I read an article recently on Inc.com that said 60% of small businesses think their revenue growth is below average.

Let’s think about that. Statistically speaking, 60% CAN’T be underperforming, so this apparent lack of confidence must come from somewhere in the gut, not the spreadsheet.

Why would that be? Of course, we know our numbers, but not the competition’s. Somewhere along the line we’ve absorbed “clues” that skew our worldview. And for the most part, those heuristics are based on guesses and not facts.