We will try to let you know if your question has been selected. You can learn more about Stephen Windhaus by reading his bio . Too many small-business owners sink because they won't repair a business plan that has sprung a leak. The fact that you see the need to change means you're already ahead of the game. A saturated market tends to dilute an individual business' sales.
Gross sales represent total sales minus the cost of sales.
In your case, one prime example of cost of sales would be your product cost. If you have salespeople on commissions, those commissions would also count as costs of sales. So now I ask if your percent of gross sales to total sales has risen, remained the same or declined. If they have risen, this would indicate your prices have not risen with costs. Operating expenses are those that occur whether or not you are making sales.