KPI Dashboard Examples for Small Business
See real KPI dashboard examples for small businesses. Learn which metrics to track and how to build a simple dashboard that actually gets used.
KPI Dashboard Examples for Small Business
A good dashboard shows you how your business is doing in 10 seconds.
A bad dashboard has 50 metrics and tells you nothing.
Here's how to build dashboards that actually help you make decisions.
What Is a KPI Dashboard?
KPI = Key Performance Indicator
A KPI dashboard displays your most important metrics in one view. Check it daily or weekly to know if things are on track.
Key word: "Key" - Not every metric. Just the vital few.
The 5-Metric Rule
Most small businesses need only 5-7 KPIs on their main dashboard. More than that creates noise.
Ask yourself: "If I could only see 5 numbers, which would I choose?"
Those are your KPIs.
Dashboard Example 1: E-commerce Business
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ E-COMMERCE DASHBOARD │
│ December 2025 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ REVENUE ORDERS AOV │
│ $52,340 892 $58.68 │
│ ▲ 12% vs LM ▲ 8% vs LM ▲ 4% vs LM │
│ │
│ CONVERSION CART ABANDON │
│ 2.4% 68% │
│ ▼ 0.2% vs LM ▲ 3% vs LM (bad) │
│ │
│ [Revenue Trend Chart - Last 12 Months] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why these KPIs:
- Revenue - The ultimate measure
- Orders - Volume indicator
- AOV (Average Order Value) - Are customers spending more?
- Conversion Rate - Is the website working?
- Cart Abandonment - Where are we losing sales?
Dashboard Example 2: Service Business
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SERVICE BUSINESS DASHBOARD │
│ December 2025 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ REVENUE PROJECTS AVG PROJECT │
│ $85,000 12 $7,083 │
│ ▲ 15% vs LM ▲ 2 vs LM ▲ 8% vs LM │
│ │
│ UTILIZATION CLIENT SATIS. │
│ 78% 4.6/5.0 │
│ ▼ 5% vs LM → Same │
│ │
│ PIPELINE │
│ $120,000 (8 proposals) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why these KPIs:
- Revenue - Money coming in
- Projects - Volume of work
- Avg Project Value - Are we landing bigger projects?
- Utilization - Is the team busy enough?
- Client Satisfaction - Will they come back?
- Pipeline - Future revenue visibility
Dashboard Example 3: SaaS Business
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SAAS DASHBOARD │
│ December 2025 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ MRR CUSTOMERS ARPU │
│ $24,500 412 $59.47 │
│ ▲ 8% vs LM ▲ 23 vs LM ▲ 2% vs LM │
│ │
│ CHURN NPS TRIAL→PAID │
│ 3.2% 42 12% │
│ ▼ 0.5% (good) ▲ 5 pts ▲ 2% vs LM │
│ │
│ [MRR Growth Chart - Last 12 Months] │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why these KPIs:
- MRR (Monthly Recurring Revenue) - Predictable income
- Customers - User base size
- ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) - Value per customer
- Churn - Are customers leaving?
- NPS (Net Promoter Score) - Would they recommend you?
- Trial to Paid - Is the funnel working?
Dashboard Example 4: Retail/Local Business
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ RETAIL DASHBOARD │
│ December 2025 │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ DAILY SALES TRANSACTIONS AVG TICKET │
│ $2,840 89 $31.91 │
│ ▲ vs Yesterday ▲ 12 vs Yest. ▼ $2 vs Yest. │
│ │
│ INVENTORY FOOT TRAFFIC │
│ $45,000 ~320/day │
│ (62 days supply) ▲ 8% vs LW │
│ │
│ TOP SELLER TODAY: Winter Jacket ($890 sold) │
│ │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Why these KPIs:
- Daily Sales - Today's performance
- Transactions - Customer count
- Average Ticket - Spend per customer
- Inventory Value - Cash tied up in stock
- Foot Traffic - Are people coming in?
How to Choose Your KPIs
Step 1: Identify Your Business Model
Different models need different KPIs:
- Transaction-based: Revenue, orders, average order
- Subscription: MRR, churn, lifetime value
- Service: Utilization, project value, client retention
- Retail: Daily sales, inventory turns, foot traffic
Step 2: Cover the Customer Journey
Include at least one KPI for each stage:
- Acquisition: Traffic, leads, trials
- Conversion: Conversion rate, close rate
- Revenue: Sales, MRR, average order
- Retention: Churn, repeat rate, NPS
Step 3: Balance Leading and Lagging
Lagging indicators tell you what happened:
- Revenue, profit, customer count
Leading indicators predict what will happen:
- Pipeline, traffic, trial signups
You need both.
Building Your Dashboard
Option 1: Spreadsheet (Free)
Simple but manual:
- Create a Google Sheet or Excel file
- Input your KPIs weekly
- Add conditional formatting (green/red)
- Create simple charts
Pros: Free, flexible Cons: Manual updates, basic visuals
Option 2: Google Data Studio (Free)
More automated:
- Connect to your data sources
- Build visualizations
- Auto-refreshes
Pros: Free, automated, shareable Cons: Learning curve, setup time
Option 3: Dedicated Dashboard Tools
Tools like Geckoboard, Klipfolio, Databox:
Pros: Beautiful, easy setup, integrations Cons: Monthly cost ($50-200+)
Option 4: AI-Powered Analysis
Upload your data and get instant dashboards with insights:
Pros: No setup, automatic insights, fast Cons: Less customization
Dashboard Design Tips
Tip 1: Put the Most Important KPI First
Top-left corner gets the most attention. Put revenue or your #1 metric there.
Tip 2: Show Comparisons
A number alone means nothing. Always show:
- vs. last month
- vs. same month last year
- vs. target
Tip 3: Use Color Sparingly
- Green = good / above target
- Red = bad / below target
- Gray = neutral
Don't rainbow your dashboard.
Tip 4: Include One Trend Chart
At least one chart showing the trend over time. Numbers show "what," trends show "direction."
Tip 5: Update Consistently
A dashboard that's not updated is useless. Set a schedule:
- Daily dashboards: Update every morning
- Weekly dashboards: Update every Monday
- Monthly dashboards: Update by the 5th
Common Dashboard Mistakes
Mistake 1: Too Many Metrics
More isn't better. 5-7 KPIs max on your main dashboard. Create separate dashboards for deep dives.
Mistake 2: Vanity Metrics
Avoid metrics that look good but don't matter:
- Social media followers (unless that's your business)
- Website visits (without conversion context)
- Email list size (without engagement data)
Focus on metrics that drive decisions.
Mistake 3: No Context
"Revenue: $50,000" - Is that good? Bad?
Always include targets, comparisons, or benchmarks.
Mistake 4: Never Looking at It
The best dashboard is one you actually check. Put it:
- On a TV in the office
- As your browser homepage
- In your Monday morning routine
Your First Dashboard
Start simple:
- Pick your 5 most important metrics
- Open a spreadsheet
- Create a simple table with this month and last month
- Add % change column
- Check it every week
That's it. A basic dashboard in 15 minutes.
You can make it fancier later. Start by tracking consistently.
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