05: The First Step to a Data-Driven Business: Identifying the Right Questions to Ask

Start your data journey by asking the right business questions. Data is powerful only if it answers what truly matters.

Ola

8/14/20251 min read

When small businesses decide to “become data-driven,” many jump straight into collecting numbers. But here’s the secret: data itself doesn’t create value — the right questions do.

Without good questions, you end up with endless spreadsheets and dashboards that look impressive but don’t actually help you make decisions.

So, where do you begin?

Why Start with Questions?

Think of data as a flashlight. The questions you ask determine where you point the beam. If you shine it everywhere, you’ll see little. But if you focus, you’ll uncover insights that guide real action.

Examples of Powerful Business Questions

Instead of: “What’s my revenue?”
Ask: “Which products are driving most of my profit?”

Instead of: “How many customers do I have?”
Ask: “Which type of customer is most likely to return and buy again?”

Instead of: “How are sales overall?”
Ask: “What days of the week or hours bring the highest sales — and how can I use that?”

How to Identify the Right Questions

Tie to Your Goals
If your goal is growth, ask questions about customer acquisition. If your goal is stability, focus on retention and cost savings.
Keep It Actionable
A good question leads to a decision. For example:
- Bad: “What’s the average age of my customers?”
- Better: “Which age group responds best to my promotions?”
Start Small
Begin with 3–5 core questions and expand as you get comfortable.

Using Data Tools to Answer Them

Once you have your questions, you can plug into tools that fit your needs:

Google Analytics → Who’s visiting my website, and what are they doing?
Power BI or Tableau → Which products are driving revenue and when?
Excel or Google Sheets → Simple trend tracking over time.

Visualization turns raw numbers into clear answers — so you can make decisions quickly.

Practical Next Step

Write down your top 3 business goals. For each, list one question that, if answered, would change how you operate tomorrow.

Congratulations — you’ve just taken the first step to becoming truly data-driven.

Final Word

Becoming data-driven doesn’t begin with dashboards or algorithms. It begins with curiosity. Ask the right questions, and the right data will follow.