You’re running a small business. How can you budget effectively? (2024)

Last updated on Feb 8, 2024

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1

Know your numbers

2

Set your goals

3

Plan your budget

4

Monitor your budget

5

Automate your budget

6

Learn from your budget

7

Here’s what else to consider

Budgeting is a crucial skill for any small business owner. It helps you plan your income and expenses, manage your cash flow, and achieve your financial goals. But how can you budget effectively when you have limited resources, unpredictable revenue, and multiple costs? Here are some tips and tools to help you create and maintain a realistic and flexible budget for your small business.

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  • Frannie Leautier Senior Partner and CEO SouthBridge Investments

    You’re running a small business. How can you budget effectively? (3) You’re running a small business. How can you budget effectively? (4) 11

  • Johnnie Tú Vũ, MBA, CD Regional Enablement Coach, Commercial Diversified Markets | Board Director | Deputy Commanding Officer | Co-Chair RBC…

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1 Know your numbers

The first step to budgeting is to know your numbers. You need to track and analyze your income and expenses, both fixed and variable, on a regular basis. This will help you understand your profitability, identify your break-even point, and forecast your cash flow. You can use accounting software, spreadsheets, or apps to record and organize your financial data. You should also review your financial statements, such as your income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement, to get a comprehensive picture of your financial performance and position.

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  • Johnnie Tú Vũ, MBA, CD Regional Enablement Coach, Commercial Diversified Markets | Board Director | Deputy Commanding Officer | Co-Chair RBC Asian Professional Network | RBC Global Citizen Award Winner | Peak’s Emerging Leaders Under 40
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    Knowing your numbers helps with informed Decision-Making: Tracking income, expenses, and analyzing financial statements empowers entrepreneurs for informed decisions, profitability, and anticipating cash flow trends.Utilize accounting software or spreadsheets for thorough number-crunching, establishing a resilient foundation for a thriving business.Understanding your key ratios such as debt servicing, liquidity ratio and current ratio.Financial ratios are important for assessing how a company generates revenue and profits using business expenses and assets in a given period. Internal and external stakeholders use financial ratios for competitor analysis, market valuation, benchmarking, and performance management.

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  • Asdrubal R. Oliveros P. Socio - Director Ecoanalítica
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    Presupuestar efectivamente en una pequeña empresa implica:1. Identificar ingresos y gastos: Registre todas las fuentes de ingresos y gastos de manera detallada.2. Establecer metas realistas.3. Planificación mensual o trimestral: Desglose el presupuesto en intervalos más cortos para un seguimiento preciso.4. Prioridades: Asigne recursos a áreas críticas para el crecimiento y la operación.5. Seguimiento constante.6. Contingencias: Reserve un fondo de emergencia para imprevistos.7. Reducción de gastos y optimice los costos.8. Automatización: Utilice software de contabilidad y presupuesto para facilitar el seguimiento.9. Revisión periódica: Revise el presupuesto regularmente para tomar decisiones informadas.

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  • Martin Dimitrievski CEO at WVP PLUS KONSALTING
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    Start by analyzing your income and expenses, utilizing accounting tools. Then, regularly review your financial statements to gain valuable insights into your financial health.

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2 Set your goals

The second step to budgeting is to set your goals. You need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your small business, both in the short and long term. Your goals should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, you might want to increase your sales by 10% in the next quarter, or save enough money to buy a new equipment in the next year. Your goals will help you prioritize your spending, allocate your resources, and measure your progress.

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    While goal-setting is crucial, some argue that overly rigid goals might hinder adaptability. In a dynamic business environment, unexpected opportunities or challenges may arise. Instead of strictly adhering to predefined goals, consider fostering a more agile approach. Continuously assess market trends, customer needs, and internal dynamics, allowing your small business to pivot and seize unforeseen opportunities, ultimately enhancing your ability to thrive in a rapidly changing landscape.

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    Consider XYZ Corporation, a tech startup. In Q1 of 2023, XYZ set a SMART goal to increase its online sales by 15% in six months through targeted digital marketing. This objective was specific (increase in online sales), measurable (15% growth), achievable (reasonable growth rate), relevant (aligned with digital expansion), and time-bound (six months). By Q3 of 2023, XYZ reported a 17% increase in online sales, validating their strategy. The achievement was backed by a focused allocation of resources in digital marketing and analytics to track progress, demonstrating the practical application of SMART goals in budgeting and business planning.

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3 Plan your budget

The third step to budgeting is to plan your budget. You need to create a realistic and flexible budget that reflects your income and expenses, your goals, and your cash flow. You can use different methods to plan your budget, such as the zero-based budgeting, the envelope system, or the percentage-based budgeting. The key is to find a method that works for you and your small business. You should also review and adjust your budget regularly, especially when there are changes in your revenue, costs, or goals.

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    Recent studies by SCORE, a non-profit supporting small businesses, reveal that companies with well-defined budgets experience a 27% increase in profitability compared to those lacking one. Furthermore, research by Fundera indicates that only 44% of small businesses review their budgets quarterly, highlighting the potential for significant gains through consistent monitoring and adjustments.Budgeting as a concept has evolved from rudimentary bookkeeping practices to sophisticated financial modeling. Today, with advancements in technology and access to real-time data, small businesses have unprecedented tools to craft dynamic and responsive budgets. This empowers them to compete effectively in an increasingly volatile market.

