How to Navigate a Business

Johan Smith

After decades in finance and technology, working in executive roles, building systems, and guiding businesses through growth and transformation, one truth has stayed with me.

You can’t navigate on poor data

It might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many businesses operate on spreadsheets and reports that are outdated, inconsistent, or simply not built to support decision-making. I have seen this happen in boardrooms, investment meetings, project reviews, and during budgeting cycles. It’s like trying to navigate a mountain trail in dense fog, without a map, with no idea what’s around the next bend.

That’s exactly why we built XLReporting.

A Personal Perspective

When I stepped away from full-time executive life, I didn’t want to stop working. I just wanted to work on something that mattered. I didn’t want to retire. I wanted to build. I have spent years watching companies invest huge sums in tools that promised results, but often delivered complexity. I wanted to offer an alternative: a practical, powerful solution that gives finance teams clarity, control, and confidence, but without the noise. No bloated projects. No consultants charging triple for features you’ll never use. Just a clear, web-based platform that lets you focus on what matters. Our clients don’t need just another tool, they need the right tool: one that helps them think, plan, and act with confidence.

In Business or on the Bike

If I’m not working, you’ll often find me on my racing bike, going on long rides in the mountains. It’s where I clear my mind, push my body, and reconnect with why I do what I do. And funny enough, cycling has a lot in common with finance.

When you’re riding a mountain trail, you don’t just power through blindly. You study the terrain. You pace yourself. You check your data: speed, cadence, elevation, and you stay alert to dangers. You plan for the next few climbs, not just the one in front of you.

That’s what good forecasting is about, too. Understanding the road ahead.

Making adjustments when conditions change. Knowing which directions to follow, and which ones to ignore. And most importantly, making decisions based on something real and reliable, not just guesswork.

Enabling Good Decisions

At XLReporting, we have built a platform that helps businesses do just that. We integrate with over 40 systems (including Excel), automate data flows, and give users the freedom to create reports and forecasts that actually reflect how their business runs.

No coding. No waiting on IT. No templates that don’t quite fit. Just real control in the hands of the finance teams who need it.

And behind the platform is a team that believes in the same values I do: empowerment, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We’re small but experienced, and we treat every client like it matters .. because it does. You matter, and you should be confident making the right decisions on the right data.

Seeing the Road Ahead

I didn’t start XLReporting because I wanted to build a unicorn or chase investors. I started it because I care deeply about helping people and organizations make better decisions. I wanted to create a tool I would’ve loved to use earlier in my own career.

And now, whether I’m reviewing a client’s setup or climbing a hill on two wheels, I keep the same principle in mind:

Success is about planning, preparation, and forward momentum.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in spreadsheet chaos, frustrated with reports that don’t reflect reality, data that does not tally up, or just unsure about how to plan for what’s next .. know that you’re not alone. You should also know that it doesn’t have to stay that way.

• Let’s clear the fog.
• Let’s build something better.
• Let’s make decisions you can actually trust.

Curious how XLReporting could help you? Let’s talk.

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