Financial Dashboard Template: 5 KPIs Every Business Should Track Weekly
"Rod, I'm drowning in data but starving for insight."
A business owner told me this last month. They had QuickBooks reports, Excel spreadsheets, bank statements, and reports from their payment processor. Dozens of numbers. Hundreds of line items.
But they couldn't answer basic questions:
Are we on track this month?
Do we have a cash problem coming?
Which parts of the business are actually profitable?
Should I be worried or encouraged?
This is the paradox of modern business: we have more data than ever, but less clarity.
The solution isn't more data. It's better filtering. You need a dashboard that shows you exactly what matters and nothing that doesn't.
Here's what I've learned after 25 years as a CFO: most businesses only need to track 5-7 metrics weekly to understand exactly where they stand.
Let me show you which ones, why they matter, and how to track them.
The Philosophy Behind a Good Dashboard
Before we dive into specific metrics, understand the principle:
A good dashboard answers three questions:
Are we healthy right now? (Current state)
Where are we headed? (Forward-looking)
What action should I take? (Decision support)
If a metric doesn't help answer one of these questions, it doesn't belong on your dashboard.
Your dashboard should fit on one page. You should be able to review it in 10 minutes. And after reviewing it, you should know exactly what needs your attention.
The 5 Core KPIs Every Business Should Track
KPI #1: Cash on Hand
What it is: Actual cash in your bank accounts right now.
Why it matters: Cash is oxygen. You can be profitable and still suffocate if you run out of cash. This is your most important number.
How to track it:
Check your bank balances (all accounts)
Add them together
Update this daily or at minimum weekly
What to watch for:
Declining trend even if you're profitable (cash flow problem)
Number getting too close to zero (danger zone)
Unexpected drops (investigate immediately)
Target: Ideally 3-6 months of operating expenses. At minimum, 1 month.
Example dashboard entry:
Cash on Hand: $87,450
3-Month Average: $92,300
Trend: ↓ (Down 5.3%)
Status: Monitor - Below 3-month average
KPI #2: Accounts Receivable Aging
What it is: How much customers owe you and how long they've owed it.
Why it matters: Revenue on your P&L doesn't pay bills. Cash from customers does. If receivables are aging, your cash flow is in trouble.
How to track it: Break down what you're owed by age:
Current (0-30 days): $X
31-60 days: $X
61-90 days: $X
Over 90 days: $X
What to watch for:
Over 60 days growing (collection problem)
Same customers repeatedly in over-60 category (credit problem)
Total AR growing faster than revenue (customers paying slower)
Target: 80%+ in current, less than 10% over 60 days.
Example dashboard entry:
Total AR: $124,000
Current (0-30): $98,000 (79%)
31-60 days: $18,000 (15%)
61-90 days: $6,000 (5%)
Over 90: $2,000 (1%)
Status: Healthy - Most receivables current
Action: Follow up on $8,000 over 60 days
KPI #3: Revenue (Actual vs. Budget)
What it is: How much you've sold this week/month compared to what you planned.
Why it matters: Revenue is your engine. If it's running below plan, you need to know immediately, not at month-end.
How to track it:
Set a monthly revenue target
Track actual revenue weekly
Calculate where you are vs. where you should be
What to watch for:
Consistent shortfall (your budget is wrong or you have a sales problem)
Sudden drop (investigate what changed)
Pattern by week (maybe you're slow at month-start but catch up)
Target: On track to hit monthly budget by month-end.
Example dashboard entry:
Month-to-Date Revenue: $67,000
Budgeted MTD: $75,000
Variance: -$8,000 (-11%)
Full Month Budget: $150,000
Pace to Finish: $134,000
Status: Behind Pace
Action: Need $17,000/week remaining weeks to hit budget
KPI #4: Gross Margin Percentage
What it is: (Revenue - Cost of Goods Sold) ÷ Revenue
Why it matters: This tells you how much of each dollar stays with you after direct costs. If this number drops, your profitability is eroding even if revenue is up.
How to track it:
Calculate weekly or monthly
Compare to your target/historical average
Break down by product/service if you have multiple offerings
What to watch for:
Declining trend (costs rising faster than prices, or mix shift to lower-margin work)
Variance by product line (some offerings might be unprofitable)
Sudden drop (pricing error, cost increase, or shift in sales mix)
Target: Depends on industry, but should be consistent. Know YOUR number and watch for variance.
Example dashboard entry:
This Month Gross Margin: 42%
Last Month: 45%
6-Month Average: 44%
Status: Below Average
Variance: -3 percentage points
Impact: -$6,000 in gross profit this month
Action: Review pricing and COGS; investigate mix shift
KPI #5: 13-Week Cash Flow Forecast
What it is: Projected cash position for the next 13 weeks.
Why it matters: This is your early warning system. It shows cash problems 8-12 weeks before they happen, giving you time to act.
How to track it:
Start with current cash
Add expected cash inflows weekly (when you'll actually get paid, not when you invoice)
Subtract expected outflows weekly (when bills are due)
Roll forward 13 weeks
What to watch for:
Any week going negative (cash crisis coming)
Weeks below your minimum threshold (danger zone)
Big swings (volatile cash flow that needs smoothing)
Target: Never negative, always above minimum operating threshold.
Example dashboard entry:
Current Cash: $87,450
Projected Week 4: $62,000
Projected Week 8: $48,000
Projected Week 13: $71,000
Minimum Threshold: $50,000
Status: Week 8 below threshold
Action: Accelerate collections or arrange bridge financing
Additional KPIs to Consider (Based on Your Business)
Beyond the core 5, you might add 1-2 more based on your specific business:
For Service Businesses:
Utilization Rate: (Billable Hours ÷ Available Hours) - Are your people productive?
