Make Budgeting Part of Your New Year’s Resolution
Budgeting is no time for shortcuts. Instead of estimating your future needs and expenses, using the company’s financial statements to create a solid budget based on past actuals will help you more easily manage cash flow, debt and profits.
1. Income statement
Start the budgeting process with your income statement: analyze revenues, margins, operating expenses, and profits or losses. If times have been tough, you may not even want to know how little income you’re pulling in, but it’s important to be aware of the specifics.
From an overall budgetary standpoint, gross profit margin is a critical metric. If your margin is declining, you may need to pivot quickly to increase your revenues or lower your costs. For example, you might plan to hire a new sales person, launch a new marketing campaign, discontinue an unprofitable segment or negotiate lower prices with a supplier.
It’s easy to get hung up on analyzing your income statement — particularly if your company is profitable. Yet bear in mind that this part of your budget doesn’t reflect cash-related activities such as buying new equipment or borrowing money from the bank. Today’s profitability may diminish in the face of tomorrow’s risks and threats. And the money you’ve earned may be dangerously tied up in working capital and other financial assets or obligations.
2. Statement of cash flow
Though gross margin is important, the center point of an effective budget is the statement of cash flow. It begins where the income statement leaves off — with your net income. From there, the statement is typically divided into three subsections:
- Operating cash flow (activities associated with running the business)
- Investing cash flow (activities associated with growing the business)
- Financing cash flow (activities associated with obtaining money)
For many companies, cash ebbs and flows throughout the year. And, if you have large contracts or experience seasonal fluctuations, it can be hard to stay fiscally responsible when cash balances are high. Predicting exactly when cash will come in (or dry up) is tricky — but your CPA can help you make reasonable assumptions based on your historical payment data.
3. Balance sheet
Think of your balance sheet as a snapshot of your company’s financial condition on a given date. The balance sheet lists assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity. Elements such as these can help you realistically shape your budget going forward.
For instance, budgeted balances for certain working capital accounts (such as accounts receivable, inventory and accounts payable) are typically driven by revenue and cost of sales. Loans will be repaid in accordance with their amortization schedules. So, the “plug” figure in a budgeted balance sheet is often a line of credit or shareholder loan. That is, if cash goes below a certain threshold, you’re likely to take on debt to make up for the shortfall.
Contact us
Operating without a budget is a risky move that can result in becoming cash poor and debt heavy. Reviewing your financial statements and creating a budget with an expert can put you on the road to success in 2018 and beyond. If you want help establishing a feasible budget for the coming year, JLK Rosenberger can help. For more information, call us at 949-860-9902 or click here to contact us.
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