Your business dashboard

Every indicator updates as you fill in the exercises.

Healthy Watch out Risk

Margem real do produto

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Verde ≥ 30% • Amarelo 15–30% • Vermelho < 15%

Margem de segurança

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Verde ≥ 30% • Amarelo 10–30% • Vermelho < 10%

Ponto de equilíbrio de caixa

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O piso que o banco enxerga (seção 10.6)

Ciclo financeiro

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Verde ≤ 15 dias • Amarelo 15–45 • Vermelho > 45

Margem de contribuição

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Verde ≥ 40% • Amarelo 25–40% • Vermelho < 25%

Margem EBITDA

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Verde ≥ 15% • Amarelo 8–15% • Vermelho < 8%

Inadimplência

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Verde ≤ 2% • Amarelo 2–5% • Vermelho > 5%

Grey indicators do not have enough data yet. Fill in the exercises on product cost, cash break-even, cash conversion cycle and valuation to complete the panel.

Reading guide

Three fictional scenarios so you can practice reading the results before looking at your own numbers.

Green

What to look at: Most lights green, no red, and at most one yellow.
What it means: The business runs at a healthy pace — margin, cash, and cycle are consistent with each other.
Next steps: Pick one yellow indicator to turn green this quarter; keep the rest as a reserve to invest.

Yellow

What to look at: One isolated red (e.g. bad debt) while the others are green or yellow.
What it means: There is a localized pain point that has not spread yet — a window to fix it before it becomes a crisis.
Next steps: Make the red item the single priority of your next meeting. Assign an owner, a numeric target, and a deadline.

Red

What to look at: Two or more reds, especially low margin combined with high bad debt or a blown-out cycle.
What it means: The problems feed each other: a thin margin cannot absorb defaults or fund working capital. Without action, it becomes a cash shortage in 60–90 days.
Next steps: Freeze investments, review your credit policy, cut low-margin SKUs, and set up a weekly follow-up plan.

Quick quiz

3 quick questions based on the guide above. Answer and see the correct answers right away.

1On the dashboard: 4 greens and 1 red (bad debt). How does the guide recommend handling it?
2Two combined reds (low margin + high bad debt). What is the central risk?
3An indicator shows up gray on the dashboard. What should you do?

Answered: 0/3

Go deeper in the book

The book walks you through turning the traffic light into management decisions week after week.