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5 examples of Financial Metrics metrics and KPIs

What are Financial Metrics metrics?

Identifying the optimal Financial Metrics metrics can be challenging, especially when everyday tasks consume your time. To help you, we've assembled a list of examples to ignite your creativity.

Copy these examples into your preferred app, or you can also use Tability to keep yourself accountable.

Find Financial Metrics metrics with AI

While we have some examples available, it's likely that you'll have specific scenarios that aren't covered here. You can use our free AI metrics generator below to generate your own strategies.

Examples of Financial Metrics metrics and KPIs

Metrics for Profit increase strategies

  • 1. Net Profit Margin

    Calculated by dividing net profit by total revenue, expressed as a percentage. It shows how much profit a company makes for each dollar of revenue.

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-20%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Reduce operational costs
    • Increase product prices
    • Enhance sales volume
    • Improve customer retention
    • Optimise supply chain
  • 2. Return on Investment (ROI)

    Determines profitability by comparing the gain from an investment to its cost, calculated as (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) x 100.

    What good looks like for this metric: 15-25%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Choose higher-yield investments
    • Reduce investment costs
    • Increase revenue from investments
    • Enhance marketing strategies
    • Improve financial forecasting
  • 3. Gross Profit Margin

    Calculated by subtracting cost of goods sold (COGS) from revenue and dividing by revenue, expressed as a percentage, indicating the efficiency of production and pricing.

    What good looks like for this metric: 20-40%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Negotiate better supplier terms
    • Increase production efficiency
    • Enhance sales and pricing strategy
    • Reduce waste in production
    • Control direct labour costs
  • 4. Operating Profit Margin

    Measures what proportion of revenue is left as profit after accounting for operating expenses, calculated by dividing operating profit by total revenue.

    What good looks like for this metric: 10-15%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline operational processes
    • Reduce administrative expenses
    • Enhance revenue streams
    • Focus on core business activities
    • Minimise utility and overhead costs
  • 5. Expense Ratio

    Expresses the percentage of total expenses to total revenue, highlighting cost management efficiency.

    What good looks like for this metric: 60-80%

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Implement cost-cutting measures
    • Monitor expenses regularly
    • Automate routine tasks
    • Negotiate better vendor contracts
    • Outsource non-core processes

Metrics for Growth for Startups

  • 1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

    MRR is the monthly revenue your startup can reliably anticipate based on subscriptions or recurring contracts

    What good looks like for this metric: $1,500 - $10,000 for early-stage startups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Develop new pricing tiers
    • Upsell existing customers
    • Reduce churn rate
    • Implement referral programs
    • Expand market reach
  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    CAC is the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including marketing and sales expenses

    What good looks like for this metric: Typically between $100 - $400

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Optimise marketing campaigns
    • Enhance sales team efficiency
    • Utilise cost-effective channels
    • Improve customer targeting
    • Negotiate better ad rates
  • 3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

    CLTV is the total revenue expected from a customer during their entire relationship with your company

    What good looks like for this metric: 3-5 times CAC

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance customer experience
    • Implement loyalty programs
    • Increase product range
    • Upsell and cross-sell effectively
    • Provide consistent value
  • 4. User Growth Rate

    The percentage increase in the number of users or customers over a specific period

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-7% monthly for early-stage startups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Launch marketing campaigns
    • Enhance product features
    • Engage with users on social media
    • Implement referral incentives
    • Offer limited-time promotions
  • 5. Churn Rate

    The percentage of customers who stop using your product or service over a given period

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-7% monthly is often considered standard

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve customer service
    • Gather feedback to understand issues
    • Regularly update and improve the product
    • Offer personalised experiences
    • Create re-engagement campaigns

Metrics for Growth For Scaleups

  • 1. Revenue Growth Rate

    Measures the rate at which a company's revenue is increasing over a specified period of time

    What good looks like for this metric: 20%-40% annual growth

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance marketing strategies
    • Expand into new markets
    • Introduce new product lines
    • Increase sales efforts
    • Optimize pricing models
  • 2. Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)

    Calculates the total cost of acquiring a new customer, including all marketing and sales expenses

    What good looks like for this metric: $1 to $3 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Streamline marketing campaigns
    • Utilise referral programs
    • Optimise ad targeting
    • Improve sales funnel efficiency
    • Negotiate better rates with vendors
  • 3. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

    Estimates the total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout their relationship

    What good looks like for this metric: $200 to $1000 per customer

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase average order value
    • Improve customer retention
    • Enhance customer support
    • Upsell additional products or services
    • Create loyalty programs
  • 4. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

    Measures the amount of predictable revenue a company can expect each month

    What good looks like for this metric: $10,000 to $50,000 for early scaleups

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase subscription prices
    • Offer annual payment plans
    • Launch new subscription tiers
    • Reduce churn rate
    • Expand customer base
  • 5. Churn Rate

    Indicates the percentage of customers who stop using a product or service during a given period

    What good looks like for this metric: 2%-5% monthly churn

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve product features
    • Enhance user onboarding
    • Engage with customers regularly
    • Offer discounts or incentives
    • Provide excellent customer support

Metrics for Subscription business performance

  • 1. Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)

    The total revenue generated from all active subscriptions in a month. Calculated as the sum of all subscription values per month.

