{"id":5522,"date":"2018-12-14T07:44:15","date_gmt":"2018-12-14T12:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/?p=5522"},"modified":"2025-09-10T10:59:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T14:59:51","slug":"a-basic-guide-to-interactive-dashboards-for-small-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/a-basic-guide-to-interactive-dashboards-for-small-business\/","title":{"rendered":"A basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/growth-customers\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Growth &amp; Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tA basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2018-12-14T07:44:15-05:00\">December 14, 2018<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"A basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/a-basic-guide-to-interactive-dashboards-for-small-business\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"Keir Thomas-Bryant\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/04\/Keir.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Business intelligence in an interactive dashboard can summarize your financial data in a visual and easy-to-understand way so decision-making is easy \u2013 and problems can be spotted early.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once the preserve of large businesses (it originated in huge corporations in the 1950s), its functionality has filtered down to even the smallest business \u2013 and our guide &#8211; <em>A basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business<\/em> &#8211; explains how you can benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<a\n\t\tclass=\"button button--primary gate-bd8638a6-3b0c-4100-bf66-4a8cb7204485\"\n\t\trole=\"button\"\n\t\tdata-button-location=\"content_area\"\n\t\thref=\"#gate-bd8638a6-3b0c-4100-bf66-4a8cb7204485\"\n\t>Get your free guide to interactive dashboards<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Most of us have created simple graphs in spreadsheet applications using the automated tools. This is a way of visualizing data. If one bar in a graph is taller than another, then clearly that value is higher. We can see that at a glance, rather than wading through tables of figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Business intelligence is like that spreadsheet graph \u2013 but on performance-enhancing medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With just a few clicks, you can transform your profit and loss ledger into a series of attractive tables, charts and standout figures, known as a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/accounting-year-end\/\">dashboard.<\/a> Your dashboards might show overheads, expenses, net profit percentage and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to drill down into your expenses, as one example, you can click the graph to see a listing complete with variance year-on-year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark class=\"highlight-and-share\">Business intelligence is about providing insight into data in the quickest and most intuitive way possible<\/mark>, and giving you the freedom to creatively explore it. This means you can be more reactive and responsive on a daily basis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our guide includes straightforward advice on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The competitive advantage business intelligence dashboards and reports offer even the smallest business owner\u2014including sole proprietors or <a class=\"SWhtmlLink\" title=\"How to have a happy relationship as an entrepreneurial couple\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/how-to-have-a-happy-relationship-as-an-entrepreneurial-couple\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">partnerships<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How business intelligence can directly improve your business decision-making \u2013 including examples drawn from real-world businesses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Five essential dashboards you should be using within your small business: Sales Trend Analysis, Financial Hygiene, Analysis of Aged Debtors, Analysis of Aged Creditors and Business Snapshot<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The dashboards included in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/accounting-software\/\">small business accounting software<\/a> to show how you can quickly and easily implement the tools within your business, along with guidance on how the tools work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-excerpt-from-a-basic-guide-to-interactive-dashboards-for-small-business\">Excerpt from <em>A basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-introduction\">Introduction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To be alive today is to generate data on a minute-by-minute basis. Instant messages from family and friends on our smartphones, financial transactions when we purchase a coffee \u2013 data paints an incredibly accurate picture of us whether we like it or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Businesses are no different and the rise of sophisticated, cloud-enabled accounting software means there&#8217;s a constant flow of financial data within your business. Again, the data paints a picture that&#8217;s accurate \u2013 but also invaluable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data can provide insights that empower the right decisions for growth. Problems can be spotted before they even arise. For example, you&#8217;re able to keep tighter control over creditors, leading to shorter waits for payments \u2013 and therefore improved cash flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can see which customers are providing most business, both right now and projecting in the future, and therefore focus on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><mark class=\"highlight-and-share\">Taking control of your data also means admin tasks take less time, meaning you can focus on what drives you and your passion within the business.<\/mark> Turning your business data into invaluable insights sounds difficult \u2013 but it isn&#8217;t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There&#8217;s a whole area of technology called business intelligence dedicated to the task. Business intelligence means you can view reports and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/what-is-a-real-time-dashboard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">real-time dashboards<\/a> showing your live financial data in useful and visually appealing ways, such as in graphs and pie charts, or by picking out the most important headline figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The intention is to tell you everything you need to know with little more than a glance \u2013 and that might be all it takes to spot a problem or an opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-collect-your-cash\">Collect your cash<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It&#8217;s important for any business owner to know exactly who owes them cash\u2014how much, and when they can expect to receive it from their customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the Analysis of Accounts Receivable dashboard, the first thing you&#8217;ll see is in the Debtors Days section is that it shows 134.54 and is red. This means that on average, your debtors are paying you every 134.54 days compared to the average credit terms of 37.31 days that you have set for your debtors in your business. We&#8217;re all aware of the phrase &#8220;cash is king&#8221;, and this is especially true for a start-up business where money is tight. As a business owner, you need to closely monitor how quickly your debtors are paying you\u2014and for this mission, the color red is not acceptable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Looking at the Accounts Receivable Age Summary, you&#8217;re able to view how much you&#8217;re owed and for how long it&#8217;s been outstanding. Straight away, you&#8217;ll notice that there is $140k sitting in the 120 days category and $76k older than 120 days\u2014which is cash that&#8217;s outstanding and needs to be collected by you. By clicking on the 120 Days heading, the interactive chart shows you that the outstanding amount largely relates to a specific customer: BMC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you then right-click on BMC and click Drill Through, you can immediately drill-down to the specific customer information and follow up with the appropriate person for the outstanding amounts. You&#8217;re also able to view what BMC&#8217;s average credit terms are, if there are any sales this month to them, and what amounts are due and\/or overdue. You can then take immediate action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-summary\">Summary<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even just ten years ago a guide like this couldn&#8217;t have existed because the technology behind business intelligence had yet to filter down to the small business sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now even the smallest business owner, such as a sole proprietor, is given the kind of visibility into their business that encourages growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this guide we look at the benefits of business intelligence, and how financial dashboards provided by business intelligence tools can empower a small business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The final step is to embrace the revolution within your own business\u2014and to let the power of business intelligence take your operation to the next level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">A basic guide to interactive dashboards for small business<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Want to know how to use data to make the right decisions so you can grow your business? Download this free guide and learn how business intelligence tools can reveal insights that will keep your business moving.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-bd8638a6-3b0c-4100-bf66-4a8cb7204485\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Get your free guide<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1166663572-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1166663572-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Our free white paper how even the smallest concern can benefit from business intelligence and use of an interactive 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