Monthly Reporting and Review

Tutorial 17.4: Monthly Reporting and Review

Introduction

Monthly reviews provide the bigger picture that daily and weekly tasks can't show. Trends become visible, seasonal patterns emerge, and you can make informed decisions about your salon's direction. This guide covers the essential monthly checklist for comprehensive business analysis.

Taking time each month to analyse your salon's performance helps you understand what's working, identify areas for improvement, and set meaningful goals for the coming weeks.

Who this is for: Owners and Admins responsible for business performance and strategy.

What you'll learn:

Running and analysing all key reports
Comparing performance to previous months
Reviewing staff commission and payroll
Analysing customer retention trends
Tracking revenue patterns
Processing monthly payroll
Setting goals for the next month

Time to complete: 1-2 hours (recommended: schedule at the start of each month)

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Access to Luminate with Owner or Admin permissions
The previous month's data fully entered (all transactions completed, cash drawers closed)
Time blocked for uninterrupted analysis
Access to any external financial records for comparison

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Run the Daily Revenue Report for the Month

Start with an overview of your revenue performance.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Daily Revenue
Set the date range to cover the entire previous month:
- Start Date: First day of the month
- End Date: Last day of the month
Click Apply to generate the report

Review the summary metrics:

Metric	What It Tells You
Total Revenue	Overall income for the month
Transactions	How many sales were processed
Average Transaction	Average sale value
Total Tips	Additional income from tips

Analyse the revenue trend chart:

Look for patterns (busy days vs quiet days)
Identify any unusually low or high days
Note weekend vs weekday performance

Compare to previous months:

Change the date range to compare with the same month last year
Compare with the previous month to spot trends
Look for growth or decline patterns

Export the data: Click the export button to download a spreadsheet for:

Your accountant
Further analysis in Excel
Monthly business records

Step 2: Analyse Staff Performance and Commission

Understand how your team performed and calculate earnings.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Staff Performance
Set the date range to the previous month
Click Apply

Review individual staff metrics:

Revenue generated per staff member
Transaction count - how many clients they served
Tips received - customer satisfaction indicator
Commission earned - based on their commission structure

Questions to consider:

Who were your top performers?
Are there significant gaps between staff members?
Does performance correlate with hours worked?
Are commission rates appropriate for experience levels?

Track hours worked:

Go to Reports > Hours Worked
Set the date range to the previous month
Compare scheduled hours with expectations

Calculate productivity:

Compare revenue per hour worked
Identify if some staff are more efficient
Consider whether roster adjustments are needed

Step 3: Review Staff Payroll

Process monthly payroll by reviewing all compensation components.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Payroll
Use the month selector dropdown to select the previous month

The payroll report shows:

Total Staff - Number of staff members in the period
Total Revenue - Revenue generated by staff
Base Pay - Calculated from rostered hours and pay rates
Commission - Based on services/products sold
Tips - Received during the period
Total Gross Pay - Combined compensation for all staff

For each staff member, the table displays:

Staff Member - Name of the employee
Type - Compensation type (Hourly, Salary, Commission Only, etc.)
Hours - Scheduled hours vs actual hours worked
Revenue - Total revenue generated
Base Pay - Calculated from hours and rate
Commission - Earned commission amount
Tips - Tips received
Adjustments - Any manual adjustments (positive or negative)
Gross Pay - Total compensation for the period

For each staff member, verify:

Hours look correct based on the roster
Commission is calculated correctly per their structure
Tips are recorded accurately
Any adjustments are appropriate

Export for processing: Export the payroll report to share with your payroll provider or accountant. This provides a clear breakdown of each staff member's earnings.

Note: Payroll periods are organised by calendar month. Select the appropriate month from the dropdown to review that period's payroll data.

