Are you tracking the right KPIs?
Brisbane business owners: Here’s how to stop guessing and start measuring what actually matters.
If you’re like most business owners we work with across Brisbane, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Staff to manage. Invoices to chase. Goals to hit. And somewhere in the chaos, someone told you that tracking your “KPIs” would help.
But here’s the thing: KPIs are only helpful if they’re the right ones for your business. Not someone else’s spreadsheet. Not a bunch of random dashboard numbers. Just the few key metrics that show you what’s working and what needs your attention.
Start With What You’re Trying to Achieve
This might sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how often we see people tracking numbers that don’t match what they’re actually trying to do.
If you want to grow revenue, your KPIs might include sales per client or lead conversion rates. If your focus is on improving cash flow (hello, rising expenses), you’ll want to watch debtor days and recurring costs closely.
Bottom line? Your KPIs should match the season you’re in not just what your accounting software tells you to track.
Make It Relevant to Your Industry
Every business type has its own heartbeat.
If you’re in retail, you might look at sales per square metre and average transaction value.
If you’re a tradie or in services, you’ll want to track job completion times and cost per job.
If you run a consultancy or creative agency, focus on billable hours, client retention, and project margins.
One of our clients in Brisbane’s inner north switched from watching ‘total monthly revenue’ to tracking ‘profit per service line’ and it completely changed how they priced and staffed their business. Same revenue, better margins. Less stress.
Only Track What You Can Actually Use
It’s easy to fall into the trap of collecting data just because it’s there. But if you’re not going to do anything with it, what’s the point?
Good KPIs should:
Be easy to measure regularly
Help you make a decision
Give you insight, not just information
If your staff productivity metric is sliding, that’s a signal to dig in.
If client lifetime value is improving, maybe it’s time to invest more in retention strategies. The point is to make your KPIs work for you not just sit pretty on a dashboard.
Benchmark and Track Trends Over Time
No need to reinvent the wheel here. Use your past performance or industry benchmarks to see how you’re really going. Not growing? Something’s off. Improving steadily? Great keep going. Plateauing? Time to zoom in and refine.
This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress.
5 KPI Categories That Are Worth Your Time
- Financial Health – Cash in the bank, profit margins, debtor days
Customer Value – Cost to acquire a client vs. what they spend
Efficiency – Time to complete work, productivity per staff member
Sales & Marketing – Lead conversion, return on ad spend
Team & Culture – Staff turnover, engagement, capacity
Not all of these will be relevant to your business but picking a few good ones can give you real clarity.
Your KPIs Should Evolve as Your Business Grows
Early-stage businesses might focus on survival metrics—cash flow, new leads, break-even point. More established firms? You’re probably looking at margins, team utilisation, and ROI.
The key is reviewing them regularly. What worked a year ago might not help you now.
Let’s Make Your Numbers Make Sense
If you’re not sure which KPIs are worth tracking or you’ve got all the data but none of the clarity we can help.
We work with Brisbane businesses across all shapes and sizes to cut through the noise and build a scorecard that makes sense for you.
Book a quick KPI chat with the NBC team.