Five reports every owner should look at each week

Munshi has more than forty reports, and nobody needs all of them. These five answer most of the questions an owner actually asks.

1. Profit and loss

Sales are not profit. The P&L takes away the cost of what you sold and every expense, and shows what is left for the week or the month. Compare it with last month before you decide anything else.

2. Dead stock

Money sitting on a shelf for months is money you can't use. The Not selling report shows items in stock that haven't sold in the last 30 days (or any number you choose), so you can stop reordering them or put them on offer.

3. Udhaar by age

Not all udhaar is the same. Rs 5,000 owed for a week is normal; Rs 5,000 owed for four months probably needs a phone call. The Udhaar ageing report sorts what is owed by how old it is.

4. Cash book

Every rupee in and out of the galla, with the opening and closing balance. If the drawer and the book don't match, this is where you start.

5. Sales by cashier and by day

Who sold what, and which days are busy. Useful for planning staff and for spotting a cashier whose numbers look odd.

Exporting

Every report goes to Excel or PDF, and your accountant can get them from their own login. The Advanced reports module (Rs 199 a month) adds payroll, cost and deeper business reports.