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)

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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

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Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Run the Daily Revenue Report for the Month

Start with an overview of your revenue performance.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Financial Reports, select Daily Revenue
3. On the Daily Revenue Report page, set the date range to cover the entire previous month:
   • Start Date: First day of the month
   • End Date: Last day of the month
4. Click Apply to generate the report

Review the summary metrics:

The summary cards across the top break revenue down so you can see exactly where it came from:

Metric	What It Tells You
Gross Revenue	Total income before refunds
Refunds	Total refunded during the period
Net Revenue	Income after refunds — your true takings
Service Revenue	Income from services
Product Revenue	Income from retail products
Transactions	How many sales were processed
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

Review the Daily Breakdown table: Below the chart, the Daily Breakdown table lists each day with its Transactions, Services, Products, Subtotal, Discounts, Tax, Revenue, Refunds and Tips. Click a column heading to sort by it.

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 Export and choose Export as CSV or Export as PDF to download the report for:

• Your accountant
• Further analysis in a spreadsheet
• Monthly business records

Step 2: Analyse Staff Performance and Commission

Understand how your team performed and calculate earnings.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Staff Reports, select Staff Performance
3. On the Staff Performance Report page, set the date range to the previous month
4. Click Apply

Review the summary cards:

• Total Revenue - combined revenue generated by the team
• Avg per Staff - average revenue per staff member
• Total Tips - tips received across the team
• Total Commission - commission earned across the team

The Revenue by Staff chart ranks staff members visually so top performers stand out at a glance.

Review individual staff metrics: The Staff Breakdown table shows, for each person: Staff Member, Role, Transactions, Items, Services, Products, Total Revenue, Tips and Commission. Click a column heading to sort.

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:

1. Go to Reports and, under Staff Reports, select Hours Worked
2. On the Hours Worked Report page, set the date range to the previous month and click Apply
3. The summary cards show Total Working Hours, Staff Members, Avg Hours/Staff and Total Shifts; the Staff Hours Breakdown table lists each person's Shifts, Scheduled Hours, Working Hours and Break Hours

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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Staff Reports, select Payroll
3. Use the Select month dropdown to choose 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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Staff Reports, select Leave Report
3. Use the Year dropdown to choose the year to review
4. 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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Customer Reports, select Top Customers
3. Set the date range to the period you want to review and click Apply

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, open the Analytics tab (the dashboard opens on Today's Appointments) and check the Re-Booking chart 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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Financial Reports, select Accounts Receivable
3. Review the complete list of outstanding amounts

Review the summary cards:

• Total Outstanding - the total amount owed to you
• Customers with Balance - how many customers owe money
• Average Balance - average amount owed per customer
• Oldest Overdue - the age of the oldest overdue balance

Narrow the list with the Filters card:

• Min Balance - hide small balances below a threshold
• Days Overdue - show only balances older than 7, 14, 30, 60 or 90+ days
• Unpaid Invoices - show only customers with multiple unpaid invoices (2+, 3+, 5+)

Click Apply to update the results.

Read the Outstanding Balances table: For each customer the table shows Customer, Email, Phone, Unpaid (number of unpaid invoices), Outstanding (amount owed), Oldest Invoice and Days Overdue. Use the Days Overdue column (or the filter) to build an informal aging picture:

• 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

Click View Transactions on a row to see that customer's outstanding invoices in detail.

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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Financial Reports, select Gift Vouchers
3. Use the Issue Date Range filter (Issued From / Issued To, or All Time) and click Apply

Review the summary cards:

• Total Issued - count and value of vouchers issued
• Active - vouchers still in use
• Outstanding Balance - your total voucher liability (money owed in unredeemed vouchers)
• Redeemed Value - value redeemed
• Forfeited Value - value lost to expiry or voiding

Read the Gift Vouchers table: Each row shows Code, Status, Customer, Recipient, Initial Value, Balance, Forfeited, Issued and Expires. Use the Voucher Code search and the Status filter (All Statuses, Active, Redeemed, Expired, Voided) to focus on what you need.

Track month-over-month:

• Is your Outstanding Balance growing?
• Are vouchers being redeemed or sitting unused?
• How much value is being forfeited?

Expiring vouchers: Sort by the Expires column (or filter by Status) to spot vouchers nearing expiry. 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.

1. Click Reports in the sidebar menu
2. Under Messaging Reports, select SMS Usage
3. Set the date range to the previous month
4. 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.

Switch between the two views:

• Individual Entries - the Transaction History table, listing each credit movement with its Type, Reason, SMS Type, Amount and running Balance
• Daily Summary - the Daily Breakdown table, showing Credits Added, Credits Used and Net Change per day

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? (Check the Individual Entries view)

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.

1. Run the Daily Revenue report for last year's same month
2. 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

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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

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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.

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Tips and Best Practices

1. 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.

2. Schedule the review in your calendar - Block 2 hours in the first week of each month. Treat it as an unmissable appointment.

3. Export and archive reports - Download key reports and save them to a secure location. This provides backup and historical data access.

4. Look for patterns, not just numbers - Single-month anomalies may not be significant. Three-month trends are more meaningful.

5. Share insights appropriately - Some data (like individual commission) should be private. Other data (like overall salon performance) can motivate the team.

6. 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.

7. Involve your accountant - Share relevant exports with your accountant for financial planning and tax purposes.

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Related Tutorials

• Tutorial 9.1: Understanding Your Dashboard - Interpret key metrics
• Tutorial 9.2: Running Revenue Reports - Detailed revenue analysis
• Tutorial 9.3: Staff Performance and Commission Reports - Staff metrics
• Tutorial 9.4: Customer Analytics - Top Customers and Retention - Customer insights
• Tutorial 9.5: Accounts Receivable and Outstanding Balance Reports - Manage debts
• Tutorial 9.6: Payroll Processing and Reports - Handle payroll
• Tutorial 9.7: Staff Hours Worked Report - Rostered hours detail

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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.

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Last Updated: January 2026