Where Did the Profit Go? Detecting the Silent Leaks in Your Business

Most business owners aren’t hemorrhaging cash on lavish spending. The real drain? Silent leaks. Recurring subscriptions, unclear ROI on contractors, mispriced offers, and deferred CEO pay slowly and consistently erode your margin.

In this week’s episode of the Harmonious Wealth Podcast, we walk through Phase 3 of the Overflow Method: Profit Leak Detection. This is the most skipped—but most crucial—step in reclaiming profit and stewarding well.

Let’s unpack what this means for you, and how to start plugging the leaks with intention and clarity.

https://youtu.be/YccXZ5jwJMo

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1. Leaks Hide in the Places You Trust Most

Most of us associate profit loss with big, dramatic purchases. But the truth is, profit drains quietly in areas we often overlook.

What are the most common culprits?

• Subscriptions that feel small but stack up
  
• Paying team or contractors without tracking outcomes
  
• Offers that look profitable but aren’t priced sustainably
  
• Skipping your CEO paycheck with a promise to “catch up later”
  

Ask yourself: Am I actually profitable—or just not broke?

In our Financial Strategy Experience, many clients discover they’re only keeping 15–20% of their revenue. No matter how high your revenue climbs, that pattern isn’t sustainable. That’s where the Keep Half Diagnostic comes in.

2. You Can’t Fix What You Don’t Measure

Our diagnostic doesn’t guess—it gives evidence. We assess the last six months of:

• Revenue
  
• Team costs
  
• Operating expenses
  
• Debt obligations
  
• CEO pay

Then, we compare your current model with what it should take to pay yourself fairly, support your team, and still grow a profit margin of 50% before paying yourself.

We ask: If nothing changed, what would your revenue need to be to truly sustain your business?

This is not about shame—it’s about stewardship. We believe that when you know where your money is going, you can redirect it with wisdom and alignment.

Reflection Exercise: Identify Your Leaks

Take 15 minutes to complete this mini-diagnostic:

• What subscriptions have you paid for in the last 6 months? Which ones are still serving you?
  
• Are you paying team members or contractors without tracking their ROI?
  
• What’s your average take-home pay? Is it consistent with your revenue goals?
  
• Are there any “I’ll fix it later” habits in your finances?
  

3. Strategy Without Cleanup Is Just Another Expense

Here’s where many entrepreneurs miss the mark: creating a new plan without dealing with old patterns.

We don’t just point out the leaks—we plug them. Our clients receive:

• A living profit plan that connects your pricing, team costs, and CEO salary
  
• Industry-specific profit guidelines
  
• Bookkeeping cleanup if needed, so your data is clean and trustworthy
  

Because strategy only works when it’s built on a solid foundation.

You did not come this far to break even.

A Final Word on Stewardship

Profit leak detection is not about what you did wrong—it’s about being faithful with what you’ve been given. Luke 16 reminds us: if we’re faithful with little, we’ll be trusted with more.

Our call is not just to increase income, but to cultivate clarity. To lead with purpose. And to build businesses that honor both our goals and our God.

Ready to go deeper?
→ Download your free CEO Salary Calculator
→ Learn more about the Financial Strategy Experience

We’ll walk with you, step by step—from confusion to clarity, from leaks to legacy.