Your Overhead Isn’t Too High — Your Revenue Is Too Low

Have you looked at your overhead lately?

If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably stared at that number and thought, “It’s too high.”

But what if the real problem isn’t your overhead… it’s your revenue?

I’ve worked with hundreds of business owners who run efficient, well-structured operations — but their production doesn’t match the machine they’ve built. They’ve hit a glass ceiling. And when that happens, the instinct is often to start trimming. Cut payroll. Drop marketing. Scale back on the things that made growth possible in the first place.

That’s when the slow slide begins.

Here’s the truth: there are absolutely times when cutting costs is the right move. I recently reduced my own annual expenses by $48,000. Not by slashing staff or eliminating opportunity — but by scrutinizing ROI and reallocating resources that weren’t producing results.

However, too many leaders stop there. They think cutting is the only lever to pull when profit margins tighten. The problem? You can’t save your way to prosperity.

In many cases, your team isn’t too big — your revenue just isn’t where it should be. Your operation is designed for higher output, but you’ve settled into a comfort zone. You’ve built the infrastructure, but the pipeline isn’t full enough to support it.

That’s not a financial problem. That’s a focus problem.

Instead of asking, “What can I cut?” try asking, “What can I grow?”

Where are the untapped opportunities in your business?

Where can your team produce more without burning out?

What services or systems are sitting idle because no one’s been given ownership of them?

If you’re in dentistry, real estate, or any service-based industry, you’ve likely experienced seasons where production dipped — not because the demand wasn’t there, but because the focus wasn’t.

Your team will always want higher pay. Vendors will always want to sell you more. That’s the reality of business. The solution isn’t to resist that — it’s to build a business that affords it.

You can either shrink your operation to fit your current revenue, or elevate your revenue to match your operation. One of those choices leads to freedom. The other leads to frustration.

The most successful entrepreneurs — the ones who become industry titans — have one thing in common: they refuse to think small. When faced with rising expenses, they don’t panic. They simply say, “I’ll make more money.”

It’s not arrogance. It’s responsibility.

Because growth is a choice.

So before you start cutting, pause. Reassess. Ask yourself if the issue is really overhead — or if it’s time to raise the ceiling altogether.

You might discover that the key to your profitability isn’t hiding in a spreadsheet. It’s sitting in the untapped potential of your team, your systems, and your strategy.

And that’s where transformation begins.