Guides
Step-by-step guides for month-end reporting and collections, written against the vendors' own menus and help articles.
Part of: Financial reporting for small businesses
Updated
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QuickBooks Online management report →
The QuickBooks Online reports to run each month, where the menus are, and how to turn them into a management report with commentary.
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Xero budget vs actual →
Set up a budget, run Xero's Budget Variance report, adjust the variance columns and read what the variances say.
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Board pack template →
A section-by-section board pack outline you can copy, what each section answers, the common mistakes, and a real example pack.
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Monthly management report template →
The sections and layout of a monthly management report, what good variance commentary looks like, and a checklist.
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What is management reporting? →
A plain definition of management reporting, how it differs from financial reporting, the typical reports and how small companies produce them.
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Variance analysis →
Calculate budget vs actual variances, decide which matter with a materiality threshold, and write commentary that explains them.
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Month-end close checklist →
A copy-ready month-end close checklist for Xero and QuickBooks Online, in the order the work is done, with what each step involves.
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How to read a P&L →
What each line of a profit and loss statement means, the margins to work out, and what the statement does not show.
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13-week cash flow forecast →
A free 13-week cash flow template in Excel with live formulas, the direct method behind it, the weekly routine and a real example.
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Small business KPI dashboard →
The monthly KPIs worth tracking for growth, profit, cash and working capital, each with its formula, and a dashboard layout to copy.
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Past due invoice email templates →
Four polite reminder emails, from a courtesy note before the due date to a final notice, ready to copy.
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Variance commentary examples →
Ten one-sentence budget vs actual explanations to copy, each marked timing, one-off or permanent, with a template and a bad vs good table.
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Profit up, cash down →
The seven reasons profit and cash move apart, a worked bridge from net income to the change in cash, and a three-sentence board explanation.
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Monthly investor update template →
A five-section monthly investor update to copy, from headline numbers to asks, with an example update and how to report cash and runway.
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Construction company monthly report →
The monthly KPIs a contractor reports, from over and under billing to retainage and backlog, with formulas and where each comes from in the ledger.
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Restaurant monthly report →
The monthly KPIs a restaurant reports, from prime cost to covers and average check, with formulas and where each comes from.
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Marketing agency monthly report →
The monthly KPIs an agency reports, from utilization and revenue per head to margin by client and DSO, with formulas and where each comes from.
Tools
Rather not do it by hand?
- Financial Analyst: A monthly management report from your accounting system — P&L, balance sheet, 13-week cash forecast and the variances explained — drafted for your approval.
- AR Cash Collector: Chases your overdue invoices and gets you paid — and never emails a customer about a bill they already settled.