The Monthly Owner’s Package is the dated financial pre-read the finance lead prepares for you and your CEO. It combines current reports with a short explanation of what changed, what matters and which decisions need attention.
One set of numbers, with an explanation
| Part | What it helps the owner understand |
|---|---|
| Current Business Snapshot | The business’s current position and the most important differences from plan. |
| Income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement | Earnings, financial position and the movement of cash, with clear periods and definitions. |
| Budget comparisons and trailing views | Performance against the adopted comparison and trends across complete periods. |
| Agreed dashboard and supporting detail | The measures and evidence behind the questions that need attention. |
| Financial Pre-Read, or CFO memo | Causes, implications, recommendations and the information or decision required. |
Use the same accepted model and reports. One view can serve more than one purpose; there is no required page count or second set of dashboard measures. Keep the forecast separate from the approved budget and identify preliminary information.
Prepare it for the meeting date
Work backward from the owner-and-CEO review and deliver the pre-read at least three business days ahead, using the agreed close and meeting calendar. Record the actual source version, reporting cutoff, delivery date and recipients. A generated report is not evidence of delivery or financial acceptance.
Plan for three to five business days; earlier delivery counts when the information remains current.
Compare matching periods and definitions. Monthly income and cash flows describe a period; cash and debt balances describe a date. A trailing-twelve-month result and a year-to-date result are different views. Explain missing information instead of treating it as zero.
Keep reports and decisions in their existing homes
Current financial reports belong in The Numbers, produced from the company’s maintained model. The dated memo, meeting record and decisions belong in The Rhythm. The existing financial project links the sources and unresolved work.
Prepare the financial reports and a short CFO explanation before the owner-and-CEO meeting. They provide evidence for the CEO’s combined company recommendation and your ownership decision.
Put the idea to work
Explore Module 4 to connect this idea to the work, evidence and tools. Browse all concepts or see the complete system.