The Business Owner’s Dashboard – The 10 Numbers Every Window Cleaning Business Owner Should Know Every Monday
“If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it.”
I’ve heard that quote many times over the years, and the older I get, the more I realise how true it is.
When I started Alfresco back in 1996, my dashboard was pretty simple.
Did the phone ring?
Did I earn enough money to pay the bills?
Was there enough work booked in for next week?
That was about it.
As the business grew, however, I learnt something important.
Being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re building a successful business.
I’ve had months where every van was working flat out, yet the bank account didn’t reflect the effort.
Likewise, I’ve had quieter periods where the business was actually more profitable.
That’s when I stopped judging the business on how busy we looked and started measuring what really mattered.
Today, every Monday morning, I want to know the numbers that tell me whether we’re moving forwards or simply standing still.
Here are the ten I’d encourage every window cleaning business owner to track.
1. Revenue Last Week
This is the obvious one.
How much did the business actually invoice?
Not how much work was booked.
Not how busy everyone felt.
What revenue did the business generate?
It’s the first number on the dashboard.
2. Revenue Already Booked
Looking backwards is useful.
Looking forwards is even better.
How much work is already scheduled over the next four weeks?
A healthy diary creates confidence.
An empty diary gives you time to react before it becomes a crisis.
3. New Customers
How many new customers joined last week?
More importantly…
Are they your ideal customers?
A £20 monthly domestic customer and a £5,000 commercial client both count as one customer, but they have very different values.
Measure quality, not just quantity.
4. Customer Cancellations
This number deserves just as much attention as new sales.
Every cancellation tells a story.
Was it price?
Poor communication?
A house move?
Competition?
Track the reason.
Patterns soon begin to appear.
5. Quote Conversion Rate
How many quotations did you send?
How many became customers?
If your conversion rate starts falling, don’t ignore it.
Something has changed.
6. Average Job Value
Are customers spending more with you each year?
Or are you simply working harder for the same money?
Growing businesses increase value, not just volume.
7. Cash in the Bank
Profit is important.
Cash flow is essential.
Many profitable businesses have failed because they ran out of cash.
Know this number every Monday morning.
8. Google Reviews
Reviews aren’t just about marketing.
They’re one of the best indicators of customer satisfaction.
A steady flow of genuine reviews usually means your team is doing something right.
9. Team Capacity
How busy is the team over the coming weeks?
Are they overloaded?
Or do they have spare capacity?
This tells you whether your next focus should be sales or recruitment.
10. Gross Profit
Finally, the number many business owners avoid.
Turnover is exciting.
Profit pays the wages.
Profit buys new vans.
Profit funds growth.
Never confuse being busy with being profitable.
Numbers Don’t Lie
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt is this.
Feelings can mislead you.
Numbers rarely do.
If your dashboard improves week after week, your business is usually improving too.
If the numbers start heading in the wrong direction, don’t panic.
Instead, ask why.
That’s where the real learning begins.
My Monday Routine
Every Monday morning, before the week gathers pace, spend thirty minutes reviewing your dashboard.
Ask yourself:
- What improved?
- What slipped?
- What surprised me?
- What’s the biggest opportunity this week?
- What’s the biggest risk?
Then decide on the one action that will make the biggest difference before Friday.
Because that’s what dashboards are for.
Not collecting numbers.
Making better decisions.
I’ve created the same one-page dashboard I use to review my business each Monday. Download it, print it, and spend 30 minutes every week reviewing your business instead of just reacting to it.
Drop me an email at mark@2vey.co.uk – headed – Free Dashboard
