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.

F-Biz dashboard showing revenue expenses and net cash
Today's dashboard separates revenue, expenses, and net cash—your real day.

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.

F-Biz insights with revenue trend and top services
Weekly trends and top sellers help you double down on what pays.

Build the habit

  1. Record every sale at the counter (see M-Pesa guide)
  2. Add expenses the same day when possible
  3. Check net cash on the dashboard before you leave
  4. Review Insights weekly—not only when something feels wrong