Let’s talk about the best month end reporting process for leaders and spoiler alert, it’s not a 40-tab Excel pack no one reads.

If you’re the only finance person in a startup, month end is already intense. You’re juggling bookkeeping clean-up, reconciliations, and trying to prep for board packs.  All while being pulled into commercial conversations. And somewhere in that chaos, you're meant to produce reports that help the business make better decisions.

So how do you create a month end process that works for you and actually serves the leadership team?

Let's take a look....

1. Get Clear on the Purpose of Month End

This sounds basic, but ask yourself: what is the point of your month end pack?

The best month end reporting process for leaders focuses on encouraging decision-making, not just ticking off a reporting checklist.

If your founders don’t open your pack or say “we just care about cash,” it’s not because they’re financially illiterate. It’s because the current format isn’t giving them insight they can use.

So shift your mindset: your job isn’t just to report the numbers, it’s to translate them into something meaningful.

That means highlighting what’s changed, what’s going off-track, and what decisions need to be made next.

2. Cut the Clutter: Focus on What Matters

Too many reports are filled with detail that no one needs. Your startup CEO doesn’t care about rounding errors or journal entries. What they do care about:

• What was the revenue last month and how does it compare to forecast?
• How much cash do we have and how long will it last?
• Where are costs creeping up?
• Are we still on track to hire those roles, hit those targets, or raise in six months?

Focus on:

• 1 page summary with KPIs vs forecast
• Cash runway graph (12–18 months)
• Commentary: 3 key insights from the month
• Budget vs actuals by department (keep it high level)
• Optional: spotlight on one area that needs attention (e.g. paid spend, churn, team costs)

If you can’t explain it in 15 minutes, it’s too long.

3. Automate What You Can, But Don’t Over-Engineer

Yes, automation is useful but only when it saves you time and maintains accuracy. Don’t build an overly complex Power BI dashboard when a Google Sheet with formulas will do.

Start simple:

• Use templates for commentary so you’re not starting from scratch each month.
• Use cloud tools like Fathom or Spotlight to create reporting templates that are slick and professional.
• Your best month end reporting process for leaders should be repeatable and fast ideally no more than 5 days post-close.

4. Build the Muscle of Forward-Looking Insight

Founders don’t just want historical data, instead they want to know what’s next.

So even in your month end report, include a short “Forward Look” section.

This can include:

• Risks that might impact next month
• Large invoices due or late payments
• Hiring changes and cost implications
• Burn rate adjustments
• Updated cash runway

This turns your month end report into a decision-making tool, not just a history lesson.

5. Coach Founders (and Yourself) on What Great Looks Like

If you’ve come from a bigger company or audit background, you’ve probably inherited a “completeness and accuracy” mindset. That’s useful but in startups, it’s not enough.

You need to develop the confidence to say: here’s what matters right now, here’s what we can skip this month, and here’s the question we should be asking.

That’s what makes you a finance leader not just a finance technician.

And it’s also your job to coach your founders. They won’t always know what to ask for so guide them. Say: “Here’s what I’m seeing, are these the types of insights you want from me going forward?”

6. Make Time for the Post-Mortem

Once the month end pack is sent, schedule 15 minutes with your founder to review:

• What did they find useful?
• What questions do they have?
• What should you adjust for next time?

You’ll be surprised how much more effective your reporting becomes when you treat it as a product something you test, iterate, and improve instead of a task to complete.

The best month end reporting process for leaders isn’t the most detailed or technically perfect.  Instead  it’s the one that delivers clarity, drives action, and saves you from working late every month.

So simplify.

Translate.

Focus on the story behind the numbers. And remember: your job is to help the business see what’s next,  not just what happened.

Want to become a confident, strategic finance leader in a startup within the next 12 months? 

Here’s your plan:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel for weekly practical tips and real talk about startup finance leadership.
2. Read my book Financial Leadership Fundamentals to get clear on what’s expected of you and how to show up as a leader.
3. Join the Financial Leadership Fundamentals course to fast-track your growth with structure, support, and strategy that works in the real world.