SECTION 1: ALLEGORY---Steve Loveland, the owner of a software firm, has hit bottom. He's about to lose his company and family, and he's desperate to turn things around. Jennifer Silverstone, a finance-savvy consultant, helps him implement the six essential dashboards every business needs. This transition to running a business with numbers, which every entrepreneur must eventually make, gives him the clarity required to save his business. With plenty of real-life problems, like a layoff, company-wide salary reduction, bank loan negotiation, family issues, and more, following Steve through this journey teaches fundamental finance and accounting principles in an interesting and engaging format. No matter where a business is in its life cycle, the contents of this book will empower entrepreneurs everywhere to Impact Your Business. SECTION 2: CONCEPTS---IMPACT is actually an acronym, and it represents the six criteria to which all reports and information an entrepreneur receives about the business' performance should adhere: Insightful, Meaningful, Precise, Accessible (both physically and intellectually), Comparative, and Timely. Along with a thorough explanation of how to meet these six criteria, this section shares a detailed explanation of the need every business has for the right data, and its relationship to clarity, strategic insight, competitive advantages, and cash. SECTION 3: HOW TO---In order to implement the principles taught in the allegory and then reinforced in Section 2, every business needs six essential dashboards if the entrepreneur or leadership team wants the clarity that can lead to a far more effective and successful enterprise. Before this can be done, a business needs to properly assemble its three-piece puzzle of staff, software, and processes. Every stage of a company's life-cycle is addressed, with lots of examples from various industries and real-life scenarios. In addition, each of the six dashboards is analyzed using the IMPACT standards to ensure any reader can gain advantages by implementing these critical reports. SECTION 4: TOOLS & RESOURCES---With chapters dedicated to a thorough analysis of the allegorical symbols from Section 1 as well as a glossary to make sure the reader understands everything in Sections 2 and 3, any 'do-it-yourselfer' will be empowered with the knowledge to allow this book to make a difference in their business.