Guide · Client communication
Monthly client report template: what owners actually read
Business owners are busy, so the first page of their monthly report has to do the work. This guide shows what to put on that page, how to keep the same layout for every client, and how to send it on a schedule from QuickBooks Online or Xero.
What goes on the first page
Cash.
What's in the bank at month end and how it changed.
Revenue and profit.
This month against last month and the same month last year.
Who owes the business money.
The receivables total, with anything long overdue called out.
What the business owes.
Bills due soon.
A short note.
Two or three sentences on what changed and what to watch, in plain words.
What follows the first page
Profit and loss.
For the month and the year to date.
Balance sheet.
At month end.
Anything the client asked for.
Such as sales by location or job, but only if they use it.
Keep the order and layout the same every month, so the client always knows where to look.
Set it up once in your software
QuickBooks Online
Customize the reports once and save them as custom reports. Then go to Reports, then Custom reports, edit the report group, turn on Set email schedule, set how often it goes out and who receives it, and save. You can attach the report as an Excel file. Intuit suggests setting the next date to the start of the following month, so the report covers the whole month. Scheduled email isn't on every plan, so check yours.
Xero
If your practice uses Xero's partner tools, build a client report template once at the practice level: in the Practice menu, select Client report templates, select New Template and add the reports you want. Changes to the template carry through wherever it is used, while edits made inside one client's organisation stay with that client. You can add a cover page and a contents page.
Send it the same way every month
Send it on a fixed day.
Clients learn when to expect it.
Put the note in the email.
Some owners only read the email, so put the key points there.
Invite one question.
Ask whether there's anything they want to talk through.
Common mistakes
Too many pages.
A long report that nobody reads helps nobody.
Numbers without words.
A short note turns a report into advice.
A different layout every month.
Clients lose time finding things.
Reports nobody asked for.
Ask clients what they use, and drop the rest.
Questions
Should every client get the same report?
Use the same template and add client-specific pages only where they're used.
Should I send the report before the close is finished?
No. Send it once the month is reconciled, so the numbers don't change after the client has seen them.
How long should the note be?
A few sentences. If it needs more, it's a conversation, not a note.
Want the monthly summary set up for you?
The Auto-generated monthly client summaries Fix Pack sets up a standard monthly summary template and scheduled delivery in your software.
See how much time reporting takes your firm.
The free Snapshot takes about 3 minutes and works from your own answers.