Stephen Edwards, 13 November 2026
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When you join a gym and ask for a plan, what's the first thing they do?
They put you on the scales.
This week I want to talk about doing the same with your business. And why so many business owners are scared to.
Reading about the gym
Profit First is a bit like going to the gym. Imagine if you just read about the gym. You read about all the exercises, but you never actually did them.
It's one thing reading the book. It's another thing doing it in practice. That's where we come in: what's the right training programme for your business to get the results?
Our 1930s house
We moved into our house 7 years ago. It's an older house, built in the 1930s, and a far bigger property than we'd had before.
We were excited, because there was a lot of potential. We had plans for what we wanted to do with it, and we got an architect in to help us visualise them and get clear on what was right for our needs.
But there's no point getting an architect to draw up all the fancy new things if you haven't sorted the basics.
Is the roof leaking? Does the flooring need redoing? You can still get the plans drawn. You just can't build them until you've had the structural survey and sorted out the foundations.
Your business works the same way.
What's on the table
When we first started helping people with Profit First, I used to get really excited. I know it works. And I know the money on the table is often tens of thousands of pounds.
I've learned that in my own business, and from working with other people. It's not a magic wand and it doesn't happen overnight. But when we work with people, we see significant results within 12 to 18 months.
So I focus on what's on the table.
But, like the house, you can't build the plans until the basics are sorted. Einstein is supposed to have said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. If you don't understand your numbers first, how can you get different results? You don't know what to change.
Put your business on the scales
Back to the gym. They put you on the scales because they need to know what you're trying to do. Do you need to lose body fat? Put muscle on? Over what timescale?
I'm not saying your business is overweight. It might be about putting muscle on, and we need to know how much.
Either way, you have to look honestly.
Don't make it any worse than it is. But don't make it any better than it is either. Just see it as it really is.
"I'm not a numbers person"
A lot of business owners tell me they're not accountants. You don't need to be. You don't need to be a bookkeeper or a tax specialist either.
We all start out as amateur business owners. On day one we're technically incompetent, because we've never run a business before. We've been a painter, a plumber, an architect, an estate agent, an accountant. We learn as we go.
There are four parts to every business:
- Finance
- Sales and marketing
- Operations
- HR, IT and admin
You can wing the finance part for a while. You're busy, the work's coming in, business is great and you're hiring more people.
Then the money disappears. Or you realise you're not paying yourself anymore.
That's the whole point of Profit First. What needs changing?
Credit where it's due
I've had some conversations recently where I need to give people credit.
A few of them have fallen a little bit behind with their tax returns. Maybe their current accountant has let them down. Maybe there have been challenges in the business.
But they're stepping up, and we're talking about bringing their numbers up to date. They're putting themselves on the scales.
That takes being a bit vulnerable at the start. It can feel like taking one step back to take two steps forward. It isn't a step back at all.
We call it a profit assessment. Where are you now? What's the gap? What do we need to fix to get the foundations in place, so we can give you the profit plan?
All you're doing at that stage is noticing. Awareness is key.
Stuck in the weeds
In my book, How to Build a Business That Runs Without You, I call it the busy fool system. Busy fool is what not to do.
There's a time to be in the weeds, because there's a time to plant seeds. There's a time to reap the harvest.
If you've been stuck in the weeds for 20 years and you're happy, that's fine.
It's not the same as someone who's been stuck for 12 or 24 months and knows it needs to change. They know it needs fixing.
Final Thought
If you're going on holiday, you need to know which airport you're leaving from, as well as where you're going. Without both, how on earth are you meant to get there?
It's the same with your finances. Be strategic and be intentional. And start by being honest, and a little bit vulnerable, about your numbers.
Want a hand with your numbers?
If you'd like to talk it through, drop me a line at hello@wearegro.co.uk.
- Watch the £5K Growth Model webinar: free training on building a business that can generate an extra £5K a month.
- Explore the Gro Academy: get free access and learn more about Profit First.
- Book a free meeting: we can look at what profit may be on the table, along with any tax saving opportunities.
FAQs
What does "put your business on the scales" mean?
It means taking an honest look at your numbers as they really are, no better and no worse, before you make a plan. Like a gym weighing you before it writes your programme.
Do I need to be good with numbers to use Profit First?
No. You don't need to be an accountant, a bookkeeper or a tax specialist. Every owner starts as an amateur and learns as they go.
What if I've fallen behind with my tax returns?
That's where a lot of people start. Bringing your numbers up to date is part of putting your business on the scales, and it's the first step to fixing the foundations.
What is a profit assessment?
It's the first thing we do with Profit First: where are you now, what's the gap, and what needs fixing to get the foundations in place before we build your profit plan.