January By the Numbers

January and YTD

Total income: +7.2%
Total COGS: +13.8%
Payroll: -3.2% 
Marketing: -53.7%
Net Income (Profit) vs LY: +116.2% (+$781) 
Actual Profit/Loss: +$109

Three unexpected kite returns and a lost package nicked those numbers. The (fortunately small) lost shipment has been replaced. The return that I authorized grudgingly has been completed. The one that I was bullied into authorizing and the one that I authorized cheerfully are both still out there. If they'd all arrived in a timely fashion this would have been Curio City's first-ever negative sales week. Instead it looks like procrastination will push those payouts into February.   

The numbers for this rollercoaster month ended up pretty good. I don't like to see COGS rise more than income, but the big drop in marketing more than makes up for the overall cost increase. The bottom line doesn't mean much until taxes and fees are all paid, and I have way more debt than I can handle, but it's nice to see black ink anyway.

February is traditionally the slowest month of the year so this year's targets are nice and soft. I'm more concerned that cash flowed in the wrong direction this week than I am with beating benchmarks. Maybe I'll get a bump from the Metal Earth project that's scheduled to launch after Valentines Day.