Topic hub
Know Your Numbers
The handful of figures that actually tell you how the business is doing.
Most founders do not need management accounting. They need seven or eight numbers they can find quickly, understand honestly and act on without a spreadsheet crisis.
This hub explains what each figure means in plain English, where it comes from, how often to look at it, and what a sensible reaction looks like when it moves.
Written by Daniel, peer-reviewed by Sarah
Last reviewed:
Start here
Seven Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know
A single page that defines the core set and shows where each figure comes from.
Read the guideChoose your next move
A decision map for this topic
Start with the problem in front of you, then follow the related guide instead of reading the whole library at once.
I need a weekly grip on the business
Start with the few numbers that reveal what needs attention before the next payment run.
Open the guide →The accounts make no sense
Use the statement guide before trying to interpret a headline profit number.
Open the guide →Sales are up but cash feels tight
Separate revenue, profit and cash, then move to the cash-flow hub for the timing problem.
Open the guide →Where it hurts
Common problems in this area
Pick the sentence that sounds most like your week.
“I do not understand my own accounts”
Your accountant sends a document once a year and it may as well be in another language.
Where to start“Revenue looks fine but I feel poor”
Turnover, profit and cash are three different things and only one of them pays wages.
Where to start“I have no regular financial routine”
Twenty minutes a week beats a panicked afternoon every quarter.
Where to startRead by job
Grouped guides with a clear purpose
These routes organise the most useful child guides by the decision they help you make; the complete library remains below.
Read the operating picture
Use these guides to turn bookkeeping outputs into a short decision routine.
- Seven Numbers Every Business Owner Should KnowThe seven figures that tell you how your business is really doing, where to find each one, and how often to check them. Written for UK founders who are not finance people.
- Profit and Loss Statement Explained for UK FoundersLearn how to read a profit and loss statement, what each line means and the questions a UK founder should ask before making a decision.
- Revenue vs Profit vs CashThree numbers, three entirely different questions. Why a business can be growing, highly profitable on paper, and still unable to pay a bill — explained with a worked example.
Build a repeatable review
Move from an annual accounts event to a light weekly and monthly management habit.
Complete library
All guides in Know Your Numbers
Guide
Seven Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know
The seven figures that tell you how your business is really doing, where to find each one, and how often to check them. Written for UK founders who are not finance people.
ExploreGuide
Revenue vs Profit vs Cash
Three numbers, three entirely different questions. Why a business can be growing, highly profitable on paper, and still unable to pay a bill — explained with a worked example.
ExploreGuide
How to Build a Weekly Finance Routine
A 20-minute weekly habit that replaces the month-end panic. What to check, what to reconcile, and how to stay in control of your cash.
ExploreGuide
Monthly Financial Dashboard for Small Businesses
How to build a simple, effective one-page dashboard that tracks the health of your business without overwhelming you with useless data.
ExploreGuide
Bookkeeping for Beginners: A UK Founder's Guide
A plain-English introduction to bookkeeping for UK founders: what to record, how to build a weekly routine and when to ask for help.
ExploreGuide
How Often Should You Do Your Bookkeeping?
A practical weekly, monthly and year-end bookkeeping rhythm for UK founders who want records that support decisions rather than create panic.
ExploreGuide
Accountant vs Bookkeeper: Who Does Your UK Business Need?
Understand the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant, where their work overlaps and how to decide what support your business actually needs.
ExploreGuide
How to Choose an Accountant for Your UK Small Business
A practical, question-led guide to choosing an accountant for a UK small business, including scope, systems, communication and pricing clarity.
ExploreGuide
Chart of Accounts Explained for UK Founders
A plain-English explanation of a chart of accounts, why categories matter and how to keep your financial reports useful without overcomplicating them.
ExploreGuide
Profit and Loss Statement Explained for UK Founders
Learn how to read a profit and loss statement, what each line means and the questions a UK founder should ask before making a decision.
ExploreGuide
Balance Sheet Explained for UK Founders
A plain-English guide to the balance sheet: what assets, liabilities and equity mean and how founders can use the report alongside profit and cash flow.
ExploreGuide
Cash Flow vs Profit: The Difference UK Founders Need to Know
Understand why a business can be profitable but short of cash, and use a practical framework to separate accounting profit from money in the bank.
ExploreGuide
Cash Basis vs Traditional Accounting: What UK Founders Need to Know
Compare cash-basis and traditional accounting for UK founders, including the difference in timing, who can use each method and questions to ask before choosing.
ExploreGuide
Accounting Records UK Businesses Must Keep
A practical guide to the accounting and company records UK founders need to keep, why separation matters and how to build a simple evidence trail.
ExploreGuide
Xero for New Founders: What to Set Up First
A vendor-neutral guide to the first accounting habits a new UK founder should set up in Xero, what to verify and where an accountant can help.
ExploreGuide
FreeAgent for New Founders: What to Set Up First
A vendor-neutral guide to the first accounting habits a new UK founder should establish in FreeAgent, what to verify and where an accountant can help.
ExploreGuide
QuickBooks for New Founders: What to Set Up First
A vendor-neutral guide to the first accounting habits a new UK founder should establish in QuickBooks, what to verify and where an accountant can help.
ExploreGuide
Sage for New Founders: What to Set Up First
A vendor-neutral guide to the first accounting habits a new UK founder should establish in Sage, what to verify and where an accountant can help.
ExploreGuide
How to Choose Accounting Software for a UK Small Business
A neutral framework for choosing accounting software for a UK small business: records, VAT, integrations, accountant access, support and the cost of changing later.
ExploreSubtopics
What this hub covers
Core metrics
Revenue, gross margin, net profit, cash position, runway, debtor days, owner pay.
Reading statements
Profit and loss, balance sheet, and what each one hides.
Reporting routines
Weekly checks, monthly dashboards, quarterly reviews.
Working with an accountant
What to ask for, what to prepare, and what to stop paying for.
Featured tool
Business Money Check-Up
Ten areas scored in about five minutes, with a seven-day and 30-day plan.
Open the toolFree checklist
Monthly numbers checklist
One page to complete on the first working day of each month.
- Closing bank balance across every account
- Money owed to you, split by how overdue it is
- Money you owe, including tax due dates
- Revenue and gross margin for the month
- Owner pay actually taken
- Runway in weeks at current burn
Frequently asked questions
- How often should I look at my numbers?
- A short weekly check on cash and invoices, and a longer monthly review of profit, margin and runway. Annual accounts are a legal output, not a management tool.
- Do I need accounting software to do this?
- No. A spreadsheet updated consistently beats software you never open. Software helps most when transaction volume rises or when Making Tax Digital obligations apply.
Keep reading
Related guidance
How Know Your Numbers connects to the rest of the site, and what to read alongside it.
Do this next
Next steps in Know Your Numbers
- 1
Read Seven Numbers Every Business Owner Should Know
A single page that defines the core set and shows where each figure comes from.
Read the guide - 2
Run the Business Money Check-Up
Ten areas scored in about five minutes, with a seven-day and 30-day plan.
Open the tool - 3
Score your whole financial setup
Ten areas in about five minutes, with a seven-day and 30-day plan you can print.
Start the check-up - 4