Business Field Guide Series™ / Guide 10
The Owner’s Business Dashboard™
Ten practical numbers every small-business owner should know each month.
For: Owners & managers
Business Growth
The ideas worth taking with you
- 01
Track revenue and gross margin
Numbers 1 and 2: revenue for the month, and gross margin after direct costs. Use a consistent accounting basis and compare similar periods; revenue is not the same as cash received.
- 02
Watch cash and unpaid invoices
Numbers 3 and 4: available business cash, and outstanding receivables by age. A profitable month can still create cash pressure if customers have not paid.
- 03
Count enquiries and conversion
Numbers 5 and 6: qualified enquiries, and the share that became customers in a defined period. Set a clear definition of qualified and avoid comparing this month's sales to unrelated enquiries.
- 04
Review purchase value and repeat customers
Numbers 7 and 8: average transaction value, and repeat-customer share. Separate one-off projects from recurring work so the comparison reflects how your business actually operates.
- 05
Check sources and follow-up
Numbers 9 and 10: recorded enquiry sources, and overdue follow-up actions. Keep unknown sources visible and do not treat views or likes as confirmed sales.
- 06
Use the numbers to ask better questions
Choose one issue to investigate each month rather than reacting to every change. Use your accountant for accounting or tax interpretation; this is a general operating review, not financial advice or an in-app dashboard.
From reading to doing
Put this to work this week
- Collect the ten measures from your actual records.
- Write down the definition and date range for each.
- Compare with a relevant prior period and mark missing data as unknown.
- Choose one practical question and one action for the next month.
Where Proof & Feed fits
Proof & Feed can support clear, consistent business content. Your own records are the source for measuring enquiries and business performance; we do not promise particular results.