Monthly Business Report Template: What to Include
A practical monthly business report template: the sections to include, an example KPI table, what to leave out, and how to produce it in less time each month.
· 4 min read · Summarix team
A monthly business report should cover seven things: a short summary, headline KPIs against last month and target, sales and revenue, costs and cash, customers, operations, and actions for next month. Keep it to a few pages, use the same structure every month so trends are easy to spot, and put the summary first. Below is a template you can copy, with an example KPI table.
Why a fixed template matters
The value of a monthly report comes from comparison. When the layout, definitions and order stay the same, readers learn where to look and changes jump out. When every month looks different, people spend their time finding things instead of thinking about them. Decide your sections and KPI definitions once, write them down, and stick to them for at least a year.
The template: section by section
1. Summary (half a page)
Three to five sentences: the month’s headline result, the main reason, the biggest risk or opportunity, and the one or two actions you recommend. See how to write an executive summary from data for a formula and examples.
2. KPI dashboard (one table)
Six to ten KPIs, each with this month, last month, target and a simple status. Here’s an illustrative example for a small wholesale business:
| KPI | This month | Last month | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | R2.14 million | R1.98 million | R2.10 million | On track |
| Gross margin | 31.5% | 33.0% | 33.0% | Watch |
| New customers | 18 | 12 | 15 | On track |
| Average order value | R4,860 | R4,710 | R4,800 | On track |
| Debtors over 60 days | R286,000 | R214,000 | < R200,000 | Action |
| Cash in bank (month end) | R640,000 | R705,000 | > R500,000 | On track |
| On-time deliveries | 92% | 95% | 95% | Watch |
Not sure which KPIs to include? Our guide to small business KPIs will help you shortlist them.
3. Sales and revenue
- Monthly revenue trend (line chart, last 12 months).
- Revenue by product, region or channel, sorted largest to smallest.
- Top 10 customers and their share of revenue.
- Notable wins, losses or big orders.
4. Costs, profit and cash
- Gross profit and margin, with the reason for any significant change.
- Operating expenses vs budget, calling out lines more than 10% over.
- Cash position and a simple outlook for the next one to three months.
- Debtors’ ageing and creditors due.
5. Customers
New and lost customers, repeat purchase rate, complaints or support tickets, and any customer feedback themes. If you run a call centre or sales line, a line on call volumes and common issues belongs here.
6. Operations and people
Delivery performance, stock levels or stock-outs, headcount changes, and anything that disrupted the month (system outages, supplier delays, load-shedding).
7. Actions and decisions
List last month’s actions with a status (done, in progress, dropped), then this month’s new actions with owners and dates. This section turns the report from a record into a management tool.
What to leave out
- Raw data tables. Put them in an appendix or a linked spreadsheet.
- Charts nobody discusses. If a chart hasn’t prompted a question in three months, drop it.
- Vanity metrics such as social followers, unless they drive a decision.
- Long commentary restating numbers that are already in the table.
How long it should take
Agree a timetable too. A common rhythm for a small business is: books closed by the third working day, report drafted by the fifth, and a 30-minute review meeting in the first week. A report that arrives three weeks into the next month describes history nobody can change; one that arrives in week one still shapes decisions. Our guide to month-end reporting for SA SMEs covers the closing process.
The first time you build this template by hand it can take a day. After that, most of the monthly effort goes on exporting data, updating formulas, refreshing charts and rewriting the commentary. That repetitive part is exactly what automation handles well: the structure is fixed, the data sources are known and the calculations are the same every month.
With Summarix you can upload the month’s export or connect your database or apps (such as Google Sheets, Shopify or HubSpot) and get the summary, KPIs, charts, insights and recommendations drafted in about a minute. Scheduled reports can then arrive by email on the first of each month with the PDF attached. Read more in our guide to automated reporting for small businesses.
Set up your monthly report once and have it arrive in your inbox every month.
Free plan: 5 AI reports a month, no card needed.
Quick copy-and-paste outline
- Title, month and date prepared
- Summary (3–5 sentences)
- KPI table: this month, last month, target, status
- Sales and revenue: trend, breakdown, top customers
- Costs, profit and cash
- Customers
- Operations and people
- Actions: last month’s status, next month’s new actions
- Data notes
Keep the template stable, keep it short and make sure it ends with actions. A monthly report that consistently drives three good decisions is worth far more than a thick pack nobody reads.
Frequently asked questions
What should be included in a monthly business report?
A summary, headline KPIs against last month and target, sales and revenue, costs and cash, customers, operations, and a list of actions with owners.
How long should a monthly report be?
Two to six pages is typical for a small or medium business. The summary and KPI table should fit on the first page.
How many KPIs should a monthly report have?
Six to ten is usually enough. More than that and the important ones get lost.
Can I automate a monthly business report?
Yes. If your data comes from the same sources each month, tools can pull the data, compute the KPIs and draft the commentary on a schedule, leaving you to review and add context.