The Single Sheet Profit Plan: 6 Levers to Increase Profit by 60%

Every business owner wants to increase profit—but most aren’t sure where to focus first. Should you market more? Sell harder? Raise prices? Cut costs? The options feel endless, and that overwhelm often leads to inaction.

That’s why we created The Single Sheet Profit Plan, a simple, 1‑page tool that shows you exactly where to focus to increase profit—without guesswork, stress, or complicated spreadsheets. It breaks profit growth into 6 manageable levers. And here’s the exciting part: if you improve each lever by just 10%, it results in an overall profit increase of 60%.

Here’s how it works—

1. 1. Leads
   2. x Conversion Rate = Customers
   3. x # Purchases p/Customer
   4. x Avg Price/Purchase = Revenue
   5. – COGS =Gross Profit
   6. – Fixed Costs = NET PROFIT

6 levers you can “pull,” either increasing or decreasing each by 10% leads to a nearly 60% increase in PROFIT

Small improvements. Big results. Let’s walk through each component and explore practical, doable ideas for achieving those 10% gains.

1. Increase Leads by 10%

Most businesses don’t have a lead problem—they have an intentionality problem. They’re doing “some marketing,” but not strategically, not consistently, and not in a way that aligns with their ideal client.

Here’s how to increase leads by 10%:

• • Clarify your ideal client and offer. Who exactly are you trying to reach, and what problem do you solve for them? When your message is clear, your marketing becomes magnetic.

• • Be intentional about your marketing activities. Random acts of marketing don’t work. Choose the channels that reach your ideal client and commit to them.

• • Measure and track. Every industry has activities that reliably generate leads—social media, face‑to‑face meetings or phone calls are examples. Figure out which activities generate the most leads then track how many activities it takes to generate one lead. Once you know this, it’s easy to start doing just a bit more.

The ways to increase Leads fall under the S—Sales & Marketing column of the SERVANT Model. Systematize your lead‑generating activities, your Sales & Marketing, so they happen consistently, not occasionally.

A 10% increase in leads is almost always achievable once you start tracking and acting with intention.

2. Improve Your Conversion Rate by 10%

Once leads come in, the next question is: How many become paying clients?

Improving conversion often requires surprisingly small adjustments:

• • Upgrade your sales skills. Many business owners have never been trained in closing. A little training goes a long way.

• • Evaluate lead quality. Not all leads are created equal. Some are just noise—people who will never buy no matter what you do. Focus on the right leads.

• • Improve your online trustworthiness. The first thing prospects do is Google you.
    Make sure your website, reviews, and online presence communicate credibility.

• • Use strong sales materials. Clear proposals, case studies, testimonials, and visual aids all increase confidence and conversions.

One of our coaching clients was an architect firm whose estimating process was thorough but slow. By speeding it up, they could respond to more opportunities and get decisions faster. More estimates submitted = more chances to win work.

Small improvements, big impact, increased profit.

3. Increase the Number of Purchases per Client by 10%

This is about the Relationship component—the R in the SERVANT Model. Retaining customers is almost always easier and cheaper than finding new ones.

Here are ways to increase purchase frequency:

• • Add complementary services.
    A plumbing company added heating and cooling services—instantly expanding what existing customers could buy.

• • Create recurring or maintenance offerings.
    A retail bicycle shop realized customers rarely buy bikes, but they always need service. They bought a van and began offering pickup and delivery for bike repairs.

• • Stay in touch.
    Email newsletters, follow‑up calls, and check‑ins keep your business top‑of‑mind.

A 10% increase in purchase frequency is often as simple as offering more ways to buy.

4. Increase the Average Price per Purchase by 10%

This is one of the fastest ways to increase profit, yet many owners hesitate.

Ways to increase average price:

• • Bundle products or services.
    Think “combo meals” in the food industry—bundles increase perceived value.

• • Raise prices modestly.
    The truth? Owners worry about price increases far more than customers do. Even a small increase can dramatically improve profit.

• • Offer higher‑end options.
    Add a premium product or service line. Many customers will choose it.

5. Reduce COGS by10%

Once revenue is optimized, it’s time to focus on what you keep.

Start with Cost of Goods Sold (COGS).

Most clients we work with have only a few items in COGS—usually materials and labor. But many expenses sitting in overhead actually belong in COGS, such as:

• • Subcontracted labor
  • Freight or delivery costs
  • Equipment rental tied to specific jobs

We worked with a construction company that lost money for 2 straight years. We started by increasing their project evaluation rhythm—moving from monthly reviews to weekly ones. Almost immediately, every project became profitable

Accurate COGS = accurate pricing = increased profit.

Next steps:

• • Identify your most profitable products or services. Sell more of those.

• • Find and fix profit leaks. Waste, rework, inefficiency, and poor job costing quietly drain profit.

6. Reduce Fixed Costs by 10%

When was the last time you shopped insurance? Compared bookkeeping services? Evaluated software subscriptions? Even improving some of these areas moves you toward a more profitable, more resilient business.

The Single Sheet Profit Plan 

Increase each of the following by just 10%:

1. 1. Leads
   2. Conversion Rate
   3. # of Purchases per Client
   4. Average Price per Purchase
   5. Profit Margin (COGS + Fixed Costs)

Result: ~60% increase in profit

Small improvements, multiplied across the business, create exponential results.

Final Thoughts

Growing profit doesn’t require massive change. It requires focused, measurable, consistent improvements in a few key areas. When you apply the Single Sheet Profit Plan, you gain clarity, confidence, and control over your business’s financial future.

Improve all of these areas—or even just a few—and you’ll be well on your way to building an amazing, profitable business.