Why Most Businesses Are Missing Their Goals — And How Smart Leaders Are Responding
2025 isn’t shaping up the way most businesses hoped. Our latest survey shows that 75% of business owners aren't hitting their financial goals, and nearly half are missing their revenue target by 15% or more.
If you're feeling behind, you're not alone. Economic uncertainty, shifting client spending habits, and external pressures like inflation, artificial intelligence, and political instability are impacting nearly every sector.
And yet, 36.7% of business owners remain optimistic about reaching their financial goals this year.
So what gives? How can businesses be falling short — and still feel hopeful?
Because real leaders understand something critical: You can't control the economy. But you can control how you lead, how you adapt, and how you show up.
The Current State of Small Business
Here's what the data tells us from our Q2 2025 survey of small businesses and entrepreneurs:
75% of businesses are behind on their 2025 revenue goals
46.4% are significantly behind (missing goals by 15% or more)
Hatch Tribe Q2 2025 Survey
Economic uncertainty and client purchasing behavior are the biggest drags on performance.
Personal factors like life changes or burnout are impacting business owners too — but they rank a distant third compared to financial pressures.
Hatch Tribe Q2 2025 Survey
Hatch Tribe Q2 2025 Survey
And yet, despite these hurdles, many business owners remain optimistic about reaching their financial goals in 2025.
They aren’t giving up. They’re adjusting, evolving, and betting on themselves.
That’s the spirit that builds enduring businesses. But as every business owner knows, optimism alone isn’t a winning strategy. It’s smart action that turns hope into results.
Hatch Tribe Q2 2025 Survey
What You Can Do Now
If you’re feeling the pressure in your business this year this year, here’s where to focus:
1. Revisit Your Goals, Not Just Your Tactics
It’s time for a reality check. Are your goals still realistic given today’s market conditions? If not, adjust them thoughtfully.
Smart leaders know it’s better to recalibrate than to keep chasing a goal that is no longer realistic given the state of the world today.
2. Focus on Cash Flow Over Growth
In uncertain times, cash is king. Dig into your financials and adhere to your business budget. Protect your margins. Tighten expenses where it makes sense. Be cautious about overextending yourself just for the sake of "growth."
A business that stays profitable — even modestly — is a business that survives and thrives when conditions improve.
3. Stay Front & Center
This isn’t the time to go quiet. It’s the time to double down on building brand awareness & trust.
Even if sales feel slow, visibility matters more than ever. When clients are ready to spend again — and eventually they will be — you want your business to be top of mind.
4. Take Care of the Leader (That’s You)
Running a successful business is a marathon, not a sprint, and you are its most important asset. Your mind, your body, your energy — they all matter.
Prioritize your health. Create space for rest. And most importantly: separate your self-worth from your business results.
Sales may ebb and flow, but your value as a leader is not tied to this quarter’s numbers. Your resilience is forged in how you show up for yourself when things get hard.
5. Stay Flexible, But Stay the Course
Strong (and sustainable) businesses are built by people who adapt intelligently — and persist with heart and strategy.
Don’t lose sight of your vision, purpose, and values. And don’t abandon your mission at the first sign of struggle!
It’s ok to feel frustrated by the state of the world — but don’t live in that headspace. Having a growth mindset requires you to focus on what you can control and set aside the rest.
Get your head back in the game and do what you can. Your customers & clients depend on it ;)
Final Thought
This is not an easy season to be a business owner. But it's also a defining one.
Your actions now will shape your business for years to come.
Stay focused. Stay visible. Take care of yourself. And keep building — even when it feels hard.
Because on the other side of uncertainty is opportunity. And opportunity truly belongs to those who stay in the game.
Need help navigating this season?
You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Smart leaders know when to adapt — and when to ask for support.
If you're ready to realign your goals, strengthen your strategy, and lead with more confidence, let's connect.
I offer Strategic Business Coaching designed to help you grow smarter, lead stronger, and build a business that can thrive — even in uncertain times.