3 Numbers I Review Monthly (That You Should Too)
As a CFO, I care a lot about your numbers. Like… tons. But as a CEO myself? I care about my own numbers because they tell me whether the business I’m building is truly supporting the life I want.
In order to keep things running smoothly over here, I need to be in tune with more than surface-level metrics and “I think we’re fine” estimates. I, like you, am running a significant operation. I have to know strategic numbers that reveal health, direction, and alignment.
So, here are the three numbers I review every single month in my own business… and why you should too:
1 | Capacity-Adjusted Profitability
AKA… How profitable your agency actually is given your team’s current bandwidth and client load. (This is deeper than just your net profit margin.)
Why? – Growth isn’t about more revenue, it’s about profitable capacity. If your team is functioning at 110% but profit isn’t scaling, something’s broken.
How to measure it: Look at profit per team member or per deliverable and compare to hours worked or check the percentage of total capacity being used by your top clients.
Ask yourself… “Am I making more money or just burning more capacity?”
2 | Cash-Flow Forecast Accuracy
AKA… The difference between your projected cash flow and your actual cash flow over the past 30 days.
Why? – Forecast accuracy = control. It’s one thing to track cash, but another to predict it. When you have this on lock, you’ll know if your systems (invoicing, AP, team pay, etc.) are reliable and predictable. That way, they’re steady and easy to plan around.
Ask yourself… “Did the last month unfold the way I thought it would, financially?”
3 | Effective Hourly Rate (EHR) or Profit per Service
AKA… How much profit you actually earn for every hour of client work after expenses and team costs.
Why? – Your profit margin on paper means nothing if your real earning rate is below what you’d make working for someone else. You run your own business for a reason, and it’s not to work more while getting paid less, right?
Ask yourself… “Would I still take this project if I knew how much it really paid me?”
When I started reviewing these three numbers every month, everything in my own business got easier — hiring decisions, pricing confidence, cash-flow planning, even knowing when to say no. I want that for you too. Not to turn you into a spreadsheet person (that’s still my job), but to help you feel in control of the company you’ve worked so hard to build.
So this month, give yourself twenty minutes to look at them. Not with judgment — with curiosity. These numbers will tell you the real story of your business: Are you growing profitably? Is your team operating sustainably? Can you trust the money coming in and going out?
Review them consistently, and you’ll notice your decisions getting easier, your months feeling calmer, and your business running with far more intention.
And if you want a second set of eyes or someone to walk through this with you, I’m right here.
