A six-month review in one hour
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
A half-year review fits in one hour if you open only four sources (statements, sales, ads manager, and WhatsApp or CRM), record 10 numbers, and leave with three decisions. It is not an audit. It is looking at the last six months honestly enough to choose what changes in the next six.
The plan below is what we use with Avila Ops customers at the half-year mark. It works with spreadsheets and a notebook. It works better with a system whose numbers are ready, but that is the next step rather than the first.
Minutes 0 to 15: what came in and went out
Open statements or the sales report. Record revenue for each of the last six months. Add it. Divide by six: your monthly average. Now record the half-year’s three largest fixed costs and total spending on attracting customers (ads, agency, tools, commission).
You already have four numbers: total revenue, monthly average, fixed costs, and acquisition spending. If monthly average times 12 falls below the annual goal, write that in large letters. It is the day’s first fact.
Minutes 15 to 35: who bought and where they came from
Open the customer list, CRM, or WhatsApp Business. Count new customers gained in the half-year. Divide acquisition spending by that number: customer acquisition cost. Divide revenue by total sales: average order value.
Now the slowest part. For the last 30 new customers, note each source: referrals, Google, Instagram, ads, physical store. If you do not know half, that is data too. Record “unknown source: 15 of 30.”
You have three more numbers: new customers, cost per customer, average order value. And a channel list showing how many came from each.
Minutes 35 to 50: was your advertising spending worthwhile?
Open ads manager. Record total spending for the same six months and results shown by the platform (conversations started, forms, purchases). Cross-check the previous list: how many ad-sourced customers actually bought?
If ad spending divided by converted customers exceeds the margin from average order value, the ads lose money per sale. If you cannot cross-check, tracking is broken. The advertising return guide explains the calculation: What return on advertising investment is.
Final numbers: ad spending, converted ad-sourced customers, cost per converted customer. Ten total.
Minutes 50 to 60: three decisions
With 10 numbers in front of you, answer three questions in writing. One sentence each.
- Goal: keep it, reduce it, or change the plan to reach it? Write the new number if changing.
- Channel: which channel receives more time and money in the next six months? Which loses them?
- Records: which number could I not find within an hour? What will I do to have it next review?
The third decision is most often skipped and matters most. If you do not know half your customers’ sources, no other decision is reliable. The midyear numbers guide shows the most common messages: Halfway through the year: what the numbers say that you do not want to hear.
| Minute | Source | What to record |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 15 | Statements or sales | Monthly revenue, average, fixed costs, acquisition spending |
| 15 to 35 | Customers or CRM | New customers, cost per customer, average order value, source |
| 35 to 50 | Ads manager | Spending, results, converted ad-sourced customers |
| 50 to 60 | Paper | Three decisions: goal, channel, records |
What to do now
Schedule one hour this week without WhatsApp open. Follow the plan. If time runs out with numbers missing, that is the first problem to resolve. Five numbers fitting on one screen, updating automatically: avilaops.com/sistema-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
How do I conduct a half-year business review?
Open statements, the customer list, and ads manager. Record revenue, costs, new customers, cost per customer, average order value, and sources. Compare with the goal. Leave with three written decisions: goal, channel, records. One hour suffices if sources are accessible.
Do I need an accountant to review the half-year?
For taxes, yes. For this review, no. It uses operational rather than accounting numbers. The accountant comes afterward to confirm your calculated margin matches reality.
Which spreadsheet should I use to track business numbers?
Any with one row per month and one column per number. The problem is entering data rather than the template. When entry fails two consecutive months, it is time for a system filling itself.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.