How do I build a dashboard that shows how the business is doing?
Short answer
Pick the handful of numbers that would change a decision this week: leads, booked jobs, revenue, average job value, and unpaid invoices. Put them on one screen with last period for comparison, and review it on the same day every week.
Before you start
- Jobs and revenue recorded in the system.
- Lead source captured on contacts.
- Invoices issued and tracked.
- A weekly meeting to read the numbers.
Step by step
- 1
Choose five numbers, not fifty
Leads, booked jobs, revenue, average job value, and outstanding invoices covers most businesses.
A dashboard nobody can read in a minute gets ignored.
- 2
Always show a comparison
This month against last month and the same month last year.
A number without context cannot tell you anything.
- 3
Include leading indicators
Leads and appointments predict revenue weeks before revenue reports it.
Lagging numbers only confirm what you can no longer change.
- 4
Give every number an owner
One person explains it each week and proposes the fix when it moves.
Unowned metrics get discussed and never acted on.
- 5
Review on a fixed day
Same time weekly, fifteen minutes, exceptions only.
Rhythm is what turns reporting into management.
- 6
Fix the data at the source
When a number looks wrong, correct how it is captured rather than adjusting the report.
A dashboard is only as honest as the daily habits behind it.
What good looks like
- The health of the business fits on one screen.
- Problems appear while they are still fixable.
- Every number has someone accountable.
- Decisions come from data, not mood.
Common mistakes
The ways this goes wrong in insights, and what to do instead.
Too many metrics›
Thirty charts mean nobody looks at any of them.
Do this instead: Cut to five numbers that would actually change a decision this week.
Revenue only›
By the time revenue drops, the cause is a month old.
Do this instead: Include leading indicators like leads and booked appointments.
No review meeting›
The dashboard exists and changes nothing.
Do this instead: Put a fifteen-minute weekly review on the calendar with named owners.
Frequently asked
5 questions about build a dashboard you check dailyRelated guides
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