Step 4: Review Leave Usage and Allowances

Track leave taken and plan for upcoming needs.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Leave Report
Use the Year selector to choose the year to review
Review annual leave usage across your team

The summary cards show:

Total Staff - Number of staff members
Total Days Taken - Leave days used across all staff
Avg per Staff - Average days taken per person
Pending Requests - Leave requests awaiting approval

For each staff member, the table displays:

Allowance - Total leave days allocated for the year
Used - Days already taken
Pending - Days requested but not yet approved
Remaining - Days still available
Individual columns for each leave type (Annual Leave, Sick Leave, etc.)

For each staff member, note:

Days taken vs allowance remaining
Any patterns in leave usage
Staff approaching exhausted allowances
Staff with significant unused leave

Year-end planning: If it's late in the year (Q4), pay special attention to:

Staff with large unused balances
Your carryover policy and limits
Encouraging staff to use leave before year-end

Step 5: Analyse Customer Metrics

Understanding customer behaviour helps with marketing and service decisions.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Top Customers
Review your highest-value customers

The report displays:

Customers - Total number of top customers
Total Revenue - Combined revenue from these customers
Avg per Customer - Average spending per customer
Avg Visits - Average number of visits

For each customer, the table shows:

Customer - Name and details
Email and Phone - Contact information
Visits - Total number of visits
Total Spend - Lifetime value
Avg per Visit - Average transaction value
Last Visit - Most recent appointment date

Top customers analysis:

Who are your VIPs?
How much do they spend?
How often do they visit?
When did they last visit (are they due for an appointment)?

Customer retention: On the dashboard, check the Re-Booking chart in the Analytics section to understand:

What percentage of customers rebook before leaving?
Is the rebook rate improving or declining?

New vs returning customers: Note the balance between new customer acquisition and returning customer loyalty. A healthy salon has both.

Step 6: Review Accounts Receivable

Monthly review of outstanding balances helps maintain cash flow.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Accounts Receivable
Review the complete list of outstanding amounts

Create an aging analysis:

0-30 days - Recent and likely to be collected
31-60 days - Follow up needed
61-90 days - Significant concern
90+ days - Consider write-off

Monthly actions:

Send reminder messages to customers with 30+ day balances
Discuss write-off candidates with your accountant
Document collection efforts for records
Consider adjusting deposit policies for problematic customers

Step 7: Check Gift Voucher Liability

Gift vouchers create a financial obligation. Monthly tracking is essential.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select Gift Vouchers
Review the month's activity and current outstanding balance

Track month-over-month:

Is your outstanding voucher liability growing?
Are vouchers being redeemed or sitting unused?
What's the average time to redemption?

Expiring vouchers: Review vouchers expiring in the next 60 days. Consider:

Customer contact campaigns
Promotional reminders
Policies around extensions

Step 8: Review SMS Usage and Credits

If you use SMS for communications, track your usage.

Click Reports in the sidebar menu
Select SMS Usage
Set the date range to the previous month
Click Apply to view the report

The summary cards show:

Current Balance - SMS credits currently available
Total Purchased - Credits purchased in the period
Total Used - Credits consumed in the period
Last Top-Up - Date of most recent credit purchase

The Usage Trend chart shows daily SMS consumption patterns, helping you identify busy periods and plan for future needs.

Monthly tracking:

How many SMS messages were sent?
Is usage increasing or decreasing?
Do you need to top up before the next month?
What types of messages are being sent? (View the transaction history table)

Optimising SMS usage:

Review which notification types use SMS (appointment reminders, birthday messages, cancellations, etc.)
Consider if email could work for some messages
Ensure reminders are generating ROI (fewer no-shows)

Step 9: Compare Year-over-Year Performance

If you have historical data, compare with the same month last year.

Run the Daily Revenue report for last year's same month
Compare key metrics:
- Revenue growth percentage
- Transaction count changes
- Average transaction value changes

Seasonal considerations:

Some months are naturally busier (December) or quieter (January)
Compare like-for-like rather than sequential months
Factor in external events (local festivals, school holidays)

Step 10: Set Goals for the Coming Month

Based on your analysis, set specific, measurable goals.

