The 5 Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know Weekly (and Why Most Don’t)
Most business owners work incredibly hard — yet still feel like they’re flying blind.
Revenue is coming in. Bills are getting paid. The bank balance looks “okay.”
But when I ask a simple question like “How much cash are you actually burning each week?” or “What’s your true margin?” — I often get a long pause.
That pause is expensive.
As a fractional CFO, I see the same pattern over and over:
owners are making big decisions without the few numbers that actually matter.
Here are the five numbers every owner should know weekly — and why most don’t.
1. Weekly Cash Burn (or Surplus)
What it is:
How much cash your business is really consuming or generating each week.
Not monthly. Not quarterly. Weekly.
Why it matters:
Cash problems don’t show up all at once — they creep. A weekly view gives you early warning before things get uncomfortable.
Why most owners don’t know it:
They look at the bank balance instead
They rely on monthly P&Ls
Timing issues (deposits, credit cards, payroll) distort reality
A business can be “profitable” on paper and still burning cash every week.
2. True Gross Margin (Not the One on Your P&L)
What it is:
Your real margin after all direct costs are considered — including labor, subcontractors, fulfillment, and delivery costs.
Why it matters:
Gross margin determines everything downstream:
How much you can afford to pay yourself
Whether growth helps or hurts
If your pricing actually works
Why most owners don’t know it:
Costs are miscategorized
Labor is buried in operating expenses
Discounts, refunds, and rework are ignored
If you don’t know your true margin, you’re guessing at pricing and growth.
3. Owner Pay vs. Business Pay
What it is:
A clear separation between:
What the business earns
What the owner takes
What the owner should be taking
Why it matters:
Blending owner pay with business cash hides reality. It makes profitability impossible to measure and creates tax and compliance issues.
Why most owners don’t know it:
They “just take money when needed”
No defined pay structure
No clarity on reasonable compensation
If you can’t clearly answer “Is my business profitable before I pay myself?” — that’s a problem.
4. Tax Exposure to Date
What it is:
How much tax you’ve actually accumulated so far — not what you hope it will be at year-end.
Why it matters:
Taxes are not an annual surprise. They accrue every week.
Knowing your tax exposure:
Prevents panic in April
Protects cash
Allows proactive planning
Why most owners don’t know it:
No rolling estimate
Taxes treated as “future me’s problem”
Bookkeeping not tied to tax planning
Unplanned taxes are one of the fastest ways to drain a business.
5. Runway (Months of Cash Left)
What it is:
How many months your business can operate at its current burn rate if revenue slows or stops.
Why it matters:
Runway buys you:
Time to adjust
Leverage in decisions
Peace of mind
Why most owners don’t know it:
No weekly burn calculation
No scenario planning
Overconfidence during good months
Runway isn’t just for startups — it’s for any owner who wants control.
The Hard Truth
If you don’t know these numbers, you’re guessing.
Guessing on:
Hiring
Pricing
Growth
Owner pay
Risk
And guessing is not a strategy.
Why Traditional Bookkeeping Isn’t Enough
Most bookkeeping answers “What happened last month?”
CFO-level insight answers:
What’s happening right now?
What happens if this continues?
What should we change next?
That’s the difference between reporting and leadership.
What Changes When You Track These Weekly
Owners who track these five numbers:
Make decisions faster
Catch problems earlier
Sleep better
Stop reacting and start planning
They don’t need hundreds of reports.
They need clarity.
Want Help Implementing This?
No fluff. No accounting jargon.
Just real numbers, explained simply, with clear next steps.
If you’d like help setting this up for your business — or want to join an upcoming workshop — reach out or book a call.
