Small Business Finance Dashboard
Learn how to use your Finance Dashboard in Excel or Google Sheets. Follow the quick start steps below, or explore detailed explanations for each section of the template.
Quick Start
Follow these quick steps to start using your template right away.
Template Overview
Get to know how each tab works. Every sheet in your template has a clear purpose, from setup to the final outputs that keep your project organized.
Setup Tab
Purpose
The Setup Tab is where you define how your finances are organized. This includes your revenue structure and expense structure.
📋 Everything you set up here powers the dropdowns, calculations, and reports across the entire template.
Why It Works
Instead of forcing you into fixed categories, this setup adapts to how your business actually operates.
You will:
• ✅ Organize revenue by project, client, service, or income stream
• ✅ Group expenses in a way that reflects real costs
• ✅ Keep reports clean and consistent automatically
Once this structure is in place, logging data becomes fast and error free. The dashboard stays accurate without manual cleanup.
If your business changes later, you update it here first. The rest of the template follows automatically.
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Open the Setup Tab First
🧭 Before logging any revenue or expenses, start here. This ensures all dropdowns are ready to use.
Set Your Business Details
🏢 Enter your company name, fiscal year, and fiscal start month at the top of the tab.
These settings control how your data is grouped on the dashboard.
Create Revenue Categories and Line Items
💰 In the Revenue Setup section, use the Type dropdown to choose:
• ◯ Category for high level groupings
• ◆ Line Item for individual revenue sources
Categories might represent services, projects, or clients. Line items roll up into those categories.
Create Expense Categories and Line Items
💸 Repeat the same process in the Expense Setup section.
Use categories for major cost groups and line items for specific expenses.
Tips for Success
• 🚫 Do not delete the Type column. Dropdowns rely on it
• ➕ Start simple. You can always add more categories later
• 🔄 You can edit or add categories at any time, even mid year
• 👀 Any changes here automatically update the logs and dashboard
Revenue / Expense Log
Purpose
The Revenue Log and Expense Log are where you record all money coming in and going out of your business.
📋 These tabs are the only places you should manually enter financial data. Everything else in the template updates automatically based on what you log here.
Think of these tabs as your financial activity feed. Simple inputs in, clear insights out.
Why It Works
Instead of spreading data across multiple sheets or months, everything lives in one consistent format.
You will:
• ✅ Log revenue and expenses quickly without overthinking structure
• ✅ Avoid manual summaries or copy pasting
• ✅ Keep your dashboard accurate in real time
Because categories are controlled by the Setup Tab, your data stays clean and organized without extra effort.
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Log Your Revenue
💰 Open the Revenue Log tab and add a new row for each payment received.
Fill in:
• Date
• Category
• Amount
• Notes (optional)
The Category dropdown is generated directly from your Setup Tab.
Log Your Expenses
💸 Open the Expense Log tab and add a new row for each business expense.
Fill in:
• Date
• Category
• Amount
• Notes (optional)
Again, the Category dropdown is fully driven by your Setup Tab.
Add Rows as Needed
➕ You can add as many rows as needed throughout the month or year. The tracker will continue working automatically.
Tips for Success
• 🧭 If a category is missing, add it in the Setup Tab first
• 🚫 Do not delete or overwrite formula driven columns
• 🗓 Log transactions consistently to keep reports accurate
• ✏️ Use Notes for context like invoice numbers, vendors, or milestones
Dashboard
Purpose
The Dashboard Tab gives you a clear view of how your business is performing financially.
📊 This tab is fully automated. You do not enter any data here. Everything updates based on what you set up in the Setup Tab and log in the Revenue and Expense Logs.
Think of this as your financial check in. One place to see progress, trends, and results.
Why It Works
Most dashboards only show totals. This one shows progress over time.
You will:
• ✅ See revenue, expenses, profit, and margin at a glance
• ✅ Switch between monthly and year to date views instantly
• ✅ Zoom out for high level trends or drill down into details
The toggle controls give you flexibility without changing any data.
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Review High Level Metrics
📈 At the top of the dashboard, review total revenue, total expenses, profit, and margin for the selected year.
Toggle Running Totals
🔁 In cell F13, use the Show Running Total toggle:
• On shows cumulative year to date performance
• Off shows individual monthly performance
This lets you quickly switch between progress and point in time views.
Explore Revenue and Expense Breakdowns
📊 Scroll down to view revenue and expense breakdowns by category and month.
Simplify or Expand the View
🧩 Use the toggles in the breakdown section:
• F43 shows categories only for a high level view
• M43 enables running totals for cumulative analysis
Turn these on or off depending on whether you want simplicity or detail.
Tips for Success
• 👀 Use the dashboard for regular check ins, not just end of year reviews
• 🔁 Switch views often to understand both trends and monthly performance
• 🧭 If something looks off, review your Setup Tab or logs first
• 🚫 Do not edit formulas or cells on this tab