Running the firm, 29 October 2026
The 6 numbers a trade business owner should check every morning
Check six numbers every morning: cash in the bank after this week's bills, money owed to you and how much of it is overdue, bills due in the next seven days, enquiries not yet answered, quotes waiting for a decision, and gaps or clashes in tomorrow's diary. Together they take five minutes and tell you whether to chase money, sell or schedule today.
Why check numbers every day and not once a month?
Because most trade firms run out of cash in weeks, not months, and the monthly accounts arrive too late to change anything. A daily look turns a nasty surprise into a phone call you make on Tuesday instead of a wages problem on Friday.
The six numbers are chosen because you can act on each one before lunch. Profit per job and overheads matter as much, but they change slowly and belong in a monthly review. See job costing for trades and overheads per man-day for those.
What are the six numbers?
| # | Number | Where to find it | Act when |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cash after this week's bills | Bank app, less number 3 | It covers less than two weeks of wages and running costs |
| 2 | Money owed to you, and overdue | Accounts software, invoices owed | Anything is more than 7 days overdue |
| 3 | Bills and wages due in 7 days | Accounts software, bills to pay; payroll | The total is more than the cash in number 1 |
| 4 | Enquiries with no reply | Email, WhatsApp, voicemail, social messages | Any is older than one working day |
| 5 | Quotes waiting, by value | Quote list or software | Any is more than 7 days old with no follow-up |
| 6 | Tomorrow's diary | Shared calendar or job software | Someone has no work, two jobs clash, or parts aren't in |
Pick your trigger levels once and write them down. The point is to stop deciding, every morning, whether a number is bad.
What does the check look like for a real firm?
Here's a Tuesday morning for a five-person heating firm: the owner plus four engineers, doing boiler installs and servicing.
Tuesday morning check for a five-person heating firm
Figures for one morning. Running costs (wages, van leases, materials on account, overheads) are about £9,000 a week.
| £21,400 |
| £9,450 |
| £11,950 |
| Weeks of cover£11,950 ÷ £9,000 a week | 1.3 weeks |
| £18,600 |
| £5,850 |
| 2 |
| £31,200 |
| 1 gap |
So the owner calls the three overdue customers before 9am, replies to the two enquiries from the van, and fills the half-day gap with a service visit from the reminder list. Five minutes of reading has set the day.
How much cash does your work tie up?
More than most owners think. You pay wages and merchants weeks before customers pay you, and the gap is cash you need in the bank. Put in your monthly costs and how long it takes from doing the work to having the money.
Your numbers, not a promise. Change any figure to match your firm.
If the answer is bigger than your cash in number 1, you're relying on customers paying on time. Shorter terms, deposits and stage payments close the gap; see busy but broke and deposits and stage payments.
Why count enquiries and quotes every day?
Because they're next month's cash. A slow reply loses the job before you've priced it, and a quote you don't chase is often a quote someone else wins.
I've got literally nothing this month from my marketing guys.
Every enquiry means a quote and often a supplier email. When leads dry up, counting enquiries and quotes every morning is how you notice in the first week rather than at month end. When they flood in, it's how you notice the ones nobody answered. The how fast to reply to an enquiry guide covers response times, and following up quotes gives a chasing routine.
How do you get the six numbers in five minutes?
Put them in one place and look at them at the same time every day. Most come from two apps: your bank and your accounts software.
The numbers are only as good as the books. If supplier bills sit in a van door for a month, number 3 is wrong and number 1 looks better than it is. Getting bills into the accounts as they arrive is covered in receipts into Xero from WhatsApp, and Xero's real position explains why the dashboard and the bank often disagree.
Where Nexley fits
Nexley is the AI back office for UK trade firms: five AI assistants run your tenders, quotes, buying, scheduling and invoicing. It connects to the tools you already work in, you run it all from WhatsApp, and you approve everything. £799 a month.
Each morning, Nexley sends the six numbers to your WhatsApp from your accounts, your bank feed, your inbox and your diary, with the overdue invoices, unanswered enquiries and stale quotes listed underneath. It drafts the chasers and replies, and you approve each one before it goes.
Common questions
Is the bank balance not enough?
No. The balance includes money already owed to merchants, HMRC and your team. Cash after this week's bills is the figure you can spend.
Should I check profit daily?
Not usually. Profit per job is worth checking when each job finishes, and the overall profit monthly. Daily checks are for cash and sales, which change fast.
What if my bookkeeping is a month behind?
Then use the bank balance and a list of bills you know are due, and get the bookkeeping current. The daily check exposes a backlog quickly, which is useful in itself.
Can someone else do the check for me?
Yes. A bookkeeper or office manager can send you the six numbers each morning. You still make the call on what to do first.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Late commercial payments, charging interest
- GOV.UK: Claim debt recovery costs on late payments
- Bank of England: Monetary Policy Summary, September 2026
- Xero: Xero Accounting app (UK)
Every rule, rate and date above was checked against these sources on the date shown at the top.
Topic: Running the firm
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