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Financial Metrics Every Small Business Owner Should Check Weekly
Plan your expenses and deductions strategically each year
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Maintain accurate and organized financial records for easy reporting
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Use accounting and tax software to make management easier
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6 Weekly Financial Metrics Every Small Business Owner Should Track
Financial success doesn’t happen once a year — it happens in the small, consistent habits you practice each week. Spend 30–60 minutes reviewing these six metrics and you’ll spot problems early, protect cash, and make faster, better decisions.
1. Cash Balance — the single most important number this week
What to check: Your actual available cash across business bank accounts and merchant payouts (after holds).
Why it matters: Cash is liquidity — it pays payroll, vendors, and keeps operations running.
How to measure: Look at your main operating account(s) and subtract any pending vendor payments or scheduled payroll.
Quick action: If cash is lower than expected, delay nonessential purchases, tighten spend approvals, or accelerate receivables.
2. Accounts Receivable (A/R) Aging — keep collections proactive
What to check: Total outstanding invoices and how they break down by aging buckets (current / 0–30 / 31–60 / 61–90 / 90+ days).
Why it matters: Old receivables are future cash that’s at risk — chasing them early protects cash flow.
How to measure: Run your AR aging report in your accounting software or bank reconciliation tool.
Quick action: For invoices >30 days, send friendly reminders this week; for 60+ days, call customers and offer payment plans or incentives for immediate payment.
3. Weekly Revenue vs. Target — spot momentum changes fast
What to check: This week’s revenue compared to your weekly target or the same week last year.
Why it matters: Early trend detection lets you pivot marketing or promotions before monthly numbers suffer.
How to measure: Pull POS/e-commerce and invoicing receipts for the week and compare to targets.
Quick action: If behind target, launch a short-term promo, push best-sellers, or reallocate ad spend to top-converting channels.
4. Top 5 Expenses — control the biggest outflows
What to check: The five largest expense categories or vendors for the week (payroll, rent, COGS, major subscriptions, key suppliers).
Why it matters: Big expenses drive margins. Small efficiency gains here move the needle.
How to measure: Use your accounting tool to list expenses YTD, then filter to the top five for the period.
Quick action: Identify one line to reduce or renegotiate (e.g., pause a low-ROI marketing campaign, defer a discretionary purchase).
5. Gross Margin — the health of your core offering
What to check: Gross margin percentage for the period (Revenue − Direct Costs) ÷ Revenue.
Why it matters: Gross margin shows how profitable each sale is before overhead. Falling margins signal pricing or cost issues.
How to measure: Calculate gross margin per product line or service weekly to detect early slippage.
Quick action: If margin drops, evaluate supplier pricing, add modest price increases, or adjust product mix to favor higher-margin items.
6. Cash Burn Rate — how quickly you’re using reserves
What to check: Net cash outflow per week (average of recent weeks). Convert to runway (how many weeks/months your cash will last).
Why it matters: Knowing your burn tells you how urgent money-raising or cost actions are.
How to measure: Sum weekly cash outflows (payments) and subtract weekly cash inflows; average over 4 weeks.
Quick action: If runway is under 3 months, prioritize cash preservation: pause hires, cut discretionary spend, and accelerate collections.
Quick formulas & tracking shortcuts
- Gross Margin % = (Revenue − Cost of Goods Sold) ÷ Revenue × 100
- Cash Burn (weekly) = Average weekly cash outflows − Average weekly cash inflows
- Runway (weeks) = Current cash balance ÷ Average weekly burn
- DSO (approx.) = (Accounts Receivable ÷ Monthly Revenue) × 30 — to estimate collection efficiency
Use your accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, Wave) or a simple Google Sheets template to automate these calculations and refresh them each week.
A simple weekly routine (30–60 minutes)
- Open cash and merchant accounts — record cash balance (10 min).
- Run AR aging report — send reminders for 30+ day invoices (10–15 min).
- Pull weekly revenue vs. target — note variances (5–10 min).
- Review top 5 expense transactions — flag anomalies (5–10 min).
- Recalculate gross margin and burn rate — update runway (10–15 min).
- Assign 1–2 specific actions for the week (e.g., negotiate supplier term, run promo, call late payers).
Tools that make this easy
- Accounting: QuickBooks Online, Xero, Wave
- Receipts & AR follow-up: Hubdoc, Chaser, or built-in reminders in QBO/Xero
- Dashboards: Google Sheets templates, Looker Studio, Fathom for quick visuals
Final thought
Weekly financial discipline separates businesses that survive from those that thrive. These six metrics give you a high-signal, low-effort pulse on your business. Spend the time each week and you’ll reduce surprises, protect cash, and make decisions with confidence.
Need a ready-made weekly dashboard or someone to set this up for you?
Peak Accounting helps small businesses automate these metrics, build one-page weekly dashboards, and turn insights into action.