Guides / Expenses & profit
Know your profit—not just today's sales
Many shop owners feel busy but broke because sales look good while rent, stock, and transport quietly eat the margin. Recording expenses alongside sales is how you see whether the business is actually growing.
Sales alone mislead you
- High revenue with low margin items feels like success until stock is re-ordered
- Cash in the drawer includes money meant for suppliers tomorrow
- Credit sales inflate today's numbers but not cash available
- Fixed costs (rent, power, wages) never show up if you only count the till
What to record as expenses
Start with the costs that repeat every week:
- Stock purchases and restocking runs
- Transport (boda to wholesaler, delivery fees)
- Shop rent and electricity
- Staff wages or day labour
- Airtime, M-Pesa agent fees, and small supplies
Add each expense in F-Biz when it happens—or batch them at closing. A photo of the receipt helps when you review the month later.
Use Insights for the bigger picture
The Insights tab shows weekly revenue trends, top services or products, and business overview stats. Pair this with expenses to understand which lines actually make money—not just which ones sell fastest.
Build the habit
- Record every sale at the counter (see M-Pesa guide)
- Add expenses the same day when possible
- Check net cash on the dashboard before you leave
- Review Insights weekly—not only when something feels wrong