Source: https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/ BUSINESS LAB · BUSINESS THERAPY # Business problems, diagnosed. Falling sales, low profit, weak leads: these are symptoms. We find the cause before prescribing. Diagnosis method by Sarah Mck, founder and owner of Business Lab. [Book a free 15-minute call ↗](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) [Find your problem](#problems) ## What is a business diagnosis? A business diagnosis finds the evidence-backed cause behind a symptom such as low sales, weak profit or stalled growth, before any fix is chosen. Business Lab’s Business Therapy method treats the business as one connected system and traces each symptom through a mechanism to a root constraint, using evidence. Key terms Symptom What you see, such as low sales or flat profit. It is a starting point, not a diagnosis. Mechanism The process that links a root constraint to the symptom you see. Root constraint The underlying limit, confirmed with evidence, that produces the symptom. Business Therapy Business Lab’s evidence-first approach to business diagnosis. It investigates symptoms rather than assuming the owner’s proposed solution is the right one. ## Find your problem - Sales conversion ### [Leads arrive, but few buy](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/leads-but-no-sales/) Poor-fit leads · Sales-process gaps - Offer and value ### [They ask the price, then go quiet](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/prospects-ask-price-then-disappear/) Price before value · Poor-fit audience - Profitability ### [Revenue up, profit flat](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/revenue-up-profit-flat/) Unit economics · Low-margin mix - Marketing return ### [Marketing spend, unclear return](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/marketing-return-unclear/) Measures conflated · Attention as outcome - Founder dependency ### [Everything depends on the founder](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/founder-dependent-business/) Undocumented systems · Manual repetitive work - Retention ### [Customers buy once, then leave](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/customers-dont-return/) Repeat not expected · Need already met - Capacity ### [More demand would strain delivery](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/growth-overloads-delivery/) Capacity limits · Growth economics - Alignment ### [Sales and marketing disagree on leads](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/sales-marketing-misaligned/) No shared definition · Volume rewarded - Team capability ### [Trained team, same results](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/training-not-applied/) Management-system gap · No tools, authority or time ## How does a symptom lead to a root cause? Symptom Mechanism Root constraint Symptom“We need more ads.” MechanismLeads stall in the sales conversation Root constraintSales process or offer Symptom“Revenue is up. Profit isn’t.” MechanismGrowth comes from low-margin sales Root constraintUnit economics Symptom“Everything depends on me.” MechanismTasks fail when the founder steps away Root constraintUndocumented systems Examples only. Your answers are a starting point, tested against evidence. ## Where should you start? - **Not launched yet** Validate demand with real purchases before marketing. - **Running, with symptoms** Start with what you see. Trace it to a cause before choosing a fix. - **Ready to scale** Check critical symptoms and financial safety first. ## What does a real diagnosis look like? - Profitability · case study ### [Pet Town (@pet.townlb): monthly net profit from about $5k to about $10k in one month](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/revenue-up-profit-flat/#case-study) Results reported by Business Lab; individual results vary. ## Why diagnose before prescribing? A fix chosen before the cause is known can treat the wrong problem, like more ads into a sales leak. Business Therapy investigates the symptom first, then prescribes. Related research and further reading These publications offer context for investigating business problems. They do not validate the Business Therapy method, establish a local benchmark or guarantee an outcome. - Sterman, J. D. (2000). [Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World](https://web.mit.edu/jsterman/www/BusDyn2.html). Irwin/McGraw-Hill. - Schein, E. H. (1990). [A General Philosophy of Helping: Process Consultation](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/a-general-philosophy-of-helping-process-consultation/). MIT Sloan Management Review. - Peerally, M. F., Carr, S., Waring, J., & Dixon-Woods, M. (2017). [The problem with root cause analysis](https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjqs-2016-005511). BMJ Quality & Safety, 26(5), 417–422. Research settings and businesses differ. Apply ideas only after checking your own evidence. ## How does Business Therapy work? - Listen: complaint, goal, time horizon, constraints. - Map the model, customers and market. - Screen profit and cash early. - Link the symptom to the whole system. - Collect objective evidence. - Separate facts, claims, hypotheses, unknowns. - Prioritize causes. Finances first. - Stage the plan. One task at a time. - Measure, reconsider, reassess. Full method: [Business Therapy](https://bybusinesslab.com/business-therapy/). ## What do people ask? How do I find out what’s wrong with my business? Start from the symptom you see and trace it to a cause with evidence, rather than starting with a fix. Business Lab’s [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) follows a 9-step protocol to do this. Why is my business not growing? Growth can stall in sales, pricing, profit, delivery or the founder’s capacity, and the visible symptom often points elsewhere. A [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) checks finances first, then traces the symptom to its root constraint. What is the difference between a symptom and a diagnosis? A symptom is what you see, such as low sales; a diagnosis is the evidence-backed cause behind it, such as weak follow-up. Business Lab’s [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) separates the two. More questions (4) Will you start with ads, a rebrand, a website or a hire? Not by default. In a [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/), a campaign, rebrand, website or hire is recommended only when the evidence supports it. Is the free 15-minute call a diagnosis? No. It introduces your business and challenge and helps establish fit; a detailed [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) requires a separate consultation and relevant evidence. Should I hire a consultant or a marketing agency? It depends on whether you need the cause found or a known plan executed. Business Lab’s [Business Therapy diagnosis](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) identifies the constraint first, then recommends support that fits. Who is a Business Therapy diagnosis for? CEOs, founders and managing directors who can share relevant evidence and act on priorities, in Lebanon and across MENA, in Arabic or English. It is less suitable if you want a guaranteed revenue figure. ## Not sure which one fits? Describe the symptom. We help you find where to look first. [Book a free 15-minute call ↗](https://bybusinesslab.com/book-diagnosis/) [WhatsApp](https://wa.me/96171185875) ## My business is not growing. Where should I start? Start with a specific symptom, period and business outcome. Separate suitable demand, conversion, repeat purchase, contribution and delivery. The same revenue symptom can come from different causes. Choose the closest question below, then gather evidence before buying a tactic. ## Choose the closest symptom - [Ads generate interest but few paid sales](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/ads-not-converting/) - [The pipeline grows but the team does not close](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/sales-team-not-closing/) - [Sales are falling](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/sales-dropping/) - [Revenue rises but profit does not](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/revenue-up-profit-flat/) - [The business depends on the founder](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/founder-dependent-business/) - [The company is considering expansion](https://bybusinesslab.com/diagnoses/expansion-readiness/)