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Profit & Cash Discipline Dashboard

"What do I do with the cash?" — CFO Advisory Tool

How to use this dashboard in a live advisory session
1Enter the client's numbersScroll to "Your Business Numbers" and enter last year's (or trailing 12-month) revenue, costs and current cash allocation. This is the client's real, current position.
2Check the snapshot at the topThe KPI cards and money-flow chart update instantly and show whether cash is being allocated with discipline — use this to open the conversation.
3Set or confirm targetsAgree target allocation percentages with the client (a starting guide is provided). These should add to 100%.
4Walk through the discipline checkThe Actual vs Target comparison shows exactly where cash is leaking — typically into owner drawings or untracked spending.
5Use "Back to Your Numbers"Every section below has a jump button so you can quickly return to the client's base data mid-conversation to test "what if" adjustments together.
6Build the action planAgree 3–6 concrete actions together, each with its own timeframe. Save the file, then print or export to PDF for the client to keep.
Saving your work: Click Save Client Data to store this session in your browser (localStorage) so you can reopen it later in the same browser tab. If you open this file directly from a folder (file://), saves are isolated per browser tab — they won't sync across tabs or devices. For a client you'll return to regularly, host this file on a simple web link (e.g. Netlify) so saves are consistent everywhere.

Snapshot Your Numbers at a Glance

This updates instantly as you enter the client's figures below. Use it to open the conversation: is cash being allocated with discipline, or is it just sitting in one account waiting to be spent?

Where the Revenue Goes

Actual vs Target Allocation

Step 1 Your Business Numbers

Enter the client's trailing 12-month figures. This is the base data every other section in this dashboard is built from.

Revenue & Real Revenue
$
Total income before any costs are deducted.
$
Costs that pass straight through to a supplier or sub-contractor. Use $0 for a pure service business.
$
Revenue minus materials/subcontractor costs — the money that's actually the business's to allocate.
Where Cash Is Currently Going (last 12 months, actual)
$
Salary, drawings and dividends actually paid to the owner(s).
$
Amount actually set aside or retained as profit.
$
Amount actually reserved for income tax / GST / BAS obligations.
$
Everything else it costs to run the business (excluding the above).
Current Bank Balances (optional but recommended)

If the client only uses one account, put the total in "Operating / Main Account" and leave the rest at $0.

$
$
$
$

Step 2 Where Should the Cash Go?

Set target allocation percentages for this client. These are inspired by the Profit First methodology — instead of spending first and hoping profit is left over, a fixed share of Real Revenue is set aside for profit, owner's pay and tax before operating costs get the rest.

Target Allocation Percentages (of Real Revenue)

%
%
%
%

Suggested Starting Guide (indicative only)

These are BTBS starting-point ranges inspired by the Profit First methodology, not a substitute for advice tailored to the client's industry, debt position and goals. As real revenue grows, owner's pay typically becomes a smaller percentage while profit and operating capacity grow.

Step 3 Actual vs Target: The Discipline Check

This is the heart of the conversation — where is cash actually going, versus where it should go?

Step 4 Profit Distribution Day

A simple ritual: periodically, a share of the Profit Reserve is paid out to the owner as a reward, and the rest stays as a permanent cash buffer. This turns profit into a habit rather than a once-a-year accident.

$
Defaults to the Profit Account balance entered above — adjust here to test different scenarios live.
Edit freely — e.g. Quarterly, Twice a Year, Annually.
%
The remainder stays in the Profit Reserve permanently as a growing buffer.

Step 5 Is There Enough Cash Where It's Needed?

Discipline isn't just about percentages — it's whether there's actually money sitting in the right account when it's needed.

Step 6 Action Plan

Agree concrete next steps with the client. Add, edit or remove rows — timeframes are free text so you can set whatever suits this client.

Action
By When
Owner