Free template · four areas
Business scorecard template for small business
A business scorecard puts a few measures on one page and scores each against a target, so you can see your weakest area at a glance. Copy the template below, fill it in, and start with the lowest score.
30 statements · about five minutes · no credit card
What a business scorecard is
A business scorecard is a one-page summary of how the business is doing in the areas that matter, with a measure, a target and a score for each. You look at it and see where you are strong and where you are weak without reading a report.
The idea comes from the balanced scorecard, which Robert Kaplan and David Norton introduced in the Harvard Business Review in 1992. Their version looks at four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. It was written for large organizations, and a five-person company rarely needs that much machinery.
A small business scorecard keeps the idea and drops the weight. It uses four areas that decide whether revenue grows: positioning, marketing, sales, and your existing customers.
Template
The business scorecard template
Copy this table into a spreadsheet. Fill in a target for each measure, then score each row.
| Area | Measure | Target | Score (1 to 5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning | Customers can say why they chose you over a rival (ask five recent customers) | ||
| Positioning | Your main message differs from your three closest competitors’ (compare homepages) | ||
| Marketing | Cost per lead on your main channel | ||
| Marketing | Share of leads you can trace to a source | ||
| Sales | Time to first reply to a new lead | ||
| Sales | Quotes that turn into sales | ||
| Customer base | Customers who buy again within 12 months | ||
| Customer base | New customers who come from referrals |
How to fill it in
- Write a target for each measure: a number you could hit this year.
- Score each row from 1 (not close) to 5 (at or above target).
- Add up each area. With two rows an area scores between 2 and 10.
- Start with the lowest area. If two tie, pick the one closer to a sale.
A business scorecard example
A finished scorecard looks like this. The scores are examples, not real data.
Sales is the weakest area at 38%. That is where the next hour goes, whatever the marketing score says. A weak sales area wastes the leads that marketing works to bring in.
Skip the spreadsheet
Let the checklist score it for you
The free Blind Spot Checklist is 30 statements across positioning, marketing, sales and your customer base. It takes about five minutes, scores each area, and shows which one to work on first.
Want the detail behind one area? Each Blind Spot audit is 20 scored questions for $67, with the one fix worth making first.
Scorecard, balanced scorecard or audit?
| Tool | Built for | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Business scorecard (this page) | Small business owners | A one-page view of four areas |
| Balanced scorecard | Larger organizations linking strategy to measures | A strategy map and measures across four perspectives |
| Blind Spot checklist | Owners who want a fast answer | A score for four areas in about five minutes |
| Blind Spot audit | Owners who know which area is weak | 20 questions, a score and the first fix |
Questions
Common questions
What is a business scorecard?
A one-page summary of how a business is doing in the areas that matter, with a measure, a target and a score for each. You see strengths and weak spots at a glance.
Is the template free?
Yes. Copy the table on this page into a spreadsheet. The free Blind Spot Checklist can score the four areas for you, and it asks for your email so it can send your results.
How many measures should a small business scorecard have?
Two or three per area is enough, so eight to twelve in all. With more than that, people stop updating it.
How often should I update it?
Quarterly suits most small businesses. It is often enough to see change and not so often that you chase noise.
What is the difference between a business scorecard and a balanced scorecard?
The balanced scorecard is a strategic management framework from Robert Kaplan and David Norton with four perspectives: financial, customer, internal processes, and learning and growth. A small business scorecard borrows the idea of scoring a few areas against targets and uses areas an owner can act on directly.
Where do the targets come from?
Start with your own history: last year’s numbers. If you have none, set a target you could defend to a friend, then adjust it after one quarter.
Score your business in five minutes
Free checklist now, or a $67 audit when you know which area to dig into.