Understand the financial indicators that are most important to your company's success.Comstock
For the manager who might be at sea with numbers there are some simple measures to understand the condition of your company's financials, says Harvard Business Review.
"To understand your company's financials, start with these three measures of how money is coming in:
Growth
Growth in sales is usually – but not always – a positive sign. Look for year-over-year growth but remember that it has to be profitable and sustainable.
Cash generation
Cash allows companies to stay in business. Cash generation is the difference between all the cash that flows into the business and all the cash that flows out. Investigate where the cash is generated, how it's used, and whether enough is coming in.
Return on assets
A company's return on assets is its net profit divided by the average value of its assets during a given period of time. This measure shows you how well your company is using its assets to make money."