What a monthly owner report should look like

One page, plain numbers, no jargon. Here is what an owner should see every month, and what a good report never hides.

One page is enough

If a report needs a meeting to explain it, it is the wrong report. A good monthly report fits on one page and answers four questions.

The four questions

• What came in? Total sales, and where they came from.
• What went out? Payroll, rent, suppliers, taxes, and anything unusual.
• What is left? Profit for the month, and cash in the bank today.
• What happens next? Two or three decisions, who makes them, and by when.

What a good report never hides

• Bad months. A month with a loss still gets a report.
• One-off costs. They are listed on their own line, not folded into something else.
• Open problems. Late payments, a key person leaving, a customer who is unhappy.

Compare, do not just list

Every number is shown next to last month and the same month last year. A number alone tells you little. A number with a direction tells you what to do.

Who gets it

The owner, always. Partners and investors if there are any. The same numbers, on the same day, for everyone.