Financial operations guide

What belongs on a small-business financial dashboard

A dashboard should answer the questions an owner actually has: Do we have enough cash? Are margins moving? Can we fund the next commitment?

Core metrics

• Cash position and projected runway
• Revenue and gross-margin trend
• Operating-expense trend
• Accounts receivable aging
• Upcoming payroll, debt, and major bills

Avoid vanity metrics

Show fewer metrics, but make each one useful for an operating decision. A financial dashboard should reduce uncertainty rather than add reporting work.