Performance
Five Numbers Every Owner Should See Each Week
Most owners see their numbers once a month, when the books close. By then a bad month is already over. A weekly scorecard of five numbers, on one page, is the cheapest early warning a business can have.
1. Sales, Against the Same Week Last Year
Compare with the same week last year, not last week. Seasons, holidays and weather make week-to-week comparisons noisy. The year-on-year line shows the real trend.
2. Gross Margin
Sales minus the direct cost of what you sold, as a percentage. When supplier prices rise, this is where it shows first, often weeks before it reaches the bank balance.
3. Number of Customers or Transactions
Sales can hold steady while customer numbers fall and the average bill rises. That usually means regulars are drifting away, and you want to know that early.
4. Average Sale per Customer
The other half of the same story. A rising average with falling traffic suggests price increases are carrying the business. That kind of gain has a shelf life.
5. Weeks of Cash
Cash available divided by your average weekly costs. It turns a bank balance into a question you can act on: how many weeks do we have to fix a problem?
How to Use It
- Fill it in on the same day every week. Fifteen minutes is enough.
- Give one person responsibility for it.
- Write down the one action you will take because of what it shows.
- A spreadsheet is fine. A weekly review helps you act on the numbers.
In a diagnostic, this scorecard is one of the first things we build with a client, because every later decision depends on it.