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  • A. Malik HR Officer @ HUBCO | Hongda Engineering | x EPTL | Rural Development Association | Decibel HRMs | Power Bi | Maximo
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    for a small run businessFirst have to plan budget for ABC Ltd.Then in short run face market competitive.In long run it goes towards stabilization.

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4 Monitor your budget

The fourth step to budgeting is to monitor your budget. You need to compare your actual income and expenses with your planned budget, and identify any gaps or variances. This will help you spot any problems or opportunities, and take corrective or preventive actions. You can use tools such as dashboards, reports, or alerts to monitor your budget and track your key performance indicators (KPIs). You should also communicate your budget and results with your team, partners, and stakeholders, and solicit their feedback and input.

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  • Hatem Akeel, MBA, Ph.D Associate Professor of Economics | Vice President for Academic Affairs | Senior Consultant | Economic Advisor | SME Expert
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    The following practices in monitoring your budgeting can helpRegular Review and Adjustment:•Periodically review your budget to ensure it aligns with your business goals.•Adjust the budget based on actual income and expenses to maintain accuracy.Prioritize Essential Expenses:•Identify and prioritize critical expenses that directly contribute to your business's core operations and success.Comparative Analysis:•Compare budgeted figures with actual performance regularly to identify areas for improvement or potential cost savings.Involve Your Team:•Engage your team in the budgeting process to gather insights, foster financial responsibility, and encourage collaboration.

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  • Miguel A. Silva Director of Serial Life Management at Simoldes Plastics / Director of Controlling at Simoldes Tools
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    Make sure that you start by a cash-flow plan. Cash management is more critical when you are a small business.Then, after balancing cash, you can start dreaming higher, going for investments and higher profits.

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5 Automate your budget

The fifth step to budgeting is to automate your budget. You can use technology to simplify and streamline your budgeting process, and save time and money. You can use tools such as online banking, invoicing, payroll, tax, and expense management to automate your financial transactions and records. You can also use tools such as budgeting software, apps, or templates to automate your budget creation, analysis, and adjustment. You should also integrate your budgeting tools with your accounting software, spreadsheets, or apps, to ensure data accuracy and consistency.

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    Meet "Savvy Savers," a young couple determined to conquer their debt. They utilize a suite of automated tools: online banking automatically transfers savings to their high-interest account each payday, their expense management app categorizes every transaction, and a budgeting app generates weekly spending reports and highlights areas for improvement. Within three months, automating their finances resulted in a 20% reduction in unnecessary spending and a clear timeline for debt repayment. A 2023 study by Intuit revealed that businesses utilizing budget automation tools experience a 32% increase in employee productivity and a 25% reduction in financial errors

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    tart by selecting a suitable budgeting software that meets the specific needs of your business, offering features like expense tracking and financial reporting. Integration with other financial systems, including accounting software and banking platforms, is crucial for seamless and error-free data flow. Automate recurring transactions, such as utility payments and regular expenses, to minimize manual intervention and ensure consistency. Implementing automation not only saves time but also enhances accuracy in financial tracking, allowing your business to adapt to changing circ*mstances more efficiently.

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6 Learn from your budget

The sixth step to budgeting is to learn from your budget. You need to evaluate your budget performance and outcomes, and learn from your successes and failures. You can use tools such as SWOT analysis, benchmarking, or feedback surveys to assess your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and compare your results with your goals, industry standards, or best practices. You should also celebrate your achievements, reward your team, and share your learnings and insights with your network and community.

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  • Frannie Leautier Senior Partner and CEO SouthBridge Investments
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    Budgeting for a small startup business is a challenge. Your budget will fluctuate widely as you set up and grow your business. Learning from past budgets is therefore very important. Assessing categories of expenditure and using data to arrive at unit costs makes it easier to see which categories stabilize and which ones don’t. Also good to learn from are budget shares and trends. At early stages of a business you have limited budget knowledge. Analyzing budget categories that drive your journey towards breakeven and profitability helps you keep control of spending while not starving key areas that drive growth and innovation. Finally, using a multi year rolling budget helps you build in flexibility while learning from trends.

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  • Sharon Zimmerman (she/her) The biggest fan of small businesses - I'm here to help you succeed as an entrepreneur | Small business advisor to product makers and artists | Dubbed the "Pricing Queen" by clients
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    Cash flow is queen! Using cash flow projections can shift your thinking, your planning and keep your company nimble and ready to respond to changes in the market. It helps you budget for both the near and far future and let's you play around with different scenarios. It's like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but for your financials. If you do X, and Y happens, do you choose Z? Or go back to A? Your cash flow projections can help ease this process in your budget and help you make data-driven decisions and feel less panic.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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  • CA Ankit Gupta International Taxation / Strategy / Transfer Pricing / Tax Litigation
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    In the realm of effective budgeting for a small business, a critical yet often overlooked aspect is the consideration of future trends and emerging opportunities. Many businesses tend to rely on historical data and current patterns when crafting budgets, inadvertently neglecting the potential growth avenues that lie ahead.To truly thrive, it's essential to adopt a forward-thinking approach to budgeting. Allocate resources not only based on past expenditures but with a keen eye on emerging trends in your industry. Stay attuned to technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviors, and market developments. This proactive stance not only guards against potential risks but positions your business to capitalize on upcoming opportunities.

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  • Vaibhav Bhamoriya Faculty at Indian Institute of Management Kashipur
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    The budget is an internal exercise but always keep an eye on external situation and modify the budget accordingly. this could prove very helpful.

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