Does your business dashboard help you make better decisions?
The average car displays dozens of indicators and potential warning lights on its dashboard. But how many does your business have? And how often do you look at them?
Too many business owners spent 2025 driving blind, operating on gut instinct or reacting in real time to lagging indicators like their daily bank balance. Imagine how anxiety-provoking it would be to drive down the highway with no idea how much gas was left in the tank or whether your engine might be overheating… And yet this is exactly how many entrepreneurs choose to operate! No wonder they find business stressful.
You’ve set your business goals for the year ahead. Now it’s time to think about what information would help you monitor your progress and stay on track to reach them. There’s still time before the New Year to set up a dashboard that you can use to drive your business.
Here Are 7 Tips To Help You Create Your Dashboard
1. Don’t stop at the standard Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
KPIs tell you whether you’re winning, but they won’t tell you what’s creating those results. Include Key Behaviour Indicators (KBIs) to tell you whether you’re doing the right things to win, and Key Activity Indicators (KAIs) to tell whether you’re doing enough high-leverage activities. Create an overview of all three to get the full picture of not just your results, but the actions and behaviors driving them.
2. Avoid vanity metrics.
Vanity metrics make you feel good but don’t actually move the needle on your business goals. Sure, it’s nice to see your social media follower count climb, but if those followers aren’t converting to customers or revenue, you’re tracking the wrong thing. Focus instead on metrics that have a direct correlation to your bottom line and strategic objectives.
3. Mix leading and lagging indicators.
Lagging indicators tell you what already happened, like last month’s revenue or customer count. Leading indicators predict what’s about to happen, like pipeline value, consultation bookings, or trends over time. By tracking both, you can celebrate wins while spotting problems before they become crises.
4. Limit the number of indicators. Focus on a small handful per goal.
Too many metrics can drown out key signals. Tracking 50 different numbers is like highlighting the whole page. Instead, choose 3-5 critical indicators that really tell the story for each major goal, and resist the temptation to add more just because you can measure them.
5. Make it visual.
Numbers in a spreadsheet don’t grab your attention the way a graph or gauge does. Use charts, color coding, and visual representations that let you see trends and problems at a glance. Your dashboard should communicate status in seconds, not after minutes of analysis.
6. Keep it in front of you by putting it where you already are.
A dashboard that lives in a file you only open during monthly reviews is useless. Display it on a monitor in your office, post it up on a wall, set it as a browser homepage, or create a mobile version you can check during your morning coffee. The best dashboard is the one you actually look at regularly.
7. What will trigger your check engine light?
Define specific thresholds that demand immediate attention – your business equivalent of the check engine light. Maybe it’s when cash reserves drop below 60 days of operating expenses, or when your sales pipeline falls below a certain dollar amount. Know your red lines ahead of time so you’re not making panic decisions in the moment.
This Week’s Takeaway
A well-designed dashboard lets you monitor in real time how fast you’re going, what resources are available, and when it’s time for a tune-up. Investing some time now setting up your dashboard will soon pay off with higher quality business decisions, made sooner.
What’s the one metric you’re going to track for Q1 that will give you the clearest picture of where your business is really headed?
Unreasonable Hospitality: By Will Guidara
This book is a helpful reminder that even in busy, fast-moving businesses, a little imagination and genuine attention can turn everyday moments into experiences people remember. With practical steps and uplifting stories, the author shares how a business can be transformed through small, intentional acts of care, both for guests and their own teams.
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