Average Project Value: Are you moving upmarket or downmarket?
Client Acquisition Cost: What does it cost to get a new client?
For Retail/E-commerce:
Inventory Turnover: How quickly are you selling through inventory?
Average Transaction Value: Is your basket size growing or shrinking?
Traffic/Conversion Rate: How many visitors convert to buyers?
For Subscription/SaaS:
Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR): Your predictable baseline
Churn Rate: How many customers are you losing?
Customer Lifetime Value: How valuable is each customer over time?
For Manufacturing:
Capacity Utilization: What percentage of production capacity are you using?
Units Per Labor Hour: Productivity metric
Scrap/Rework Rate: Quality and efficiency indicator
But start with the core 5. Don't overcomplicate.
How to Build Your Dashboard
I build dashboards in Excel or Google Sheets. Here's my simple structure:
Section 1: Current Status (Top of page)
Today's date
Cash on hand
AR aging summary
Week/Month-to-date revenue vs. budget
Section 2: Trends (Middle of page)
13-week cash forecast (simple table or graph)
Revenue trend last 8 weeks
Gross margin trend last 6 months
Section 3: Actions Required (Bottom of page)
Any metric in red/warning status
Specific action needed
Who's responsible
By when
The whole thing fits on one page.
Sample Dashboard Layout:
PROFITEDGE INSIGHTS - FINANCIAL DASHBOARD
Week Ending: January 22, 2026
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
CURRENT STATUS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Cash on Hand: $87,450 (Target: $100K)
AR Total: $124,000
Current: $98,000 (79%)
Over 60: $8,000 (6%)
January Revenue:
Actual MTD: $67,000
Budget MTD: $75,000
Variance: -$8,000 (-11%)
Gross Margin:
This Month: 42%
Target: 45%
Variance: -3 points
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
13-WEEK CASH FORECAST
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Week 1: $87K
Week 2: $82K
Week 3: $78K
Week 4: $62K
Week 5: $71K
Week 6: $58K
Week 7: $65K
Week 8: $48K BELOW MINIMUM
Week 9: $55K
Week 10: $67K
Week 11: $59K
Week 12: $64K
Week 13: $71K
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
ACTION ITEMS
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. CASH - Week 8 below $50K minimum
→ Action: Accelerate $15K in AR collections
→ Owner: Rod
→ By: Feb 10
2. REVENUE - 11% behind budget
→ Action: Close 2 pending proposals this week
→ Owner: Rod
→ By: Jan 29
3. GROSS MARGIN - 3 points below target
→ Action: Review pricing on new projects
→ Owner: Rod
→ By: Jan 24
How Often to Update
Update frequency by metric:
Daily:
Cash on hand (takes 30 seconds)
Weekly:
Revenue vs. budget
13-week cash forecast
AR aging
Action items progress
Monthly:
Gross margin analysis
Full dashboard review
Trend analysis
Total time investment:
Daily: 1 minute
Weekly: 30 minutes
Monthly: 1 hour
For 30 minutes per week, you have complete financial visibility.
The Dashboard Rules
Rule 1: One Page Only If it doesn't fit on one page, you're tracking too much. Simplify.
Rule 2: Traffic Light Colors
Green = On track, no action needed
Yellow = Watch closely, possible action needed
Red = Problem, immediate action required
Rule 3: Always Include the "So What?" Don't just show numbers. Show what they mean and what to do.
Bad: "Cash: $87,450" Good: "Cash: $87,450 - Below target, Week 8 forecast shows risk"
Rule 4: Review It Religiously A dashboard you don't look at is worthless. Block 30 minutes every Monday morning. Make it sacred.
Rule 5: Evolve It As you use it, you'll discover what matters and what doesn't. Adjust. The best dashboard is the one you'll actually use.
What Good Dashboard Discipline Looks Like
I worked with a client who implemented this exact dashboard system. Here's what changed:
Before:
Looked at numbers monthly when accountant sent statements
Discovered cash problems when checks bounced
Gut-feel decision making
Stress about "how are we doing?"
After:
Reviews dashboard every Monday morning (30 min)
Sees cash problems 8 weeks out
Data-driven decisions
Confidence about where they stand
The business didn't change overnight. But the owner's ability to manage it did.
Common Dashboard Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Metrics I've seen 25-metric dashboards. Nobody looks at them. Keep it to 5-7 metrics that actually drive decisions.
Mistake 2: Vanity Metrics Tracking things that look impressive but don't drive action. "Social media followers" is a vanity metric unless it directly correlates to revenue for your business.
Mistake 3: No Historical Context Showing this week's number without comparison is meaningless. Always show: current vs. target, current vs. last period, current vs. trend.
Mistake 4: Update Inertia Building a beautiful dashboard then never updating it. Better to have a simple dashboard you update weekly than a sophisticated one you update quarterly.
Mistake 5: Analysis Paralysis Spending so much time analyzing the dashboard you don't take action. The goal is decisions, not endless analysis.
Download the Template
I've created a simple Excel template with the 5 core KPIs ready to customize for your business.
It includes:
Pre-formatted cells for each metric
Traffic light conditional formatting
13-week cash forecast calculator
Action items tracker
Instructions for customization
[Download Free Financial Dashboard Template]
Just plug in your numbers and start tracking. Customize as you learn what matters most for your specific business.
The Bottom Line
You don't need a sophisticated BI tool or expensive software. You need clarity.
Five to seven metrics, reviewed weekly, that tell you:
Where you are
Where you're headed
What to do about it
That's the dashboard that transforms business management from reactive to proactive.
From "I hope we're okay" to "I know exactly where we stand."
Want help building a custom dashboard for your business? Book a free 30-minute consultation. I'll review your business and recommend the specific KPIs that matter most for your situation.