Most small businesses track key metrics monthly or quarterly. By the time problems show up in monthly numbers, they've been developing for weeks. Weekly tracking surfaces problems while they're still solvable.
What to track weekly
Revenue (sales, new contracts, recurring revenue). Cash position (closing balance, projected runway). Customer metrics (new customers, churn, conversion rate). Pipeline (qualified leads, proposals out). Team metrics (work in progress, key projects status).
How to make it manageable
Spreadsheet template that takes 15 minutes weekly to populate. Same time each week (Friday afternoon works for many). Compare to previous weeks (trend matters more than absolute numbers). Quick action on red flags (sudden churn spike, cash position deterioration, pipeline drying).
Why this matters more than monthly review
Problems often have 2-4 week intervention window before becoming crises. Monthly tracking misses the window. Weekly tracking gives time to investigate and act.