Making Sense of Your Numbers
Your SemaQuote dashboard shows several key metrics that tell the story of your business health. But numbers only help if you know what they mean and how to act on them.
This guide breaks down each metric in plain language, explains why it matters, and shows you how to use it to make better decisions.
The Four Metric Cards
When you look at your dashboard, you will see four cards at the top. Think of these as your business vital signs.
Total Revenue
What you are seeing: The total amount of money you have collected from all paid invoices since you started using SemaQuote.
Why this matters: This is your big-picture number. It only goes up as you collect more payments, making it a reliable way to track overall growth. When you look back in six months or a year, this number tells you how far you have come.
How to use it: Compare your total revenue month over month or quarter over quarter. Steady growth means your business is healthy. If growth stalls, it might be time to focus on acquiring new clients or expanding services with existing ones.
The subtitle: Shows how many invoices contributed to this total. For example, "24 paid invoices" means you have successfully collected on 24 invoices.
Period Revenue
What you are seeing: The money collected within your selected date range (Today, Last 7 Days, or Last 30 Days).
Why this matters: While total revenue shows the big picture, period revenue shows what is happening right now. This number helps you understand recent cash flow and spot seasonal patterns in your business.
How to use it: Keep an eye on this metric weekly. If period revenue drops significantly compared to previous weeks, you might have:
- Fewer invoices going out
- Slower client payments
- Seasonal business fluctuations
Any of these is worth investigating.
Pro tip: Combine this with the date filters to compare different time periods and spot trends.
Active Clients
What you are seeing: The number of clients who have had activity (quotes, invoices, or payments) during your selected date range.
Why this matters: Active clients indicate the breadth of your current business relationships. A healthy mix of active clients means diversified income and reduced risk from depending on just a few customers.
How to use it: Track this number over time. Here are some scenarios to watch for:
| Scenario | What It Might Mean |
|---|---|
| Active clients increasing | Your business is growing and you are engaging more customers |
| Active clients stable | Consistent business with your core customer base |
| Active clients decreasing | Time to re-engage dormant clients or focus on new acquisition |
Collection Rate
What you are seeing: The percentage of your invoices that have been paid. The formula is simple: (Paid Invoices / Total Invoices) x 100.
Why this matters: This is arguably your most important metric. A high collection rate means you are successfully converting your work into actual revenue. A low rate signals payment issues that need attention.
How to use it: Aim for 90% or higher. If your collection rate drops below this threshold, consider:
- Reviewing your payment terms (are they too long?)
- Sending invoice reminders more promptly
- Following up personally on overdue accounts
- Offering easier payment options
The subtitle: Shows the specific breakdown, like "18 of 22 invoices." This helps you understand the exact scale of paid versus total invoices.
The Outstanding Balance Alert
When you have unpaid invoices, a yellow alert banner appears on your dashboard. This is not meant to alarm you; it is designed to keep important information front and center.
What the Alert Shows
Outstanding Balance: The total amount currently owed to you across all unpaid invoices. This includes both invoices that are not yet due and those past their payment date.
Overdue Amount: Shown in red, this is the money that is past due. For example, "$2,500.00 overdue from 3 invoices" means three invoices totaling $2,500 have passed their due dates.
Why Overdue Matters
Here is the reality: the longer an invoice remains unpaid, the less likely you are to collect it. Industry data suggests collection probability drops significantly after 90 days. The alert helps you prioritize your follow-up efforts where they will have the most impact.
What to do: Click the link in the alert to see your overdue invoices and take action. A quick phone call or email often does the trick.
Understanding Your Charts
Your dashboard includes three visual charts that help you spot patterns you might miss in the numbers alone.
Revenue Trends Chart
This bar chart shows three things over time:
- Blue bars (Invoiced) - The value of invoices you created on each date
- Orange bars (Overdue) - The amount that became overdue on each date
- Green bars (Paid) - Payments you received on each date
What healthy looks like: Green bars consistently matching or exceeding blue bars, with minimal orange. If you see orange bars growing, that is a signal to tighten up your collection process.
The summary at the top shows totals for your selected time period.
Invoice Status Chart
This chart breaks down all your invoices by their current status:
| Status | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Draft | Invoices you have created but not yet sent |
| Sent | Delivered to clients, waiting for payment |
| Paid | Successfully collected |
| Overdue | Past the payment due date |
What healthy looks like: Most invoices in the Paid category. A pile-up of Draft invoices might mean you have a bottleneck in your invoicing workflow. Too many in Sent status could indicate slow-paying clients.
Status Trends Chart
This chart shows how invoice statuses change over your selected period. It helps you understand your typical payment cycle.
What to look for: How quickly do invoices move from Sent to Paid? If they are lingering in Sent status, consider:
- Shortening payment terms
- Setting up automatic payment reminders
- Offering convenient payment methods
Putting It All Together
Here are five habits that will help you get the most from your metrics:
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Set your benchmarks - Note your current numbers for each metric. These become your baseline for tracking improvement.
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Check in weekly - A quick dashboard review each week catches issues before they become problems.
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Compare periods - Use the date filters to compare this week to last week, or this month to last month.
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Investigate outliers - When a metric changes significantly (up or down), dig in to understand why.
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Focus on collection rate - If you only watch one number, make it this one. It is the best single indicator of business health.
What Comes Next
Understanding your metrics is the first step. Acting on them is where the real value comes in.
When you spot an issue in your numbers, SemaQuote makes it easy to take action. Click through to specific invoices, filter by status, and follow up with clients directly from the platform.
Ready to learn more about analyzing trends? Check out our guide on Using Date Filters to slice your data in different ways.