The Numbers That Matter: Turn Data Into Decisions

As a business owner, you don’t need to drown in spreadsheets — you need clarity. At Rule29, we focus on the handful of financial numbers that really matter: cash runway, profit margins, debtor days, and growth capacity. These figures tell the true story of your business health and guide smarter decisions. By tracking and acting on The Numbers That Matter, you’ll protect cash, boost profits, and build long-term value.

How to Fill In the Form

The form is divided into 4 tabs. Each tab asks for key information about your business. Follow these instructions carefully and use your most recent management accounts, bookkeeping software, or spreadsheets.

Growth Inputs (marketing & sales) – Fill in each field with your most recent figures (Number of leads, Conversions, Average Order Value, etc.). Use your management accounts, bookkeeping software, or spreadsheets for accuracy.

Margin and Retention Inputs. Fill in your Gross Margin, Expected Retention and Debtor Days.

Calculated Outputs. This is where you’ll find the results of your inputs.

About You. Submit to receive a PDF. Once completed, click the button to generate your results instantly. An Email will drop into your inbox.

Keep it simple – Round to the nearest whole number if needed; don’t overthink small details.

Be consistent – Use the same time frame (e.g., monthly or quarterly) across all fields.

Note: If you’re unsure of a number, make your best estimate. Even rough data is better than none — it will still highlight where to focus.

Tab 1: Growth Inputs.

Leads / Month
Enter the average number of new leads your business generates each month (enquiries, sign-ups, inbound calls, etc.).
This number feeds into revenue forecasting and conversion analysis.
Conversion Rate %
What percentage of leads turn into paying customers?
Formula: (Number of Sales ÷ Number of Leads) × 100.
This shows how effective your sales process is.
Average Order Value (£)
Enter the average spend per customer per order.
Most accounting systems can calculate this by dividing total revenue by the total number of orders.
Repeat Purchases / Customer / Year
On average, how many times per year does a customer buy from you?
This helps estimate Lifetime Value (LTV) and customer retention.
Cost per Lead (£)
How much does it cost to generate one new lead? Include ad spend, marketing costs, and any sales expenses.
This is key for calculating Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC).
Fixed Costs / Month (£)
Enter your total monthly fixed costs (rent, salaries, software, utilities, etc.). Do not include variable costs directly tied to sales.
This figure will be used to calculate your break-even point.
Cash on Hand (£) (Optional)
The amount of available cash in the bank today.
This can be used to calculate your cash runway — how many months you can operate at your current burn rate.

Tab 2: Margin & Retention Inputs.

Gross Margin
The percentage of revenue you keep after covering the direct costs of delivering your product or service.
Formula: (Revenue – Direct Costs) ÷ Revenue × 100.
Example: £100,000 revenue – £60,000 direct costs = 40% gross margin.

Retention Rate
The time (in years) customers will continue to buy from you.
Example: A customer stays with you for 5 years, then the number would be 5.
Strong retention means lower marketing spend and higher lifetime value.
Debtor Days
The average number of days it takes your customers to pay you.
Formula: (Trade Debtors ÷ Annual Revenue) × 365.
Example: £50,000 debtors ÷ £600,000 annual revenue × 365 = 30 days.
Under 30 days is excellent; over 45 days is a cash flow risk.

When you’ve completed these tabs, you can examine your numbers by clicking the Calculated Numbers Tab. If you want a PDF with the numbers and additional advice, then complete the ‘About You’ section, and you’ll receive a PDF when you hit submit

What Your Results Mean

Customers / Month
The number of new paying customers you generate each month.
This shows your sales engine’s effectiveness and how well leads are being converted.
Monthly Revenue (£)
The total money your business brings in from sales each month, before deducting costs.
This is your business’s “top line” — the scale of income flowing in.
Gross Profit / Month (£)
Revenue minus the direct costs of producing your product or service.
It shows how much you actually keep from sales before overheads like rent and salaries.
Marketing Spend / Month (£)
The amount invested each month in generating leads (ads, content, events, etc.).
This is your “fuel” for customer acquisition and should be tracked against results.
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) (£/New Customer)
How much it costs to win one new customer.
Formula: Marketing Spend ÷ Number of New Customers. Lower CAC means more efficient marketing.
Payback Period (Months)
How long it takes to recover your CAC from customer revenue.
Shorter = faster return on investment. Under 12 months is considered healthy.
Break-Even Revenue / Month (£)
The amount of revenue required each month to cover all costs before making profit.
Below this number = losses; above it = profit.
Lifetime Value (LTV) (£)
The total revenue you expect from a customer over their entire relationship with your business.
High LTV means strong repeat purchases, loyalty, and upsell opportunities.
Monthly Profit (£)
Your “bottom line” — revenue minus all costs (direct costs + fixed costs + marketing spend).
This tells you how much your business actually makes or loses per month.
Cash Runway (Months)
How long your business can survive with the cash available today, assuming expenses remain constant.
Example: £60,000 in the bank ÷ £20,000 monthly costs = 3 months runway.
Cash Collected / Month (£)
The actual cash that lands in your bank account each month from customer payments.
This may differ from revenue if customers pay late — it’s the truest picture of liquidity.