Know your numbers: the 7 financial metrics every business owner should track

Written By Trudi Saul

You didn’t start a business to become a bookkeeper — but like it or not, the numbers matter. The good news? You don’t have to get your head around all the reports, acronyms, and dashboards. You just need the right numbers in front of you, when you need them — and a bookkeeping setup that makes that easy.

Here’s where we see many business owners get stuck:

  • They have financial reports — but don’t really understand them

  • They rely on bank balances to make decisions

  • They spend hours trying to DIY, then give up and ignore it altogether

  • Or they just never see the info that would actually help them plan ahead

Sound familiar?

The 7 Numbers You Actually Need to Know

We’ve put together a simple checklist covering the 7 financial metrics every business owner should track — things like:

  • Gross profit margin (so you know what’s left after the work’s done)

  • Debtor days (so you know how long you’re waiting to get paid)

  • Cash flow (so you’re not waking up at 3am stressing about bills)

  • Owner’s draw vs business profit (so you’re not accidentally draining your own runway)

Knowing ≠ Doing

Getting access to this info shouldn’t be hard. But too often it’s buried in software you don’t have time to check, or it’s out of date before you even see it.

That’s where a good bookkeeping partner makes life easier.

At Kept, we help business owners take the guesswork out of their finances. That means:

  • Clean, up-to-date books

  • Clear reports and updates you’ll actually use

  • And support when you need help understanding what it all means

Because when you know your numbers, you make better decisions — faster. And that’s what frees up your time, headspace, and confidence to grow.

Ready to Stop Flying Blind?

If you’re still making financial decisions based on gut feel, it’s time to change that.

Start by grabbing our free checklist — and if you need help getting those numbers at your fingertips, we’re here.

👋 Talk to Kept – Let’s set you up and make sure your books are well, Kept.

Trudi Saul