How to Manage Small Business Finances

As a small-business owner, it is critical that you get your finances under control since it might mean the difference between your company flourishing or failing to pay your employees and eventually going out of business.

Financial management is one of the most significant things that might contribute to the success of your new business. You may have decided to build a restaurant because you enjoy cooking or a photography studio because you are talented behind the camera, but launching a business does not immediately make you an accountant. We have prepared several tips for you on how to manage your money.

Image Source : https://www.invoiceowl.com/how-to-manage-business-finances/

1. Educate Yourself

The first crucial step every business owner can take is to educate themselves. Understanding the fundamental skills required to run a small business — such as performing simple accounting chores, asking for a loan, or producing financial statements – allows business owners to create a solid financial future and avoid collapse. Staying organised, in addition to education, is an important component of good money management.

Additionally, before you begin managing your money, contact a BAS agent or an accountant as soon as you begin your business, especially if you are unfamiliar with tax, staffing, and systems. Having someone who knows what they’re doing from the start would save you a lot of money and time later on. We also suggest go on a system like Xero or MYOB as early as possible to assist you handle invoicing, cashflow, and payroll.

2. Resort to Financial Planning and Forecasting

Start with making a list of all of your important expenses, such as rent, personnel, product, marketing, and electricity, and ensuring you understand how much you need to run.

The same is true for money coming in. Forecasting will be lot easier if you have clients on retainer who pay you on a regular basis than if your firm is product-based. If your company earns one-time sales, you can forecast month by month or even based on previous year’s sales if your products are seasonal.

A budget is the most critical component of any financial plan. But how can you budget when you don’t know what’s coming in? One of the simplest areas to start is to reduce your personal spending as much as possible. A budget should not be viewed as a blueprint for where to spend every dollar, but rather as a framework to assist you in making sensible judgments about how your money will be spent.

It’s a good idea to create a financial plan or framework to keep track of the money that comes in and goes out of your business. For example, one business model could be to spend:

• 50% of revenue is spent on costs (such as payroll or supplies).
• 30 percent of revenue is spent on company development (such as expansion of equipment or recruiting costs).
• 20% of future revenue will be used to develop new products and services.

Different plans work for different firms, so talk to your accountant about what works best for you.

However, situations change. When they do, your financial strategy should adapt as well. Try to do some rudimentary forecasting for your company for the next six months. Be realistic in your estimation of how much you will sell and how much you will spend. Put these figures into your financial plan and evaluate if the results still work for your company. If not, you may need to revise your strategy.

3. Monitor and Analyse Cashflow

You want to keep an eye on your money and make sure everything is in order. For example, your expenses will continue to be due. Are your customers paying on time? Can you provide them incentives to pay more quickly? Projecting your cashflow is one thing, but make sure your estimates are met, otherwise you may find yourself unable to pay your payments.

Make it a habit to analyse your cashflow on a frequent basis. If you already earn a profit, keep an eye on your bottom line and make sure you’re making enough compared to your expenses.

4. Keep an Emergency (Rainy Day) Fund

What do you do if (or, more likely, when) your business experiences a slump and you are unable to earn a profit? Or, what if your worst dread comes true and your firm fails? These are frightening notions, but the reality is that they are extremely regular scenarios for many small business owners who are unable to assure a steady or continuous revenue.

An emergency fund can assist you in getting out of a difficult situation. Once you’ve determined how much money you’ll need to cover your business and personal expenditures for one month, multiply that figure by six and keep that amount in your emergency fund at all times.

During slower months or when unexpected needs arise, you may need to dip into your emergency savings. That’s good (that’s why it exists!), but make sure you’re continuously replenishing those money to protect yourself from future unforeseen bills or events.

5. Revise Your Margins if Necessary

Don’t be afraid to adjust your margins. If the cost of manufacturing your product rises or you are having difficulty keeping up with your bills, it is a hint that you should reconsider the prices you are charging or even what you are spending because getting a better rate to boost your margin also helps.

6. Don’t Be Afraid of Loans

Loans can be frightening. They can cause anxiety about the financial consequences of failure. However, without the influx of funds provided by loans, you may encounter significant obstacles when attempting to purchase equipment or expand your workforce. You can also use loan proceeds to increase your cash flow, allowing you to pay staff and suppliers on time.

7. Invest in Growth

Investing in things that will help your business expand is usually a good idea. It is justifiable if you have a superb website that allows you to automate some of your labour. If investing in machinery to help you develop your product faster makes sense, go ahead and do it. You will make more money if you can produce and sell more units.

While you don’t want to be wasteful with your money, if anything would help you reach further faster, it’s worth thinking about.

8. Set Money Aside for Taxes

Getting your ducks in a row for tax season may be difficult and frustrating. Something as little as a misplaced bill or receipt can have a negative impact on your tax filing procedure and potentially land you in hot water.

Nobody like paying taxes, but the truth is that none of us can escape it. The government isn’t forgiving; when you owe, you owe, and you don’t want to be caught off guard by an unexpected charge. Your rates will vary depending on where you live, but a basic rule of thumb is to set aside at least 35% of your income for taxes.

Final Thoughts

Managing your finances and cash flow should not be a last-minute consideration. It should be an essential component of your business plan.

To be a great entrepreneur, you must first grasp the mathematics that power your company. This will provide you with the knowledge you need to maintain your firm going and help it grow when the time comes.

Running a business is difficult, which is why not everyone can do it. Successful entrepreneurship takes concentration, perseverance, and enthusiasm, as well as a few strategies for dealing with the ups and downs of your income flow. We attempted to assist with the latter so that you may devote more time to the former.