Read Your Numbers Every Week — In 15 Minutes
Don't wait for the month-end close. Fifteen minutes every Friday tells you where your shop is heading. A simple weekly check for cafe and laundromat owners.
Kwon CPA
Once a month is too late
Books usually close at month-end. The problem: a cost that started leaking three weeks ago doesn't show up until next month — and by then you've already eaten a full month of losses. That's why good owners read their numbers by the week, not the month.
Numbers you read once a month are already history.
The Friday close routine (15 minutes)
Every Friday, before you lock up, look at just four things:
- This week's sales — compared to last week and the same week last year
- Cash on hand — what's actually in the bank
- Labor as a % of sales — what share of revenue went to payroll
- Big expenses coming next week — rent, insurance, a large food order
Write these four on a single page and patterns start to appear.
Two ratios worth watching
- Labor % — cafes and restaurants typically run 25–35% of sales. One week at 45% is a signal to check the schedule.
- Cost of goods (COGS) % — restaurants usually land at 28–35%. A sudden jump points to pricing, portion sizes, or waste.
For low-labor businesses like laundromats, track revenue per machine and utility costs in the same spot instead.
Numbers are signals, not blame
- Catch a high-labor week early and fix next week's schedule
- Spot a food-cost spike and call the supplier the same day
- Wait until month-end to discover a full month of losses
- Use the numbers only to beat yourself up
How to start
You don't need a perfect tool — a single sheet of paper or a simple spreadsheet is enough. Same time, same spot, every week. After four weeks you'll see problems before your accountant does.
The month-end close still matters. But with a weekly check, month-end becomes a confirmation — not a day of surprises.
Next step
How would this apply to your business?
Don't just read it. In 15 minutes we'll look at where you stand and what to clean up first.
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