How to Set Up Monthly MIS Reports for a Small D2C Brand

A monthly MIS (Management Information System) report is a simple, regular summary of how your business is really doing. For many small brands, it’s the difference between managing by feel and managing by facts.

What a D2C MIS report should include

1. P&L by channel

Revenue, costs, and contribution margin for your website, marketplaces, and quick commerce, separately.

2. Marketing performance

Spend, new customers, CAC, and returns on ad spend by channel.

3. Customers and retention

New vs repeat customers, and repeat rate for recent cohorts.

4. Inventory

Stock value, days of cover for top SKUs, and aged or slow-moving stock.

5. Cash

Opening and closing cash, net burn, runway, receivables (including marketplace settlements), and payables.

6. Budget vs actual

Where you’re ahead or behind plan, and why.

7. Commentary

Three to five lines on what happened and what you’ll change next month.

How to set it up

1. Organise your accounts so revenue and costs are tagged by channel.
2. Close your books on a fixed date each month, for example by the 10th.
3. Build one template in Google Sheets or Excel, and use it every month.
4. Keep the front page to one page of key numbers.
5. Assign an owner, whether that’s you, your accountant, or a finance partner.
6. Review it in a fixed monthly meeting.

Common mistakes

• Reports that arrive too late to act on.
• Too many numbers, and no commentary.
• Different figures from different sources.
• No comparison with budget or last month.

FAQs

How long does a monthly MIS take to prepare?

Once set up, a small brand’s MIS can often be prepared within a few days of closing the books.

Which tools do I need?

Your accounting software plus a spreadsheet is enough for most early-stage brands.

Should I share the MIS with investors?

Many investors expect regular updates. A clean MIS makes those updates easy.