    What good looks like for this metric: $10,000 - $500,000 depending on industry

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Increase the price of your subscription plans
    • Upsell existing customers to higher-tier plans
    • Acquire new subscribers through marketing campaigns
    • Improve product offerings to reduce churn
    • Implement annual or semi-annual billing cycles
  • 2. Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV)

    The total revenue a business can reasonably expect from a single customer account throughout their relationship. Calculated as average revenue per account multiplied by average customer lifespan.

    What good looks like for this metric: $100 - $1,500 depending on industry

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance customer support to increase retention
    • Develop loyalty programs
    • Segment customers for personalized marketing
    • Offer cross-sell and upsell opportunities
    • Collect and act on customer feedback
  • 3. Customer Churn Rate

    The percentage of customers who cancel their subscriptions over a given period. Calculated as the number of customers who left divided by the total number of customers at the start of the period.

    What good looks like for this metric: 2-8% per month

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Improve customer onboarding experience
    • Regularly engage with customers through communication channels
    • Offer limited-time promotions to retain wavering customers
    • Analyse reasons for cancellation and address common issues
    • Introduce long-term subscription discounts
  • 4. Average Revenue Per User (ARPU)

    The average amount of money earned from each active user or subscriber. Calculated by dividing total revenue by the number of active users.

    What good looks like for this metric: $10 - $200 per month

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Encourage customers to upgrade their plans
    • Introduce add-ons and premium features
    • Bundle products and services
    • Improve user experience to enhance perceived value
    • Use targeted pricing strategies
  • 5. Subscriber Growth Rate

    The rate at which new subscribers are acquired over a given period. Calculated as the percentage increase in subscribers from one period to the next.

    What good looks like for this metric: 5-10% per month for growing businesses

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Invest in digital marketing campaigns
    • Offer referral incentives
    • Enhance presence on social media platforms
    • Partner with influencers or other businesses
    • Continuously optimize your website for conversions

Metrics for Effective Delivery for Waterfall Team

  • 1. Planned vs Actual Delivery Dates

    This metric compares the initially planned delivery dates to the actual delivery dates to assess the team's ability to meet deadlines

    What good looks like for this metric: 80% of projects delivered on time

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Conduct detailed planning sessions
    • Implement regular progress reviews
    • Improve risk management practices
    • Enhance communication within the team
    • Optimise resource allocation
  • 2. Scope Creep

    Measures the changes and additions in the project scope after the project has commenced, indicating how often the team deviates from the original plan

    What good looks like for this metric: Less than 5% increase in scope

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Establish clear project requirements
    • Implement strict change control processes
    • Engage stakeholders early and often
    • Document all changes meticulously
    • Maintain a project scope baseline
  • 3. Budget Variance

    This metric tracks the difference between the budgeted costs and the actual costs incurred, indicating financial planning accuracy

    What good looks like for this metric: Less than 10% budget overrun

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Conduct thorough budget forecasting
    • Monitor expenditures closely
    • Implement cost control measures
    • Review financial reports regularly
    • Optimise purchasing processes
  • 4. Defect Density

    Measures the number of defects identified within a certain timeframe or phase of the project, reflecting product quality

    What good looks like for this metric: Fewer than 1 defect per 1000 lines of code

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Enhance testing processes
    • Implement automated testing tools
    • Provide training on quality standards
    • Review code regularly
    • Incorporate quality assurance in each phase
  • 5. Customer Satisfaction

    Assesses the stakeholders' and customers' satisfaction with the delivered project through surveys and feedback mechanisms

    What good looks like for this metric: Customer satisfaction score above 8 out of 10

    Ideas to improve this metric
    • Gather customer feedback regularly
    • Act on the feedback received
    • Improve stakeholder communication
    • Deliver regular project updates
    • Ensure project deliverables meet expectations

Tracking your Financial Metrics metrics

Having a plan is one thing, sticking to it is another.

Don't fall into the set-and-forget trap. It is important to adopt a weekly check-in process to keep your strategy agile – otherwise this is nothing more than a reporting exercise.

A tool like Tability can also help you by combining AI and goal-setting to keep you on track.

Tability Insights DashboardTability's check-ins will save you hours and increase transparency

More metrics recently published

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Planning resources

OKRs are a great way to translate strategies into measurable goals. Here are a list of resources to help you adopt the OKR framework:

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