How to Open the Cost Configuration Drawer
Learn how to open the Cost Configuration Drawer in AskBiz, understand its three tabs, and know what each section is used for.
Key Takeaways
- The Cost Configuration Drawer slides in from the right side of the screen when you tap the config button on the CFO dashboard.
- It has three tabs: Cash Balance, Fixed Costs, and Variable Costs — each covering a different part of your financial picture.
- Changes made in the drawer apply instantly to the metric cards as soon as you save.
What Is the Cost Configuration Drawer?
The Cost Configuration Drawer is the control panel for the CFO dashboard. It is a panel that slides in from the right side of your screen and contains all the inputs the dashboard needs to calculate your metrics. Without entering data here, the four metric cards cannot show you anything meaningful. The drawer keeps your configuration separate from the main dashboard view so the cards stay clean and uncluttered, while still giving you a straightforward way to update your numbers whenever your costs change.
How to Open the Drawer
Step 1: Navigate to the CFO dashboard by going to the Intelligence tab and selecting Cash Flow. Step 2: Look for the configuration button on the dashboard. This is typically a gear icon, a sliders icon, or a button labelled "Configure" or "Edit Costs" positioned near the top-right of the dashboard or adjacent to the metric cards. Step 3: Tap or click that button. The drawer will animate in from the right edge of your screen, overlaying the dashboard content. Step 4: The drawer opens on the Cash Balance tab by default. You will see three tab labels at the top of the drawer: Cash Balance, Fixed Costs, and Variable Costs. You can tap any tab to switch between them.
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Start for free →The Three Tabs Explained
The Cash Balance tab is where you enter the current amount of liquid cash your business holds. This is the starting number for the Cash Runway calculation, so accuracy matters. The Fixed Costs tab lists all your predictable monthly expenses — things that stay roughly the same every month regardless of how much you sell. AskBiz provides default category rows like Rent/Lease, Salaries and Wages, and Software Subscriptions, and you can add your own. The Variable Costs tab covers expenses that change with your business activity, such as Sales Commissions, Shipping and Fulfillment, and Paid Marketing. Each tab has its own set of rows, each with a cost label and a monthly amount field.
Closing the Drawer
To close the drawer without saving, tap the X button in the top-right corner of the drawer panel, or tap anywhere on the dark overlay to the left of the drawer. To close the drawer and apply your changes, tap the Save button at the bottom of the drawer. The drawer will close, and the metric cards will immediately recalculate using your new figures. If you accidentally close the drawer without saving, your unsaved changes will not persist — the drawer will re-open with the last saved values. This makes it safe to explore without worrying about accidentally overwriting your configuration.