Good morning. Here is the business this month.
Everything Balfene runs for you, in one place. Anything waiting on you is marked.
Your seven areas
01Systems & technologyNeeds attentionStock and ordering at Richmond is still a manual count02ComplianceOn trackEverything lodged and paid; 2 due in 30 days03Month-end reportOn trackOctober closed and reported on 5 November04Business intelligence packOn trackRichmond lost money in October; the fix is costed05Balfene recommendation & decision logWaiting on youOne recommendation needs your approval by 12 November06Board queries & special projectsOn trackBean prices answered; Brunswick café costed07Exit strategy & transactionsComing upNot selling. Readiness kept current: 6 of 9Systems & technology
What runs the business, whether it is connected, and the hours it gives back.
Systems
- Point of sale, three cafésEvery sale into the accounts overnightOn track
- Online storeOrders, subscriptions and refunds into the accountsOn track
- AccountsReconciled to the bank to 31 OctoberOn track
- Rostering and payrollRosters cost against sales, by site, by hourOn track
- Stock and orderingRichmond still does a manual count; fix booked for 14 NovemberNeeds attention
Automation
✓ Quality checks on every automation; exceptions go to a named person
Compliance
Every lodgement and payment this year, with a status and a note.
| Obligation | Due | Amount | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BAS, July to September | 28 Oct | $31.6k | Done | Lodged 24 October and paid |
| Superannuation, July to September | 28 Oct | $42.3k | Done | Paid 21 October |
| PAYG withholding, October wages | 21 Nov | $24.8k | Due soon | Covered: cash after it $141k |
| Food business registration, Carlton | 30 Nov | $0.6k | Due soon | Renewal form ready to sign |
| Payroll tax, October | 7 Nov | $4.9k | Done | Paid 5 November |
| BAS, October to December | 28 Feb | $29k | Coming up | Estimate updates monthly from the forecast |
Month-end report
October, closed and reported on 5 November. The same format every month.
Profit and loss, October
| Actual | Budget | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $393.4k | $380k | +$13.4k |
| Cost of coffee, milk and food | $118k | $114k | −$4k |
| Wages | $152.6k | $148k | −$4.6k |
| Overheads | $84.4k | $82.8k | −$1.6k |
| Profit | $38.4k | $35.2k | +$3.2k |
Reports
- October 2026Profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow, who owes youOpen
- September 2026Approved at the 30 September meetingOpen
- August 2026Approved at the 28 August meetingOpen
Business intelligence pack
What the numbers mean: where the profit is, where the cash goes, and what is coming.
Profit by café and online, October
| Sales | Profit | Wages / sales | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitzroy café | $118.2k | $16.9k | 31% |
| Carlton café | $96.4k | $9.8k | 34% |
| Richmond café | $84.7k | −$2.1k | 41% |
| Online store | $94.1k | $13.8k | 12% |
| Total | $393.4k | $38.4k |
Richmond lost $2.1k: wages are 41% of its sales, against 31% in Fitzroy. Most of the gap is the quiet afternoons.
Cash, twelve months out
Online subscriptions are 61% of online sales and renew automatically: the steadiest cash in the business.
Balfene recommendation & decision log
What we recommend, why, and what was decided, with an owner and a date.
Re-roster Richmond to the morning peak, and close at 2pm on Mondays and Tuesdays
Expected: about +$3.4k profit a month, Richmond back to break-even by January. Costed against two other options.
Waiting on you
Decision log
| Decision | Owner | By | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re-roster Richmond to the morning peak; close at 2pm Monday and Tuesday | Manager | 12 Nov | Waiting on you |
| Raise cup prices by 30 cents | Owner | 1 Oct | Done +$4.1k a month |
| Move online subscriptions to fortnightly delivery | Manager | 15 Oct | Done |
| Fourth café in Brunswick | Board | December | Coming up |
Board queries & special projects
Answers when the board asks, and one-off projects, costed before anyone commits.
What if green bean prices rise 15%?
Profit falls about $7.9k a month. A 30-cent rise per cup recovers it, and cup sales held after the last rise.
A fourth café in Brunswick
- Fit-out and equipmentQuoted by two builders$240k
- Pays for itself inOn Carlton's numbers, the most similar café28 months
- DecisionGoes to the board in DecemberComing up
Exit strategy & transactions
Not selling now. The business is kept ready, so a sale is planned, not rushed.
Ready to sell: 6 of 9
- Three years of clean, reconciled accountsDone
- Profit by café and online, every monthDone
- Supplier and lease agreements in one placeDone
- Online store runs without the ownerDone
- A manager in every caféDone
- Customer and subscription data owned, not rentedDone
- Owner out of the daily rosterComing up
- Wholesale contracts written downComing up
- Data room built and checkedComing up
What it is worth
What a buyer would pay today, against what they would pay once the last three items are done, is reviewed once a year with the owner.
Anthony runs any sale himself: the information memorandum, the data room and the buyers.