The Pulse [Signals]: Data Everywhere. Decisions Nowhere.
Your weekly digest of hand-picked, high-impact perspectives from Beehiiv, Reddit, Medium, Substack and Online Voices, curated for SME resilience in a fast-changing world.
Thursday 8th January 2026
[3 min read]
The Signals This Week
Summary: SMEs aren’t short on analytics. They’re short on decisions.
Those who simplify, reduce data debt and connect insight directly to action will move faster, while others stay stuck explaining last month to themselves.
Signal #1: How are you actually using analytics for your small business?
Source: r/SmallBusiness (Reddit)
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1q26ua6/how_are_you_actually_using_analytics_for_your/
The Gist:
Business owners share how they use analytics day to day. Most rely on basic dashboards, sales reports, website traffic, or gut feel supported by spreadsheets. Few describe predictive use. Several admit they collect more data than they know what to do with.
The [Pulse] Interpretation:
Analytics is present, but mostly backwards-looking. SMEs are measuring activity, not managing risk or shaping decisions. Data is used to validate instinct, not challenge it. The opportunity isn’t more dashboards. It’s asking better questions and committing to fewer signals that directly inform action.
Signal #2: Navigating the Data Deluge: Understanding and Eliminating Data Debt
Source: Calance Data
Link: https://medium.com/calance-data/navigating-the-data-deluge-understanding-and-eliminating-data-debt-61153d875105
The Gist:
The article introduces data debt. Poor-quality data, unused tools, duplicated systems, and outdated reports quietly pile up over time. The result is drag, cost, and declining confidence in numbers.
The [Pulse] Interpretation:
Most SMEs assume the issue is capability. It isn’t. It’s friction. Data debt shows up as reconciliation loops, conflicting reports, and leadership debates about which number is “right.” Until this is addressed, even good analytics investments disappoint. Clearing data debt is about ownership and discipline, not new software.
Signal #3: The Importance of Data and Analytics in Running a Successful UK SME
Source: G&G Global
Link: https://ggglobal.co.uk/blog/the-importance-of-data-and-analytics-in-running-a-successful-uk-sme
The Gist:
The piece outlines how UK SMEs use data to improve forecasting, customer understanding, operational efficiency, and compliance. It reinforces that data-led businesses are better positioned to adapt and scale.
The [Pulse] Interpretation:
This reflects a shift in mindset. SME leaders now accept that data matters, especially in volatile conditions. What’s missing is prioritisation. Most SMEs don’t lack data sources. They lack clarity on which metrics actually drive cash flow, retention and risk.
Signal #4: B2B Customer Experience Strategy for SME Growth
Source: Kevin Harrington
Link: https://www.kevinharrington.com/2025/12/b2b-customer-experience-strategy-for-sme-growth
The Gist:
The article argues that B2B growth increasingly depends on customer experience, not just product or price. SMEs that map journeys, track behaviour, and act on feedback outperform those relying on relationships alone.
The [Pulse] Interpretation:
Customer experience has become a data problem as much as a sales one. Many SMEs believe they are close to customers, yet lack structured insight into churn signals, usage patterns, or buying friction. Without linking customer data to decisions, experience stays anecdotal. The strongest SMEs treat CX as an early-warning system for revenue risk.
Florido Recommends: Perform a Data-to-Decision Review
List the five decisions that most affect cash flow and growth right now
Identify one metric per decision that genuinely informs it
Remove or pause any report, dashboard, or data source that doesn’t support those decisions
Assign a clear owner to each metric and agree on a single source of truth
If your data isn’t reducing surprises, it’s just noise with a budget.
Stay tuned. Keep your finger on The Pulse.
Signals fade fast. Decisions don’t.