding yourself with the right support.
As The Business Owner, Your Job Is to Make Big Decisions
And those decisions come fast.
Should we hire a Head of Sales now or wait another quarter?
Do we expand into a new market, or double down where we are?
Can we afford that rebrand? Should we take on debt? Raise prices?
These aren’t small choices. Each one has financial implications, operational risks, and long-term impact. Yet many founders are making them based on incomplete or low-quality information. Why?
Because they’re still operating with the same systems, advisors, and insights they used when the business was half its current size.
Incomplete Information Looks Like This:
A P&L that’s two months out of date
No forward-looking cash flow forecast
No breakdown of profitability by product, service line, or customer
Reports that show results, but not the “why” behind them
A budget that has never been revisited
Finance resources focused solely on compliance, not strategy
These tools might be enough to get through the early years, but they’re not built for growth. As your business scales, the stakes get higher and so does the cost of poor decisions.
The Hidden Cost of Poor Visibility
Here are some of the common symptoms we see when business owners are flying blind:
Over-hiring or under-hiring
Without a clear forecast, you either stretch your team too thin or end up with excess capacity that drains cash.Unprofitable growth
You might be bringing in more revenue, but without knowing your margins by service or customer, you could be scaling losses.Cash flow surprises
Suddenly, you can’t make payroll or pay suppliers even though your P&L looks healthy on paper.Missed opportunities
Without timely insights, you hesitate on strategic moves or wait too long to invest in growth.
Every one of these outcomes is avoidable with the right support.
What Strategic Support Really Looks Like
A strategic finance partner, whether it’s a Virtual CFO or an in-house role, does a lot more than “just the numbers.” They equip you to lead with insight. That includes:
Building rolling forecasts that show where the business is heading
Providing real-time visibility on key metrics like margins, burn rate, and cash runway
Helping you understand the drivers behind your numbers, not just the outcomes
Playing devil’s advocate before you make a major decision
Acting as a sounding board who brings both financial acumen and business context
Maximising the value of your business through strategic cash flow management and profit optimisation
This kind of partnership elevates your thinking. It helps you operate from a place of confidence, not guesswork.
The Business Owner Bottleneck
Many business owners tell me they want to scale but they’re stuck working in the weeds. Reviewing invoices, reconciling accounts, approving every expense. It’s not sustainable. And more importantly, it’s not where they add the most value.
Your role as business owner is to focus on:
Vision and direction
Leadership and team building
Strategic partnerships and growth opportunities
Risk management and long-term planning
But you can’t do that if you're bogged down with incomplete information or reactive decisions.
Back to that client I mentioned earlier. After we set up a proper dashboard, built a rolling 12-month cash flow forecast, and implemented monthly financial strategy sessions, her entire approach shifted.
She stopped second-guessing every hire. She restructured her pricing model based on actual margins. And she finally felt like she was driving the business instead of the business dragging her along.
Final Thought
As the business owner, your decisions set the course for your entire business. If you’re relying on incomplete data or entry-level advice, you’re putting that business at risk, no matter how talented or committed you are.
Don’t wait for a crisis to realise you needed better visibility. Get the strategic support that gives you the clarity to lead.
At Olive Business Partners, we work with founders who are ready to make confident, informed decisions and grow their businesses with intention. If you’re scaling and know your current systems or advice aren’t keeping up, it might be time for a conversation.