If there’s anything small business owners need to understand and be knowledgeable about, it is the financial statements of their business. Not only does it come in handy when sourcing for small business loans, understanding it is key to managing and controlling your finances better.
Nowadays, there are modern best practices and tech tools like business loan calculators to help businesses stay in charge of their finances. Meanwhile, if you need help understanding your business’s financial statements and some of the best tools to use to keep your finances organized, this article is here to help.
Understanding Your Financial Statements
Financial statements are reports from your business that summarizes its vital financial accounting information. Information like income statements and cash flow are some financial statements that need regular updating.
Your financial statements are more like the dashboard of your business. With just a look through it, you and investors and creditors can figure out where the business finance is coming from and heading to. While some small business owners might choose to wing it and freestyle with their business financial decisions, wise owners rely on accurate financial statements to make smart business decisions.
Benefits to Organize and Control Your Business Finances
Organizing and controlling your business finances are essential parts of building a long-lasting successful business. FMoreften than not, financial plans spell out the direction of your business over the coming month, quarter, full year, or more. Here are some of the benefits of organizing and controlling your business finances:
- Better Crisis Management: Almost all businesses, great or small, have their moments or seasons of crisis. When it happens, the first line of action is usually reviewing and rebuilding existing plans, including financial goals.
- Accurately Managed Cash Flow: Proper business control and organization will leave you keeping a close eye on debt and cash levels. Well monitored and accurately manager cash flow will help steady business finances, especially newly launched small businesses.
- Personal Goals: As a small business owner, organizing and controlling your business finances will positively spillover effects on your personal goals and finances. When your business is healthy, there’s no need to use personal finance and time to solve the crisis.
- Adequate Insurance: It helps when you organize and plan your business finances well enough to set aside some funds for insurance cover.
- Reduction on Unnecessary Costs: Financial planning and organization, when done right, helps business owners spot savings beforehand while cutting down over-inflated or unnecessary costs. Besides, you can always refer to past plans to make sure current figures aren’t over-inflated.
Great Gadgets to Organize Your Business Finance
The modern business world is rife with innovative ways of keeping track of funds. With these tools and gadgets, small and medium businesses can organize their finances appropriately:
- Business Loan Calculators: Before applying for one, most people want to know how much their loan will cost. Business loan calculators help businesses calculate their monthly payments and interest. They get an estimate on their total loan repayment as well as amortization.
- Accounting Software: Accounting software such as Wave Financial and QuickBooks help businesses digitalize book-keeping. It removes the need for pen and paper and saves time.
- Inventory Management Tracking Tools: They help companies keep a specific amount of inventory in stock. That way, the owner can always know what is in their storage/warehouse.
Best Practices to Manage Your Finances
Here are some best practices to help you manage the finances of your business:
- Know Your Present Financial Situation: To start managing your business finance better, you need to know your present financial situation and how much funds you have. Always keep a financial plan to help you keep track of your financial situation.’
- Create a Budget and Stick to It: Budgets help businesses designate their income to different expenditures. Most companies stay monthly, quarterly, or annual budgets. After creating one, make sure to stick to it and not go overboard.
- Emergency Funds: To better manage and organize business finance, you may need to set aside funds for unexpected events. Illness, broken equipment are some unforeseen and unbudgeted events that may occur. Include savings in your budgeting to create an emergency fund.
- Set Finance Goals: Determine what you would like your funds to achieve for every business period in advance. Set income and sales goals and work towards meeting them.
Conclusion
You do not have to go through the hassle of using outdated and error-prone methods/tools to organize the financial aspects of your small business. Remember there are several tools to assist with planning and budgeting, including business loan calculators if you require financial support.