Example goal areas:

Area	Example Goal
Revenue	Increase by 5% over last month
Rebooking	Improve rebook rate from 65% to 70%
Outstanding balances	Reduce by £500 through collection
New customers	Acquire 10 new customers
Product sales	Increase retail sales by 10%

Make goals SMART:

Specific - Clear and well-defined
Measurable - Trackable in Luminate
Achievable - Realistic given your resources
Relevant - Aligned with business priorities
Time-bound - Monthly deadline

Share goals with your team: When staff understand the goals, they can contribute to achieving them. Consider sharing:

Revenue targets (in general terms)
Rebook rate targets
Customer service goals
Individual performance targets

Monthly Review Checklist

Use this checklist at the start of each month:

Task	Location	Time
Run and analyse Daily Revenue report	Reports > Daily Revenue	15 min
Review Staff Performance	Reports > Staff Performance	15 min
Check Hours Worked report	Reports > Hours Worked	10 min
Process Payroll report	Reports > Payroll	15 min
Review Leave Report	Reports > Leave Report	10 min
Analyse Top Customers	Reports > Top Customers	10 min
Check Accounts Receivable	Reports > Accounts Receivable	10 min
Review Gift Voucher liability	Reports > Gift Vouchers	10 min
Check SMS usage	Reports > SMS Usage	5 min
Compare year-over-year	Reports (various)	10 min
Set goals for next month	-	15 min

Total time: approximately 2 hours

Common Pitfalls

"I don't have time for a 2-hour monthly review"

You don't have to do everything in one sitting. Spread tasks across the first week of the month. The key is completing all checks before mid-month so you can act on insights.

"The numbers don't match my bank account"

Remember that Luminate tracks bookings and transactions, not bank deposits. Differences may be due to: card processing delays, cash not yet banked, refunds in progress, or timing differences.

"I don't know what 'good' looks like for my metrics"

Start by tracking trends rather than absolute values. Are you improving month over month? Then build benchmarks over 6-12 months of data. Industry benchmarks are less useful than your own historical trends.

"Staff dispute their commission calculations"

The payroll report provides transparency. Walk through the calculation with the staff member: their rate, the services they provided, and how commission was calculated. This often resolves misunderstandings.

Tips and Best Practices

Create a monthly review template - Use the same format each month so comparisons are easy. Keep your monthly reports in a folder for historical reference.
Schedule the review in your calendar - Block 2 hours in the first week of each month. Treat it as an unmissable appointment.
Export and archive reports - Download key reports and save them to a secure location. This provides backup and historical data access.
Look for patterns, not just numbers - Single-month anomalies may not be significant. Three-month trends are more meaningful.
Share insights appropriately - Some data (like individual commission) should be private. Other data (like overall salon performance) can motivate the team.
Connect numbers to actions - Every insight should lead to an action or decision. If data doesn't inform action, question whether you need to track it.
Involve your accountant - Share relevant exports with your accountant for financial planning and tax purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions

When exactly should I run the monthly review?

Ideally, within the first week of the new month, after all previous month transactions are complete. Some salons do it on the 1st, others wait until the 5th to ensure everything is captured.

Should I share revenue figures with staff?

This depends on your business culture. Some owners share total salon revenue to create collective ownership. Others prefer keeping specifics private. You might share growth percentages without absolute numbers.

How do I track goals month-to-month?

Create a simple spreadsheet tracking each goal, actual result, and variance. Over time, this becomes valuable for understanding what's achievable and where you consistently fall short.

What if my salon is seasonal and summer months are always slow?

Year-over-year comparison is more valuable than month-to-month in seasonal businesses. Compare July this year to July last year, not July to June.

How detailed should my analysis be for a small salon?

The process is the same regardless of size, but the time might be shorter. A small salon might complete this review in an hour. The key is doing it consistently.

Last Updated: January 2026