The Small Business Finance Checklist Every Owner Needs

Most small businesses don't fail because of bad ideas. They fail because nobody was watching the numbers. Here's a 12-point monthly checklist to keep you in the green.

The Monthly 12

1. Reconcile every bank and credit card account
2. Review your top 10 expenses — cut anything unused
3. Calculate gross margin per product or service
4. Check accounts receivable; chase anything over 30 days
5. Forecast next month's cash flow
6. Review marketing ROI by channel (Try the free ROI Calculator to plug in your own numbers in under 30 seconds.)
7. Update your runway in months of cash on hand
8. Set aside taxes (25–30% of net profit)
9. Pay yourself a consistent owner draw
10. Review subscriptions — kill zombie SaaS
11. Compare actuals to budget; flag variances above 10%
12. Write a one-paragraph "state of the business" note

Why It Works

Doing this monthly turns finance from a once-a-year tax panic into a system. You'll spot problems early, find money you didn't know you were leaking, and make better decisions.

Tools That Help

QuickBooks, Xero, or Wave for bookkeeping. A simple Google Sheet for cash forecasting. And an ROI calculator for evaluating any new investment.